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KTV Finalist, only 19 Wants to Help Kids

If the next KTV the Remix champion will be Chelsy Castro, she will need your help. Chelsy shared with News Five that she was not able to get herself a sponsor for the voting competition, whose winner is determined by the number of votes they receive. Chelsy is only nineteen, but aside from wanting to continue in music, she also wants to help children. News Five stopped in with Chelsy for a little while to get to know who she is when she’s not on the KTV stage. It happens that at only nineteen, she has been turning a few heads on the island already among people who know her talent and have asked her to perform at special events. The winner will be announced on Tuesday night, but voting ends at midnight on Sunday and Chelsy says if she wins, she wants to invest the money in children. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

If you’re a fan of KTV the Remix, you may have seen her and heard that lovely voice as she sang each Tuesday night at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts. Chelsy Castro is only nineteen years old. Born in Belize City, she now lives, works and studies in San Pedro. As a nine-year-old, discovering her singing talent came one day while attempting to brighten someone’s day.

Chelsy Castro, KTV the Remix Finalist

“I had a friend who was in a fire accident and she went to the US for surgeries and stuff like that and it was like on her birthday week And so my mom decided like, you know, let’s just sing a little song for her. At the time we didn’t know that I could sing. So I did it and then she was like, “you’re kinda good” (laughs). Yeah.”

Chelsy’s mom, Cindy Fuentes works with children in the arts and also sings. She coaches her daughter for every KTV session. She says Chelsy has long surpassed her ability.

Cindy Fuentes, Mother of Chelsy Castro

“I do sing at karaoke’s. Um, not that good. Not that karaoke good, but not that – stage good, but the drama and all that, that would come from me. I do a lot of – I help school when it comes to the festival of arts and so I’m the most artistic when it comes to stage performance and how she should stand, what she should do, facial. So I’m the one that does all that for her.”

We met Chelsy on the job, at Belizean Melody Art Gallery on Barrier Reef Drive. It’s a not-for-profit gallery that promotes the works of Belizean artists only. While Chelsy herself does not paint, she helps to run the display room. She’s also majoring in business management at the San Pedro Junior College. For the past six weeks, she has been juggling homework, her eight-to-five, and KTV preparations.

And if we were to go by her performance, specifically on the night of July twenty-third, when she wowed the audience with her rendition of the Latin song, Que Agonia by Yuridia and Ángela Aguilar, you would think she speaks Spanish fluently. She doesn’t and had to put in extra hours to get that performance down pat.

Chelsy Castro

“I was like planning out songs for each of the genres and for Spanish. We focused on that more because I don’t see Spanish. And so I was like –”

Marion Ali

“At all?”

Chelsy Castro

“Well, agua (laughs) good morning.”

Chelsy does not have a sponsor for her appearances on the show, instead she sings karaoke at nightclubs. When the audience cheers her on, she asks them to vote for her. She also sings at events where people who have recognized her talent, ask her to perform. Now that she has reached this far, she has greater musical pursuits on the horizon.

Chelsy Castro

“I’m actually consider considering to like potentially becoming a Belizean artist. I’ve got in contact with like producers and they want to help me out and so like potentially I could be publishing my own music.”

Chelsy sees herself composing her own music, as well as performing well-known covers, should she land an opportunity in the music industry. She also wants to help children.

Chelsy Castro

“I’ve never had a vocal teacher Until KTV when I met Miss Giselle, that was my first time going to a vocalist So I wanted to with the 10, 000 invest in like some music instruments to also help children and give them that support that they need thankfully I had from my mom, but, you know, I can give that to other kids, give them that vocal lessons, like, with that $10,000 I can, like, teach myself to, like, give to others.”

Chelsy’s favourite songs are from soundtracks. She left us with this treat from the Little Mermaid. Marion Ali for News Five.

Never Letting go of the Gift of Life

Every year, doctors from various parts of The U.S. travel to Belize to provide life-saving corrective surgeries for young cardiac patients. The initiative is facilitated through the Rotary Club and has been saving lives in the country for decades. Today, we stopped by the Lion’s Club in Belize City where the Gift of Life clinic was being hosted. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

To be happy and healthy, that’s the wish all parents make for their children. But good health and happiness come easier to some than others. For the parents and children at the annual Gift of Life pop-up clinic, they are fighting hard for it. Pediatric cardiologist, Doctor Gul Dadlani is visiting Belize for the fourth time as part of this program.

Dr. Gul Dadlani, Pediatric Cardiologist

“The Gift of Life program through Rotary is fantastic. About one in a hundred children are born with a congenital heart problem, meaning a heart problem that’s there at birth. Many of those will need a surgical procedure to correct that. So the gift of life program brings cardiologists and a full team to diagnose those heart conditions and then allows those that need surgery to be able to raise the funds to send them out of the country to have their heart surgery and come back and lead a great quality of life.”

The most common diseases observed by the doctors include a ventricular septal defect which is a hole between the lower chambers of the heart. Ten -year-old Jacinto Penner recently received surgery at the K.H.M.H. from the Gift of Life Doctors in Belize. Jacinto’s father, Milton Penner, says his family’s life has been changed watching their little heart warrior make a full recovery.

Milton Penner, Father of Jacinto

“It was last year in October. It’s almost a year ago. And it was a very smooth process. It was absolutely wonderful and marvelous. The fact that we were able to do this in Belize, very amazing. Very happy about it.”

Britney Gordon

“Now that your son is recovering, you guys brought him back here today just for follow ups and just to make sure everything’s alright?”

Milton Penner

“Yes he is perfectly fine. After the procedure he is actually recovering in a very beautiful way. We never saw, after leaving the hospital, it was like an instant fix, like instantly. There was not a sign ever again. It was, it was just a very beautiful thing for, to watch, to see him. Just recover and not a sign ever again. And now we’ve been back once. This is the second time after the procedure and He’s doing excellent.”

Jacinto is one of many patients whose lives have been touched by the program. The doctors are spending three days in Belize City after one in Dangriga. Nurse Heidi Hess, who has been coming to Belize for the past twenty-four years, estimates that the team sees at least one hundred children annually.

Heidi Hess, Pediatric Cardiac Nurse Specialist

“I feel very connected to the country and to the people here. Everyone is so friendly. The children are fantastic. And I’ve, I love watching them grow up and now they’re growing up and getting married. And they come in and they bring their own children for me to see. And that’s very rewarding.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

U.B. Chairman Says G.O.B. Should Gift Purchased Land for University Hospital

There is a protest planned for Friday morning in Belmopan where activist Nigel Petillo, the membership of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, and Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow will demonstrate in the wake of government’s recent purchase of a fifteen-acre parcel of land. That property, acquired by the Ministry of Natural Resources at a significant markup, will be the site of the University Hospital. The acquisition of the undeveloped acreage from businessman Kenny Zheng has proven to be controversial, since he bought the property in question from RECONDEV for a little under six hundred thousand dollars in 2018. When Zheng sold it back to the government, the profit margin was eleven and a half times the actual purchase price. On August nineteenth, N.T.U.C.B. President Luke Martinez wrote to U.B. Chairman Godfrey Smith, in respect of the proposed University Hospital. Earlier today, Senior Counsel Smith responded to Martinez’s letter, explaining that the final decision to relocate the proposed site of the University Hospital rested with the Government of Belize via the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Notwithstanding its disappointment with the government’s decision, Smith said that the board was willing to accommodate the proposed medical facility should the ministry change its mind. Elsewhere in his response, the U.B. Chairman made the point, quote, I believe that the board should reiterate its commitment to have the University Hospital built on U.B. land and seriously consider your proposal of asking the government to gift the purchased land to U.B., should the government maintain its decision to build the University Hospital on the purchased land, end quote. That issue will be discussed at an upcoming meeting of the Board of Trustees on September eleventh.

N.T.U.C.B. President Berates Briceño Government

The President of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, former Senator Luke Martinez, has been vocal about the N.T.U.C.B.’s position on the outrageous sale of private property to government for the building of the University Hospital. In criticizing the Briceño administration for the questionable land purchase, Martinez also expressed displeasure with the Minister of Health and Wellness.

On the phone: Luke Martinez, President, N.T.U.C.B.

“Di government di bullsh*t the people and the government needs to do what was agreed upon in the Senate which is to build the hospital on UB land, done. No negotiation, dehn noh need fi knock up dehn head bout goh pay this one or goh pay da one or goh look fi cheaper land or whatever. Dehn get free land from UB, can’t get better than that. That da weh di government need fi do. Dehn need fi stop bullsh*t the people. My message to the Minister of Health is that I am extremely disappointed in the Minister of Health because he appeared to have been a promising politician. Everybody loved him when he was the mayor of Orange Walk and now for him to be participating in what appears to be some very funny transactions is very disappointing and I am disappointed in him.”

N.T.U.C.B. Calls on All Unions to Join Land Protest

Going back to the peaceful demonstration that will be held in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Belmopan, the N.T.U.C.B. has issued a release calling on all unions, including the Communications Workers Union, the Belize National Teachers Union, Progressive Teachers Union, as well as the Water Services Workers Union, to join the protest. A release from the N.T.U.C.B. states, quote, this peaceful demonstration is a call for all workers and citizens to act now, to stand up against corruption and demand accountability from our leaders. We will be joining forces with Nigel Petillo and various civil society organizations to advocate for a better future for Belize, one free from corruption, misfeasance and kleptocracy, end quote.

Nigel Petillo, “Unu Lef My Ma Lone”

One day ahead of a demonstration organized by community activist Nigel Petillo, a campaign has been launched to smear his name. News Five has obtained land transaction documents leaked from within the Ministry of Natural Resources that led us to seek an interview with him for clarification. The documents reveal that Naomi Petillo, the mother of Nigel Petillo, recently sold point six acres of land on Forest Drive to Ceiba Grove L.L.P. for four hundred thousand dollars. One document reveals that the land was initially purchased for just over seventy-eight thousand dollars, while another shows that Miss Petillo acquired the land title in 2022. The argument is that while Petillo is making an issue over the government’s seven-million-dollar purchase, point six acres was sold for four hundred thousand dollars in Belmopan. Now clearly, this is a private transaction between two private entities. Furthermore, when we spoke with Petillo, he told us that they had been living on the property for almost four decades. He urged those behind the smear campaign to leave his mother alone.

Nigel Petillo, Community Activist

“The other day my ma gone dah Quality Poultry and she buy some chicken, beef, cheese and I nuh know how deh never gone study that transaction. Honestly to tell you the truth, I cant speak on my mother’s transaction. My name is no way on that transaction. I know we have lived on that land for at least forty years. My mom had a restaurant built on that land. She has a bar built on that land as well. She had a huge house at the back built. She even had some apartments on that land. She had some serious investments on that land. I know she and my dad developed that land for some time. After they divorced my mom went ahead and continued developing the place, but I don’t know how much she bought that for, how much she bought that for. I don’t know why we the discuss my mom affairs. What does Naomi Petillo transaction has to do with anything. Why we the talk about that? I want know, if my mom could sue someone for this. I don’t think it is fair, a sixty-five-year-old citizen going through an issue like this. Unu wah give my mom heart attack. She wah feel like she did something wrong. By the way, this dah nuh government, tax payers transaction any at all. This has nothing to do with government money or nobody else money. Are we going to talk about everybody else transaction now? Should we start digging up all those individuals around here who own five thousand acres up north, who own so much in San Pedro and Placencia. Should we start digging up all those transactions? Bway, unu lef mih mah lone.”

Paul Lopez

“I think what is being questioned is the land value in Belmopan, the fact point six acres can be sold for more four hundred thousand dollars. Yet, you take issue…”

Nigel Petillo

“This is point six acres of developed land. I just list the amount of buildings on that land. She has been paying tax for that land for umpteen amount of years. We grow up on that land. We start off on a bus. When we get it we plant cassava, plantain, pineapple, we get an old bus from Mr. Shaw and we live in that bus for years and then mih mah build a lee cohune roof with stick, bush. And later ih gone dah bank again and ih put an apartment. The apartment help her build another piece. And, poor Naomi Petillo is being prosecuted? What kind of government we have that would come down on poor people like this now. This is not fair because we the speak out, because Naomi son the speak out. Bway unu leff mih mah lone you know.”

Nigel Petillo Says U.B. Chairman’s Release Welcomed

We also asked activist Nigel Petillo for his thoughts on the press release from the University of Belize’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Godfrey Smith. Petillo says that it was necessary to hear from the chairman. In the same breath, he invited U.B. students to join the demonstration scheduled for tomorrow in front of the prime minister’s office in Belmopan.

Nigel Petillo, Community Activist

“First of all, I appreciate him speaking out. A lot of people still nuh the seh nothing. A lot of people in high places to and it was very necessary for us to hear from the chairman’s perspective. So, we support what he is saying as far as we want a U.B. land, everybody want a U.B. land. That was the promise for the loan and everything. That was the attractive idea of that loan. That made it easy for any lender to lend us that type of money knowing you will build a medical hospital on a U.B. land. That is attractive. Now, it looks like the poor U.B. students can’t speak out. It looks like they are being held hostage. The poor students, but I the tell unu students, don’t wait until anybody tell you that you cant, come out. This is about you and your future and your children. Your unborn kids already have bills, while these people with these transactions done own lots of lands and cattle and buildings over this place from our taxpayers money. Dah time fih wake up you know.”

Boots to Gilroy Usher, “It’s over now, sir.”

Former Port Loyola Area Representative Anthony “Boots” Martinez is back and is gearing up for a showdown with his successor. After failing to trigger a recall of sitting area rep, Gilroy Usher Senior, the seasoned politician has decided to come out of retirement and run once again for the United Democratic Party. According to Martinez, he is back by popular demand and is ready to take out his political opponent. This afternoon, we caught up with Boots in his former stomping grounds and here’s what he has to say about his comeback.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former Area Rep, Port Loyola

“I retired in 2018 from elected politics overall, and especially as the area representative for Port Loyola. In 2020, two months before the election, Sedi Elrington stepped aside and I was asked to fill the vacuum as a party man. Ah need fi clarify that because even fi the people of Port Loyola, even dealing with the petition that was the question that was asked, “Why yoh mi leff we?” Of course, I had a long time as the longest serving area representative for Port Loyola and I worked hard. It is about service, it is about wanting to see better for the constituency. You wah tell me, my God, eena five years’ time, by his own admittance, the area representative is saying that at the rate ah weh house di gih weh and how dehn di build house, he only wahn get two and a half house fi five years. Furthermore to that, I will say that to me, as an area representative, he has neglected his duty because I think, moving across the constituency and he inherited a constituency that was properly balanced. To that end, I will say to Gilroy Usher, this is my slogan, “It’s over now, sir.” And to use Steph Curry’s symbol, “night, night.””

What’s the Latest on Boots’ Recall Petition?

Martinez’s effort at ousting Gilroy Usher from his office as Port Loyola area rep may have been frustrated by all the hurdles that he says were intentionally placed before him, but he is intent on mounting a challenge to take back his seat in the next general elections. According to Martinez, the matter of the failed recall petition is presently before the High Court where it will likely undergo a judicial review.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former Area Rep., Port Loyola

“That is going to judicial review, but also, too, what is holding that back, in my view, I think that won’t be able to materialize based pan what the law says. The law says that one year before the election, ih cyant happen and eighteen months after, so I think that to me, that will be like an exercise in futility eena my view. But furthermore to that, the main objective is that Mr. Usher’s test is coming up. And let me say this, for the record, I have beaten Mr. Usher two times in a row, and yoh sih, when yoh play softball, baseball, dehn she three strike you are out, and it will be fortunate for me to strike him out.”

Can “Boots” Help to Heal Broken U.D.P.?

The endorsement of former Area Representative “Boots” Martinez and two other U.D.P. standard bearers, amid a division within the United Democratic Party, has been met with criticism by the Alliance for Democracy, a faction within the U.D.P. But what role, if any, will he play in the reconciliation process that is so desperately needed in the fractured opposition? That’s what we asked Martinez this afternoon when we caught up with him in Port Loyola.

Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former Area Rep., Port Loyola

“I will be joining in with the leadership of the party to see of there could be some impasse, to see where my advice could count politically, and so I will be involved as a party because [there’s] nothing like a united front. But also too, da like ah seh, in my humble opinion, I think that on both sides of the coin, I think that you must not lose focus of the prize. The focus of the prize are the people, your constituency and the country and especially the country which wants a viable opposition and I think the infighting is not helping at all. And so the national issues are being put on the backburner. And so I believe that we must get our act together.”