Moses “Shyne” Barrow says he remains leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP). This comes after he resigned following his defeat in the March 2025 general elections.
In a press release, Barrow said, “As my term does not expire until the National Convention to be scheduled this year, 2025, at your request, I will continue to serve you as Party Leader to ensure the continuity and strengthening of our great UDP!”
According to Barrow, the UDP has gone “dormant, with no attempt at unity, no compliance with the Party Constitution, no adherence to procedures and structures of the Party, no vision or resources to take the Party forward. I am compelled to accept your call for me to continue as Party Leader until the next National Convention as was my original position.”
“I am compelled to accept your call for me to continue as party leader until the next national convention, as was my original position.”
Barrow’s resignation on March 17 came after losing his Mesopotamia seat to fellow UDP member Lee Mark Chang.
Tracy Panton, who claimed leadership following an October 2024 ‘unity convention’, was sworn in as Leader of the Opposition on March 14.
However, the legitimacy of Panton’s leadership has been contested by Barrow, leading to ongoing legal battles. Barrow’s attorney argued that Panton’s convention violated the UDP’s constitution, asserting that she lacked the authority to call for it and was not a party member at the time.
The State Attorney General’s Office of Quintana Roo is requesting the public’s assistance in locating 29-year-old William Javier Cruz Milán, who has been reported missing since April 19, 2025. He was last seen in the town of Sabidos, located in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo.
Cruz Milán, a Belizean national, is described as having a slim build, fair complexion, and short straight black hair. He has large dark brown eyes and stands approximately 1.50 metres tall, weighing around 55 kilograms. A distinguishing feature is a tattoo of the Virgin of Guadalupe on his right shoulder.
Authorities filed the official missing persons report on April 22. At the time of his disappearance, there was no information available about the clothes he was wearing.
The State Attorney General’s Office urges anyone with information about William Javier Cruz Milán’s whereabouts to come forward. Members of the public can contact the authorities at (983) 835 0050, extension 1132.
“Help him return home!” reads the message on the official alert.
Less than a week ago, Captain Howell Grange found himself in a life-and-death situation straight out of a movie. On Holy Thursday morning, he boarded his Tropic Air flight in Ranchito for what should have been a routine twenty-minute trip to San Pedro. Instead, the flight turned into a horrific two-hour hijacking ordeal. Despite being badly wounded, Captain Grange managed to land the plane safely and live to tell the tale. This afternoon, Tropic Air issued a statement thanking the community for their support during this challenging time. Shortly after, Captain Grange was wheeled out of Belize Healthcare Partners Limited, greeted by applause from hospital staff, friends, and family. Before heading home, Captain Howell Grange made his first stop at the Divine Mercy Church, where he and his family attend mass every Sunday. He was there to give thanks for surviving the ordeal. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Howell Grange
Howell Grange, Pilot, Tropic Air
“When I found out I was going to be released, I told my wife I need to go to church before we get home. I think I owe everything right now to the good Lord. That’s why I’m here because right when the deal started, I prayed to him and asked him to fill me with the strength and the knowledge to get to that man’s head, so all we have a good outcome for the day.”
Holy Thursday turned out to be a good day for the passengers and Captain Grange, despite the critical injuries inflicted by hijacker Akinyela Taylor. Taylor took control of the aircraft soon after takeoff, Grange recounted, as he relived the harrowing experience.
Howell Grange
“I took off normal, crossing over Cerros, then I started to hear the commotion and that’s when I saw when Mr. Brown, he was already injured and Mr. Castaneda was already injured, so I started to turn back to Corozal. Then that’s when he said it was a hijacking and then he demanded the little boy to go to the back, everyone to the back, and everyone went to the back. And he started telling me I was going to take him to the United States. So, I said, okay, no problem. So, I told him which airport you want to go? So, I found my airport in the GPS, the G-1000 equipment we use, and I put it in and I move it from the map. So he was not seeing where I’m going.”
Seeing two passengers bleeding, Captain Grange knew the situation was dire. He contacted air traffic control in Spanish to alert them about the unfolding crisis. Then, he cleverly flew over water to confuse the hijacker.
Howell Grange
“I started to head over to the international airport, but I passed behind the international airport. I told him we’re heading into Mexican territory, and I had spoken to the controllers over the radio and asked them to speak in Spanish and they understood what I was trying to do. Then I went out at sea, came back, but different direction, not in the same route. So he doesn’t recognize any area.”
Marion Ali
“Yes, we saw the loops.”
Howell Grange
“Yeah, so I was mainly trying to fly over water. It’s hard to get orientated over water and I was changing altitude every minute just to change the direction, you know, try to head back closer to Belize and just try to stay over water as much as I could. I had asked them to please get someone that speaks proper American English, and they got someone and they were vectoring me to the final, and this was already like an hour and change into flight, so when I was landing, he thought he was landing in the US.”
But the hijacker soon realized that he was not in the US and that was when he also stabbed Grange.
Howell Grange
“He said he doesn’t recognize the airport for me to go around. So, I went back out and that’s when we started to argue in the airplane, me and him. And he told me, if you’re not gonna take me to the airport, then we all gonna die here today.”
Marion Ali
“What airport was that?”
Howell Grange
“I don’t remember the name, it was one in the U.S, somewhere in Missouri, Mississippi, or something like that. I don’t really recall, but I started heading back. Well, I started to argue with him because I wanted to distract him from seeing me getting closer to the airport. At the same time I was descending that time. I only had about 10 minutes more of fuel, and I decided to land. When he realized it was not where he wanted to be, then the whole scuffle start inside the airplane.”
Marion Ali
“That’s when he stabbed you?”
Howell Grange
“Yeah, he stabbed me, yeah.”
After Taylor stabbed him, Captain Grange cut off the plane’s engine and they began to fight inside the aircraft. Taylor inflicted ten stab wounds on Grange, including one behind his ear that cut through his tongue and another serious wound to his right hand. Suddenly, two gunshots rang out.
Howell Grange
“He hit me in my chin here. He was a pretty skillful guy with the knife, pretty skillful guy with the knife. He tried to hit my temple, but I had my shades on and this was the biggest one. I was trying to hold his hand and then he just grabbed the knife and sliced it open.”
Grange is at home recovering now, something he said was first on his mind.
Marion Ali
“What was going through your mind?”
Howell Grange
“Getting home to my family, getting home to my family, that was playing through my mind. That’s all I wanted.”
Captain Grange endured ten stab wounds, each narrowly missing vital vessels that could have been fatal. He now looks forward to a full recovery and hopes to return to the pilot’s seat one day. Marion Ali for News Five.
Belize’s municipal airstrips have ramped up security after Thursday’s Tropic Air hijacking scare. Thankfully, all passengers escaped unharmed, but the incident could have become tragic if the hijacker had been armed with deadlier weapons. News Five’s Britney Gordon caught up with a passenger at the Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airstrip to get the scoop on the new safety protocols.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
It’s been nearly a week since the hijacking of a Tropic Air flight in Belizean skies. In response, the Belize Airports Authority has implemented new security measures. Lydia De Los Santos, a passenger flying to Placencia, shares her thoughts on the changes.
Britney Gordon
“So can you talk a little bit about the security measures that you have seen here at this in comparison to some of the other security measures that you’ve had on other planes?”
Lydia De Los Santos
Lydia De Los Santos, Passenger
“I think it’s the same, just in a smaller scale. Because they still have the metaldetectors. Your bag has to get checked.”
She explained that the new procedures are not complex and don’t take much time.
Lydia De Los Santos
“We got our boarding passes. We had a show passports, just like at a big airairport. And they checked our bags. And when we got to this particular one andthey gave us our boarding pass here.”
Britney Gordon
“How many bags are you guys traveling with?”
Lydia De Los Santos
“Two.”
Britney Gordon
“And are you allowed to have a purse?”
Lydia De Los Santos
“It’s two luggage and a carry-on.”
Britney Gordon
“So you are allowed to keep your carry-on?”
Lydia De Los Santos
“Yes.”
Passengers can still bring a personal item, but now they must go through a metal detector scan.
Lydia De Los Santos
“They did the metal detector and they checked the bag, I don’t know if they went in the bag, but they checked the bag. So I don’t know if they went in it.”
De Los Santos is traveling with caution but feels reassured by the new security measures.
Britney Gordon
“Do you feel that this is sufficient enough for your safety?”
Lydia DeLos Santos
“Are we ever really safe? I live on a prayer, so I’m satisfied.”
Britney Gordon
“And it’s comparable to other airports, maybe just on a smaller scale?”
Lydia De Los Santos
“Smaller scale.”
Britney Gordon
“And is there any sort of maybe hesitation that you have given the recent news of what happened? Or do you feel that it’s been taken care of?”
Lydia De Los Santos
“I did see the news. My sister sent it to me right the day before I’m coming, so I’m like, again I trust Jesus. I do everything afraid because in this world, nothing is really safe anymore, but I trust that the Lord’s gonna keep me safe. So that’s it.”
Thursday’s terrifying hijacking concluded when the plane finally landed at the Philip Goldson International Airport after spending two hours in the air. Upon landing, chaos erupted on the runway as medical personnel and police rushed to the aircraft. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, explains how the team was able to handle the situation without disrupting the scheduled traffic at the airport.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“For me my objective was to make sure that we clear the runway as quickly as possible so as not to hinder any of the international flights that were scheduled to arrive on that day. And so after the plane landed, considering that the runway was not the crime scene, but whether the plane was the crime scene. I had directed the plane to remove from the runway and taken to the you call it apron, whatever that part of the airport is for it to be processed by scenes of crime. And so within half an hour time, the runway was clear. And I don’t think that any of the international flights had any delay in landing. I think they all arrived on time and they landed well and took off well. So I believe, again, our efforts in terms of coordinating that was extremely good. Civil Aviation was on the ball as well as Airport Authority in making sure that the runway was not only cleared, but after the runway has been cleared. I think there is some physical checks that need to be made on the runway to make sure that it is safe for landing. That was also done so that the aircraft that were supposed to come in on that day could have been notified that there was no delay in them coming into the country.”
Reporter
“So what happens to the plan now? Is that tendered into evidence?”
Chester Williams
“We don’t need to hold a plan pending the outcome of any court case in this case. I don’t think that there’s going to be a court case, but what would’ve been done should there be one? For example, if Mr. Taylor was alive and would be prosecuted. Through the DPP office, a letter could have been issued to properly process and photograph the aircraft, and that would’ve been done in presence of a JP or a magistrate. And with that then the plane could have been returned to Tropic Air for normal operations while the case is still pending.”
Details are still unfolding about Akinyela Taylor’s hijacking of the Tropic Air flight. Police report that Taylor was kicked out of PGIA for trying to board a flight without a ticket and was later denied entry to both Mexico and Belize. Commissioner Chester Williams says it’s still a mystery why Taylor came to Belize and what drove him to commit the crime.
Reporter
“In terms of the department investigation, has anything been uncover about why Mr. Taylor was here? If he had any contacts here what he had been doing before Thursday’s incident?”
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We don’t have any information in terms of why he was here other than the fact that he might have been a tourist. In terms of contacts, I’ve seen some video footage that showed him in certain areas. People questioned him about what he was doing. And he said he was a normal backpacker moving around. So we do not per se, stop people from coming into the country if they’re coming as tourists.”
Reporter
“And then last thing in terms, I think there have been some that have been open about calling this a terrorist incident. I don’t think terrorism in the normal definition is what happened here, but would you be able to clarify that aspect?”
Chester Williams
“Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Act, it would not meet the threshold of an act of terror. So should he have survived this this ordeal, he would’ve been charged perhaps for kidnapping, attempt murder along those lines, but not for terrorism.”
Guatemala’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) and the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) have announced they cannot support a proposed law that would expand the Punta de Manabique protected area to include the ecologically valuable Cayman Crown Reef, citing legal and procedural shortcomings.
The proposed legislation, Bill 6499, aims to incorporate the reef, considered one of the best-preserved in the Guatemalan Caribbean, into the existing protected area framework. The reef plays a vital role in sustaining local marine biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of fishers in the Izabal region.
However, both MARN and CONAP stressed that the bill lacks the required technical foundation to move forward. According to Guatemala’s Protected Areas Law, any official declaration of a protected area must be based on a comprehensive technical study approved by CONAP. Such a study must assess the environmental, social, economic, and cultural conditions of the area and the potential impacts on the local population.
“Without an approved technical study, support from relevant government institutions, and clear social backing, MARN and CONAP cannot endorse the incorporation of Corona Caimán into the protected area.”
Environmental advocates have voiced concern over the delay but acknowledge the need for due process.
The reef, located between Belize and Guatemala within the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, is a key ecological site. It hosts spawning grounds for finfish and deep-water species and is considered part of the vital Mesoamerican Reef system.
Locals in San Francisco Del Mar now claim a six-mile stretch, including much of Belize’s Conservation Zone 4, as Guatemalan territory, raising fears that NGO patrols will cease and unregulated fishing will resume.
The National Student Union of Belize (NSUB) is demanding urgent action and a full investigation into allegations of sexual harassment made against UB assistant professor, Dr. Pio Saqui.
On April 16, News Five learnt that UB had records of complaints against Dr Saqui, who is also the president of the University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union (UBFSU), with the most recent damning complaint dated April 8.
Four students accused Dr Saqui of unwanted touching, sexual remarks, invasive questions, and persistent physical contact “despite visible discomfort and refusal.”
News Five reached out to Dr Saqui several times through various means when we broke the story. He has yet to reply to our request for comments.
In its statement, the NSUB said it “unequivocally condemns all forms of sexual harassment and misconduct” and voiced firm support for students who have come forward with claims spanning over a decade, calling the allegations “deeply concerning.”
The union said it “demands a thorough and transparent response.”
“We urge UB to ensure that this process adheres to the principles of fairness, impartiality, and accountability,” the union said, citing the university’s Student Handbook and the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 2024.
The union also called on the university to protect students from retaliation and to provide mental health support throughout the investigation. “
The NSUB said it will “continue to monitor this situation closely” and work to ensure student safety remains a top priority.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist the family of Chito Martinez, the first and only Major League Baseball player born in Belize, following his death on Sunday, 20 April, at the age of 59.
Martinez passed away at his home in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, after a series of recent hospitalisations. The cause of death has not been officially released, but according to the GoFundMe page, he had suffered a heart attack.
Ramiro Cortes, a close friend who organised the fundraiser, described Martinez as “a great friend who would give you the shirt off his back” and appealed for support to ease the financial burden on his widow.
“I have started this GoFundMe to help his widow with funeral and other expenses she will incur in the immediate future,” he said. “I ask that you search your heart for anything you can provide. Even prayers for God’s peace. It will bring great comfort in knowing that it will be one less thing she will have to deal with.”
Martinez’s funeral will be held Friday, 25 April, at Coleman Funeral Home in Southaven.
A woman who narrowly escaped death after a brutal attack by her ex-partner is now pleading for public support as she works to rebuild her life.
The woman, formerly of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, relocated to Belize City for safety after the incident. She told Ladyville Highlights she survived multiple stab wounds inflicted by her former partner, including stab injuries to her head, face, and under her arm. “I tried to defend myself, and that’s how I got more injuries… Lotta blood I lose,” she said.
The mother of four said she fought back to survive for her children. “I fight back because I have my four beautiful children,” she stated.
She revealed the abuse had been ongoing, with several police reports made. “This situation been in police hands more than one time,” she said. Though she tried to leave, she claimed her ex repeatedly returned and intimidated her. “I tried my best to leave him,” she told Ladyville Highlights.
The woman is now recovering and staying with a friend during her “transition” into rebuilding her life. Though her children are not with her at the moment, she hopes to be reunited with them soon.
She is now seeking the public’s help for financial assistance to cover her ongoing medical expenses, including a CT scan and a full assessment of the injuries she sustained, as she continues her recovery.
“Anybody who wants to extend their hands to me and help me, because I really need the help,” she said. Assistance can be made through Ladyville Highlights.
“To the young ladies,” she advised, “listen to your parents, make your parents your best friends, talk to your parents.”
