An operation was deployed in Chetumal after several violent incidents were recorded in the last few hours.
Given the growing insecurity in several areas of Quintana Roo, 200 members of the Army, Air Force, and National Guard arrived in the capital municipality of Othón Pompeyo Blanco in artillery vehicles, as well as an EC225 helicopter, to carry out operations with local authorities.
Among the most recent cases of violence are the execution of businessman Jonathan “N”, the murder of a minor, the execution of the head of the Secretariat of Citizen Security and former director of the Cancún Prison,Fermín Cortés Burgos, and the kidnapping of a captain of the Mexican Army, who was released hours later.
Cortés had previously received threats, allegedly for being linked to criminal groups. Cortés was shot as he drove on his motorcycle on Chetumal Avenue. He crashed into a vehicle. The gunmen alighted their car and shot Cortés more than twenty times.
Law enforcement officers are tasked with reinforcing law and order in the state.
According to Belize Electricity Limited, a “burnt crossarm on a transmission structure in a remote area of the Corozal District” was identified as the fault that led to an unplanned power outage that affected certain parts of the country. B.E.L. teams conducted temporary repairs to restore power supply. The company said that “an emergency outage will be required after 4:00pm today to complete repairs.”
On Monday night, B.E.L. issued a press release apologizing to customers.
It said, “We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the extended load shedding, which we were forced to carry out due to a shortage of in-country generation capacity after supply from CFE (Mexico) was abruptly curtailed. As we had earlier informed customers, our gas turbine at Westlake on the George Price Highway, which is one of our major backup power sources, is being upgraded and is currently out of service. This generating unit is scheduled to be brought back online early next week. We are also installing a gas turbine in San Pedro, and this should be completed before the end of May. Together, these additional generation sources will put us in a much better position to meet demand if supply from CFE is curtailed, especially during the high demand months of May through July.”
This morning, attorney Arthur Saldivar was asked about the release. He said it should be a matter of great concern to all Belizeans. “During the day here at court, we are seeing where it is inconveniencing the judiciary and the administration of justice.”
Saldivar went on to say, “Sad to say, but we no longer live in a peaceful country as we once did. It is a very violent place, and the blackout at night is very concerning, especially in the city.”
B.E.L. assures customers that it is making “every effort to maintain safe, reliable, and sustainable energy supply to all service areas countrywide.”
Belize Rural South Area Representative Andre Perez was recently welcomed back to Cabinet following a lengthy suspension. Perez returned as the Minister of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management. He was sidelined from the government following accusations of sexual misconduct by attorney Wendy Auxillou. Prime Minister John Briceño told reporters on April 16 that “the investigation was that no laws were broken.”
The Prime Minister reinforced his decision to welcome back Perez by saying, “I think the point that you all are missing is that Minister Perez went into his constituency and he worked hard, and for this municipal election, he… For this election, he, along with the mayor, Wally Nunez, they won by the largest margin ever in the history of San Pedro.”
Mayor Nunez’s recent win in San Pedro Town has him seeking higher office. He wants to be the next area representative for Belize Rural South. He wants to replace Perez. Does he stand a chance? How will the leaders of the People’s United Party react to Nunez’s ambitions? Is Andre Perez’s political career in trouble?
Nunez posted on Facebook: “The people of San Pedro and Caye Caulker have been asking for quite some time now if I will represent them in the general elections. Well, this is [a] testament that I will be sending in my application to represent you all! Let democracy prevail!”
Let’s compare both men’s performance in their most recent elections. Municipal elections for Nunez and general elections for Perez.
According to the Elections and Boundaries Department, for the 2020 general elections, Perez obtained 4336, or 62.96%, of the votes. His opponent, Manuel Heredia Jr., received 2419, or 35.12%. TheBPF’s candidate, Thomas Henry Greenwood Jr., received 37, or 0.54%, of the votes. 95 ballots were rejected. There were 5,410 registered voters in that division. 4475, or 82.75%,cast their vote.
According to the Elections and Boundaries Department, for the 2024 municipal elections, Nunez received 3651. His UDP opponent, Wilfredo Alamilla, received 1319 votes. There are 8704 registered voters in the municipality. 5397, or 62.01%, cast their votes. Nunez increased his margin of victory by 189 votes compared to the March 3, 2021 municipal elections.
On Facebook, Nunez has received a wave of support. Perez told News Five he would not comment at this time.
The Belize City Council announced today the appointment of Alex Nolberto as the new Director of Finance, effective June 3, 2024. According to the Council, the appointment follows a “thorough selection process and official recommendation by the interview committee.”
The Council says, “Nolberto brings with him over twenty years of experience in leadership, banking, finance, risk management, revenue maximization, and comprehensive financial strategy development. His expertise in these areas, along with his dedication to structure and excellence, positions him as the ideal candidate to lead the finance team at the Belize City Council.”
Nolberto holds a Masters in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He is a Certified Professional in Anti-Money Laundering (CPAML) and a member of the Global Association of Risk Professionals. Heis also an affiliate of the Financial and International Business Association (FIBA).
Tonight, we’ll begin by revisiting the media’s most recent visit to the Sarstoon, the southernmost frontier point in Belize. Reporters were invited to join the Belize Defense Force for the inauguration of the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base. While at the location, they were also taken on a brief tour around Sarstoon Island. We’ll share the Opposition Leader’s position on what transpired elsewhere in our newscast. During the tour of the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base on Thursday, the Belize Defense Force held a briefing where Brigadier General Azariel Loria responded to numerous questions on his soldiers’ activities at the base. One of those questions was, what are troops trained to do in the event they come across persons engaged in illicit activities on Belize’s side of the river? According to the B.D.F. commander, there are protocols in place in the event a situation cannot be remedied by troops on the ground. Here is what he told us.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defense Force
“Whenever we have a situation here at the river mouth that cannot be remedied by the troops on the ground, by the commander here or the commander of the Sarstoon Village, right across, the GAF. We follow the chain of command; the patrol commander informs the operations officer at Fairweather Camp and the message is transmitted to us. We have our channels of communications open with the Guatemalan Armed Forces. We, however, do coordination with our military attaches. Thankfully we our attaches. I think there is a change, a changeover going on with the attachés. But we have our Belize attaché in Guatemala. And he does coordination. The ultimate one, if it really gets out of control is the foreign affairs ministry and they will say what to do. And, that is higher diplomacy, above the other ministries.”
And while there is a B.D.F. channel of communication in place to report incidents on Sarstoon Island, what happens when the Guatemalan Armed Forces enter Belizean waters and shots are fired? According to Brigadier General Azariel Loria, the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base functions primarily as an observation base. But where the need arises, B.D.F. soldiers are authorized to take action to arrest any situation and make detentions. He further explained that the Belize Defense Force is always prepared to deploy additional troops to the area for additional security.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defense Force
“The intent here, the forward operating base functions as an observation base. The intend here is to observe and try to mitigate the threats as they may come. If you notice on the other side, there is a small amount of Guatemala military as well. That tells you something, they are not here to fight, and we are not here to fight as well. WE are here to maintain sovereignty. Should incase things get out of hand we have our SOP on how to withdraw because with a section in our doctrine we could never fight, but we could see, gather information and withdraw to a safer point and then take it on. That is the intent of this observation post if not we would have built another price barracks post and have a thousand men here. That is not the intent. It is a forward, a remote area. It is a great area of strategic importance. The other one is forty-five kilometers to the west of here that we also man and ensure that we are there. Those that have studied land power, knows the value of it, and hence the reason we are here.”
The Leader of the Opposition has come out swinging at the Briceño administration over Thursday’s encounter with the Guatemalan Armed Forces on Sarstoon River. As we reported, two vessels carrying members of the GAF approached the three Belize Defense Forces vessels that were taking a tour of the island with members of the media. They stated that the vessels were in Guatemala’s territory and demanded that the purpose of our presence be made known. The Guatemalan vessels then followed the tour along the southern channel and into the northern channel of Sarstoon Island. Brigadier General Azariel Loria, the Commander of the Belize Defense Force, was among those present on the trip. Moses “Shyne” Barrow, the Leader of the Opposition, has since issued a statement condemning the actions of the Guatemalan Armed Forces and blaming the Briceño administration for their behavior. Here is what Barrow had to say.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“Incompetent Briceno’s failure to deliver promised Sarstoon Protocol leads to continued Guatemalan incursions. The opposition registers its condemnation of the Guatemalan Armed Forces breach of our territorial integrity by entering Belizean waters to obstruct our military personnel from completing a trip around our Sarstoon island with members of the press and other distinguished invited guest of our Sarstoon Forward Operating Base earlier on April twenty-fifth. While the UDP condemns the members of our armed forces for exercising restraint in order to ensure the safety of civilians on board, we emphatically deplore the governments inability to deliver on the Sarstoon Protocol they promised while campaigning to form government. According to individuals present on the Sarstoon trip, heavily armed Guatemalan soldiers approached the Belizean vessel carrying Brigadier General Azariel Loria and scolded them for being in Guatemala’s territory which is completely incorrect and abhorrent. Independent media reports go on to say that general Loria in front of members of the Belize press Corp. did not respond. We find no fault in the general’s decision, however we blame the government for putting the general in a situation where he is under attack and aggressed by bullish Guatemalan Armed Forces.”
Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow also called on Prime Minister John Briceño and Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca to summon the Guatemalan ambassador to Belize at once to protest this breach of our borders. He further stated that a diplomatic note must be sent to the Guatemalan president.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“We are a peaceful nation that prefers to live in harmony with our neighbors, including Guatemala. But we will never compromise our territorial integrity. The opposition calls on Prime Minister Briceno and Foreign Minister Fonseca to summon the Guatemalan ambassador to Belize at once to protest this breach of our borders. An urgent diplomatic note must be sent, and engagement must be made with the Guatemalan president, minister of foreign affairs and minister of defense, to underscore the need for the Guatemalan Armed forces to adhere to international law, confidence building measures and other protocols established by the group of friends and the OAS. The Guatemalan Armed Forces entering Belizean territory repeatedly to restrict free movement around the Sarstoon Island is an unacceptable act of aggression that is against international law and established protocols of the group of friends and the confidence building measures which explicitly states that neither nation shall use force or threat to pursue their position with respect to the territorial referendum. The opposition calls on the Briceno administration to protest vehemently the actions of the Guatemalan Armed Forces to the OAS and the group of friends for immediate attention.”
This morning, vehicular traffic was diverted away from the newly built Haulover Bridge, as government officials, including Prime Minister John Briceño and Minister of Infrastructure Development Julius Espat, cut the ribbon on the replacement structure. It’s a project that was conceived by the previous administration but came to fruition under a People’s United Party government. Coming in at a little over thirty million dollars, the new Haulover Bridge is the longest crossing in the country and was built entirely by Belizean engineers. It’s a spectacle of skill and resourcefulness that was overseen by a woman engineer from start to finish. We begin tonight’s newscast with the inauguration of the new Haulover Bridge. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.
Julius Espat
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development
“It’s a wonderful bridge. It is an accomplishment for Belizean engineers and for the Government of Belize.”
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The Haulover Bridge was officially opened today, several months after a soft launch was held to declare the structure passable. It is a monolith that spans roughly five hundred meters and replaces the previous structure that stood as a relic of Belize‘s colonial past.
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
“It’s the longest bridge that we have in Belize and that was because we had to extend the approaches to the bridge because we wanted to avoid consolidation on the approaches.
The new Haulover Bridge is designed to significantly reduce travel time, making transportation more efficient. Over the years, this crossing near the mouth of the Belize River has proven integral to urban and economic development by facilitating the movement of people, goods and services.
Julius Espat
“This new Haulover Bridge, much like its predecessor, holds momentous importance as it symbolizes resilience, strength, ingenuity and embodies the steadfast spirit of our Belizean people. Today is a day of celebration and thanks, a day to celebrate all the hard work that went into the planning design and construction of this bridge and a day to thank all who helped in getting us here.”
Built at a price tag of almost thirty-one million dollars, this well-designed bridge offers a safe crossing point which is particularly important given its location. Its design and construction has pushed the boundaries of engineering in Belize.
Meghan Martinez
Meghan Martinez, M&M Engineering
“When it was found that the old and dilapidated Haulover Bridge had reached its design life and was in desperate need of replacement, the MIDH commissioned us to conduct preliminary studies and presented design options to the Government of Belize. The process of this project has encompassed several years of planning, starting with preliminary design concepts, soil explorations, surveys, peer reviews and final design. When we conducted a traffic survey in 2017, it showed us that there were over thirteen thousand vehicles crossing over the old Haulover Bridge. Today, that number is around seventeen thousand vehicles.”
Under the previous administration, projections for the cost of a new bridge were estimated at around fifty million dollars. What has been built is a superstructure that comes in well under that budget.
Evondale Moody
“This bridge cost us thirty point nine million. We got a loan from the OPEC Fund for twelve million [U.S. dollars] which is twenty-four million Belize [dollars] and so the counterpart was another six [million dollars.] We were able to build the bridge for the exact thirty point nine and the breakdown between the financing for loans is seventy percent from OFID, thirty percent from GOB.”
The Haulover Bridge is not just a physical structure that straddles the estuary of the Belize River, it enables social and economic progress.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“We gather here at the mouth of the Belize River to celebrate the opening of a remarkable structure that will not only connect Belize City with the north of our country, but also bridge communities and opportunities. This new bridge spanning the Belize River here at the mouth of the Haulover Creek stands as a symbol of progress, unity and shared aspiration. It is an engineering marvel made in Belize by Belizeans and it reminds us of the power of collaboration, innovation and vision.”
Forty-eight-year-old Osmar Correa, a businessman from Belmopan, will be extradited to the United States where he will be tried in a court of law in the state of Texas. Earlier today, Chief Magistrate Jayani Wegodapola handed down that decision in a sixteen-page document and concluded that, “I am satisfied that the evidence contained is sufficient according to the laws of Belize to justify the committal for trial of the defendant, Osman Eliasar Correa, as if the offense of which he is charged had been committed in the territory of Belize”. Correa is wanted in Texas on a charge of intoxication manslaughter, following an incident on March twenty-third, 1998 that resulted in the death of two persons, including someone inside an ambulance. Before leaving the courtroom, Correa was informed that he has fifteen days before the proper proceedings for his extradition are concluded, referring to all the documents that are needed to be prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Correa was represented by attorney Bryan Neal, while the state was represented by the DPP and Senior Crown Counsel Stacy Martinez.
