The British Museum is facing renewed calls to return cultural objects taken during colonial expeditions, this time from Belize. San Benito Poite, a small, village in southern Belize, has formally requested the return of human remains and artefacts taken from the ancient Maya city of Pusilha nearly a century ago, along with a $1 million BZD repatriation grant.
In a signed resolution addressed to the British Museum, San Benito Poite’s Alcalde Manuel Cucul and Village Chairman Richard Caal lay out seven key demands. These include the return of all human remains to Pusilhá for proper reburial. It also seeks the repatriation of carved stelae and altars that were previously removed from the area. The museum is asked to send back a selection of ceramic and lithic objects, with transportation costs covered by the institution. The letter requests a $1 million BZD grant to build and operate a visitor centre in Pusilhá to house and interpret the artefacts. A 10-year scholarship fund is also proposed, among others.
Between 1928 and 1931, British Museum expeditions, assisted by looter Thomas Gann, removed numerous artefacts from Pusilhá without the consent of the Maya people and in violation of archaeological standards. Items including stelae, altars, pottery, and human remains were taken, often damaged during extraction, with no proper documentation or inventory kept. The museum has since admitted it does not hold legal title to many of these objects, which remain unregistered and out of public view in storage.
Authorities have launched an investigation after a shipment containing 15 pounds of high-grade cannabis was intercepted at Customs earlier this month. The drugs were found in a consolidated shipment from the United States, the type typically sent through freight services in barrels.
According to reports, a customs officer inspecting the shipment reportedly received prior calls from two colleagues asking him to monitor a specific box, which they claimed contained bath and body products. Instead, the officer found bags of cannabis, not soap and lotions. He immediately reported it to his supervisor.
The officer who made the discovery has given a statement to police. The cannabis found is reportedly of top-tier quality, with a street value estimated in the hundreds of thousands of US dollars.
Police are investigating if this could be part of a wider, long-running smuggling operation.
The Kidney Association of Belize is alerting the public about a scam involving individuals impersonating the organisation to solicit Zoom meetings and financial donations.
In a Facebook post, the association said it received multiple reports of fraudulent phone calls and messages from people falsely claiming to represent the organisation.
“These calls and messages are not from us,” the Kidney Association stated. “This is a scam, and we strongly urge the public not to engage or share any personal or financial information.”
The association is encouraging anyone who receives such suspicious communications to report them immediately to the relevant authorities.
Minister of National Defence and Border Security, Oscar Mira, continued his national tour of military facilities with a key stop at the Belize Coast Guard’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) on Hunting Caye, located in the remote south of the country.
The base, nestled within the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, holds strategic importance. It serves as a frontline post in enforcing Belize’s maritime laws, carrying out vessel inspections, conducting search and rescue missions, and protecting vital marine resources.
In a statement, the ministry said that Minister Mira “received a capability briefing from the Sector Commander and observed an interoperability demonstration between the Coast Guard Drone Squadron and the 1st Fleet, showcasing coordination in maritime security and search and rescue operations.”
This area has been extensively reported as an ‘area of concern’ for illegal fishing, and Belizean fishermen are suspected of seeking illicit substances.
Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, joined the minister during the inspection.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar was elected Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago after defeating the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) in a closely watched election on Monday.
The 73-year-old United National Congress (UNC) leader, who previously held office from 2010 to 2015, becomes the first person in the country’s history to return and remain the only woman to ever have led the twin-island Caribbean nation.
The vote follows the sudden resignation of former Prime Minister Keith Rowley and the short-lived appointment of Energy Minister Stuart Young, whose decision to call early elections backfired. The UNC, long weakened by internal rifts and past defeats, capitalised on growing public anger over crime, inflation, and political instability.
In her victory speech, Persad-Bissessar promised to raise public sector wages, reopen the long-delayed children’s hospital, expand job opportunities, and provide laptops to schoolchildren. “This victory is yours,” she told supporters, “and no one will be left behind.”
The PNM conceded late on Monday, with Rowley admitting the party had lost its grip. The new government faces immediate pressure to tackle rising violence and economic uncertainty.
Belize congratulated Persad-Bissessar in a social media post, stating, “The Government and People of Belize convey sincere congratulations to the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar on her election as the 9th Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.”
A tragic incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in Gales Point Village where a father of five lost his life after confronting a wild pig. Anton Andrewin was in his yard, enjoying time with friends, when the hungry animal appeared. He tried to shoo it away, but the pig turned aggressive. Its tusk cut Andrewin’s leg, severing an artery, which proved fatal. Today, the village chairman, Jason Altschaft, is urging animal owners to follow the law and prevent their pets from roaming freely. It’s illegal for animals to wander in public spaces. In this case, the pig’s owner had a history of trouble; he was involved in a fatal stabbing incident back in January. After moving out of the village, his pig became wild, searching for food until Sunday when it fatally injured Andrewin. The pig was then put down. Marion Ali reports.
Michelle Andrewin
Michelle Andrewin, Wife of Deceased
“The pig charge the third time and he jump back and I didn’t realize that he was bitten or cut or anything. And Mr. Web say, “Shelly, the pig bite the man,” and when I look, he was there coming and the blood was running down. Ih had on a long pants, the blood was running on his leg. (Sobbing) He came here, he reached here and he collapsed. The man catch him in his arms and I pulled his boxers down and there was a big cut.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
Michelle Andrewin shared the heartbreaking experience she went through on Saturday afternoon in Gales Point Village. She watched in horror as her husband, Anton Andrewin, suffered a fatal cut to his leg. The forty-six-year-old father of five was sitting with Michelle and a few friends in their yard, enjoying some drinks, when a stray pig wandered in. Anton tried to chase it away, but the pig turned aggressive and attacked him. This wasn’t the first time the pig had hurt Anton while he was trying to shoo it away, Michelle said.
Michelle Andrewin
“I was sitting here and we were having a conversation and laughing and everything, and then the pig came in the yard and was at the back of the yard over there. And he went after the pig and the dog went after the pig, and he went after the pig and it was not the first time that he get in contact with that pig. That pig hurt him more than once. He was like stoning the pig and the pig was aggressive and I was shouting. I said, “Tinny” left da pig, left da pig, da pig wa bite yoh. That’s why I’m screaming from here.”
After her husband was wounded, Michelle Andrewin tried to stop the bleeding by tying a piece of cloth around his leg. She then rushed him to the Southern Regional Hospital, but he went limp before they arrived. The cut had severed a major artery, causing him to bleed out. When the villagers heard the tragic news, they hunted down the pig and killed it. Village chairman Jason Altschaft said he helped euthanize the animal, and the villagers then sacrificed it.
Jason Altschaft
Jason Altschaft, Chairman, Gales Point Village
“When we had heard that he didn’t make it, that’s when I went back over to the family and I found out that they were chasing down the pig. I’d heard them – when I went back to go get my license firearm, I could hear them chasing the pig, and the pig was squealing. So as I got there, we put it down.”
But how will the Gales Point Village Council ensure that animal owners take responsibility and prevent their pets from roaming freely around the village?
Jason Altschaft
“Ultimately, it comes down to the owner’s responsibility. I mean, when it comes down to the law. That’s the facts. So if nobody wants to get charged, they’re gonna have to deal with this right away. I believe there’s a code that doesn’t really allow pigs in a village for several reasons. And I think we just learned one of the main ones besides disease. So those laws are in place for a reason.”
Marion Ali
“What’s the owner of the pig saying?”
Jason Altschaft
“So we haven’t actually talked to him. He’s not in the village at the moment. He was having some issues with being in the village. So he hadn’t been here for months, so, the pig had just become what we call feral. He’d become wild.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hilberto Romero says the police are investigating the incident.
“Investigation revealed that Anton Andrewin was at Gales Point when he went to chase a pig that was causing or eating his plants. The pig attacked him and he received an injury. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.”
Reporter
“Is there a law or something that governs this type of thing, that it’s possible the owner of the pig might be in breach?”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“An investigation will be carried out and we will have the results at the end of the investigation.”
Mertle Altschaft, who is related to Anton Andrewin, prayed that his passing would bring the village closer together, something he had always hoped for.
Mertle Altschaft
Mertle Altschaft, Cousin of Deceased
“He wanted us to unite, to live in unity, everybody that – this one don’t talk that one. This one don’t – he wanted that to stop. He wanted us to live with peace, love, understanding, and forgiveness in our heart. Each and individual. He touch their life in some way and whatever way he touch your life, he asking you to remember the good things, not the bad things.”
Michelle Andrewin shared that the pain of losing her husband cuts as deeply as the pig’s tusk that took his life.
Michelle Andrewin
“I’m trying to be strong. I’m trying my best. I’m trying my best. I don’t know how I’m feeling right now. I’m trying my best to be okay.”
Chaos erupted in San Pedro over the weekend after two tragic incidents where people fell to their deaths. On Sunday, a Canadian national was found dead after a fall at the Watermark Hotel. Reports say that forty-seven-year-old Loran Radchenko was socializing in a room on the third floor of the hotel into the early hours of Sunday morning. He was discovered at the bottom of the building just before eight a.m. The Watermark Hotel issued a statement expressing condolences to Radchenko’s grieving friends and family. They reaffirmed their commitment to the well-being, comfort, and care of all guests. The hotel also stated, “We are fully supporting local authorities as they review the circumstances surrounding the incident. To honor the privacy of those involved, we will not be providing additional details at this time. We believe it’s important to acknowledge that emotional health is an essential part of overall well-being. If you or someone you know needs support, resources are available”. Here’s ACP Hilberto Romero with the official report.
“On Sunday twenty-seventh day of April, 2025, around eight twenty A.M., police responded to the discovery of a body outside of the Watermark Hotel in San Pedro. Upon the arrival, they saw the lifeless body of a male person with head injuries. He was later identified as Lauren Radchenko. A Canadian national information is that Loran was staying at the hotel for the night then his body was discovered in the yard outside of the room. An investigation is being carried out. Several persons have been brought in for interview.”
Reporter
“Was he in the company or prior?”
Hilberto Romero
“Yes, we have information that he was in the company of other persons at the room but the left sometime during the night.”
Reporter
“Had they been drinking?”
Hilberto Romero
“Yes. That’s the information we have yesterday had been drinking.”
Reporter
“Any surveillance footage?”
Hilberto Romero
“Yes, there is surveillance footage that is being reviewed and the investigation continues.”
Police are still investigating the shocking death of forty-seven-year-old Loran Radchenko. Witnesses say the street was chaotic after his body was found at the bottom of the Watermark Hotel, where he had rented a condo. Although Radchenko had been socializing at the hotel that night, friends confirmed he wasn’t a tourist. San Pedro residents say he had been living in Belize for about four to five years, owned a house, and ran a business here. We spoke with his girlfriend earlier today, who shared what kind of person he was before his tragic death.
On the Phone: Girlfriend of Deceased
“He’s a businessman. Everything that has to do with money, that’s his love. And he have a beautiful daughter and a wonderful son at the same time. What I could say is that he was so loving to everyone. There was nothing that I could say that anyone would ever say that he is a bad person. He was well known on the island and he was well known.”
Britney Gordon
“How long were you two together?”
Girlfriend of Deceased
“We have approximately three to four.”
Britney Gordon
“And I understand you both had children. How was he interacting as a blended family with you? What was that like to see him in that kind of dynamic?”
Girlfriend of Deceased
“He was a father that I would say is more than, more than anything. He treats everyone the same. All my kids and both of them the same. He doesn’t have favoritism.”
Britney Gordon
“And in terms of his personality, you mentioned that he was very loving. Would you say that’s how the random person that meets him on the street could remember him?”
Girlfriend of Deceased
“I mean, everyone. He could not even know you and he would be there for you as you say something. He will help you out. He was such a nice person. Just this Saturday when we were coming home from work together, he brought home at least five person minutes pickup that he didn’t even know just to give them a drop because it’s a long distance that they have to walk.”
The other tragic incident happened on Saturday, about three and a half miles north of San Pedro Town. Mexican national Hever Torres was working on the roof of a four-story building, using zinc sheets, when he fell through a weakened part of the roof. His colleagues rushed to help him, and emergency medical technicians were called to the scene. Sadly, Torres was pronounced dead at the Doctor Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic Two. ACP Hilberto Romero has more details.
“On Saturday, twenty-sixth day of April, 2025 police respondent to report in San Pedro where information received that the person that was working on a building had fallen to the ground. Police visited the area where they saw their lifeless body of Pedro Torres, a Mexican National with injuries, information that he was working at a building when he fell. His body was taken as awaiting a postmortem examination.”
A 42-year-old man remains in police custody after allegedly slitting his mother’s throat during an argument over property, according to a report by CNC3 in Trinidad and Tobago.
Both the suspect and his 60-year-old mother are residents of Longdenville. The incident reportedly occurred around 3:45 p.m. on Sunday at their home.
CNC3 reports that during the heated dispute, the man allegedly armed himself with a cutlass and attacked his mother, slitting her throat before calmly walking out of the house.
The injured woman was rushed to the Chaguanas District Health Facility for treatment and later transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt. Hope, where she remains warded in stable condition.
