A family is grieving the loss of their son after an incident involving a tractor claimed the ten-year-old’s life on Friday. Reports are that on August second, the child was operating the family’s tractor when he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to fall onto him. The child was rushed to the Corozal Community Hospital for treatment but would later succumb to his injuries. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says police are deliberating on how to levy charges for the incident.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“It is something we have to look at. I guess this happened in Little Belize. The ten-year-old was driving a tractor and a tractor overturned on the ten year old causing the ten year old’s life. Certainly, there’s some degree of neglect on the part of the parents, but again, we know the Mennonite tradition, there’s a history or there’s a tradition with the Mennonite that they are trained from an early age to, to work on the farm. So we have to look at it very carefully to see if there is any way we can take any criminal charges against the parents, I know that it might be difficult. One might say the parent is already suffering enough having to endure the loss of their child. So it’s a matter we must say policing with empathy. So we have to look at it from that standpoint.”
It’s been over a week now since the P.U.P. held its convention in Corozal Bay to elect a standard bearer for the next General Elections. On Friday, the sitting Area Representative, Elvia Vega-Samos wrote a Facebook post that quickly drew a response from the party’s chairman, Henry Charles Usher, debunking her claims. The most serious of the allegations were that there were Mexican nationals who were allowed to vote, that persons were allowed to vote with just notepads, and that her supporters were denied the chance to cast their ballots. We were not able to reach Usher for a response, but the party’s press release states in part that the procedure for the finalisation of the Voter’s List for the convention was done with the full participation of both candidates and their representatives, and that only registered voters of the Corozal Bay constituency were allowed to vote. The release also advised Vega-Samos and her supporters to cease immediately from making what it calls further baseless and outlandish public statements. Meanwhile, the successful candidate, Thea Garcia-Ramirez, told News Five she had a machinery of about two hundred and fifty persons who campaigned for her. In terms of the allegations that there were Mexican nationals voting for her, Garcia-Ramirez said there was no way that could have happened. She says she reached out today to Vega-Samos, asking for her support, and is awaiting her response.
Thea Garcia-Ramirez
Thea Garcia-Ramirez, P.U.P. Standard Bearer, Corozal Bay
I will tell you categorically that I have no knowledge of any Mexican nationals that were not on the approved voting list and the voting list. The process is you come in with the voters list, and I think that the cutoff date was June, so anybody that was registered to vote, accepted by Elections and Boundaries, to vote as of June 10th, was on the first list. And you can’t be on the national on the elections and boundaries this unless you confirmed to certain requirements, one which is being a Belize national or a member of the Commonwealth, a resident, another sorry, not resident, a citizen of the Commonwealth, having resided in Belize for at least a year. So all the requirements have to be met. And then from that list, there was a vetting that vetting was done with the secretariat and both camps. We signed off on that list with the provision that we are human. We make errors. It was a little bit over six thousand five hundred names on the entire voting list for Corozal Bay as of June 10th. And, you we started about eight o’clock at night to vet, after a hard day of campaigning. We are bound to make mistakes. Like I said, we are human, and with that said, there is a provision at all P.U.P. conventions that if on convention day, both parties, there’s only two, there were only two candidates in this case could, agree that the person was indeed a P.U.P. voter that they would be allowed to vote that what that’s, rule number 14. And on that premise, we both signed. I received a message prior to the convention a day or two before that said to me that provision would no longer be available that was the list. I want to be fair and say that there were voters coming in for both candidates that were not allowed to vote. I have reached out to Honorable Elvia Vega, Minister of State. I’ve asked her to join my executive. I haven’t received – but I just sent it today, so I haven’t yet received a reply, and asked her to come in. let’s join hands. I think this is a real opportunity to show how women handle both victory and defeat. I think it is a teachable moment. I think it is a moment where we can really show our leadership skills, come together and be able to move forward, as a party, as women of the P.U.P. and women in politics on a whole.”
A resident of Little Belize in the Corozal District won big over the weekend on a Scratch and Win ticket. The individual visited J & F Store in San Estevan Village after work on Friday to purchase a ten-dollar ticket. Much to his delight, after scratching the ticket he discovered that he had won fifty thousand dollars. He says he has big plans for the money.
Voice of: Scratch and Win Winner
Voice of: Scratch and Win Winner
“We always stop there on Friday evening when we are back from work. We always scratch. J & F San Estevan.”
Paul Lopez
“So, you always scratch? Have you won anything before?”
Voice of: Scratch and Win Winner
“This is my first time. I have just won for exchange before.”
Paul Lopez
“This ticket when you bought it, did you scratch it immediately?”
Voice of: Scratch and Win Winner
“Yes, first I bought a two dollar one and I won nothing, so I went back and bought the highest so and I won.”
Paul Lopez
“Tell me a bit about the experience.”
Voice of: Scratch and Win Winner
“First, I started scratching and I looked for the winning numbers and I scratched the winning numbers and I saw I have a ten and another ten. I saw I have one thousand dollars and then I see the X 50 so that means a thousand times fifty.”
Paul Lopez
“Was it unbelievable at first?”
Voice of: Scratch and Win Winner
“I didn’t think nothing of it, but I was happy.”
Paul Lopez
“So, what do you plan to do with the money?”
Voice of: Scratch and Win Winner
“Well, I said the first thing I am going to is buy a land, because I don’t have my own land yet.”
Paul Lopez
“Any plans for this land?”
Voice of: Scratch and Win Winner
“Well, it is just a property I want to live on, I have my house. I just want to live there so I want the property.”
Paul Lopez
“What do you say to people out there buying, now that you have won?”
A new standard bearer has been chosen to represent the voters of Corozal Bay. In a hotly contested convention held by the People’s United Party on Sunday, Thea Garcia-Ramirez defeated incumbent area representative Elvia Vega-Samos to become the P.U.P.’s candidate of choice in that constituency. A total of three thousand, twenty-nine voters cast their ballots in the exercise with Garcia-Ramirez, the daughter of C.E.O. Narda Garcia, coming out on top with one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-nine votes. The lead up to yesterday’s event at Saint Francis Xavier R.C. School saw the nominees canvassing the area with their respective supporters and tensions between both camps was often described as simmering.
Thea Garcia-Ramirez
Thea Garcia-Ramirez, P.U.P. Standard Bearer, Corozal Bay
“Conventions have the ability to become very divisive and I just want to say categorically that I don’t take things very personally. I know that passions run high, you know, there’s a lot of, there’s certainly a lot of energy and some of it is not always positive. I am offering my hand and saying that we need everybody to win. We need her camp, we need my camp, we need her machinery, we need my machinery in order to remain blue in Corozal Bay. That is the ultimate goal. So I am endeavoring to send her, in just a bit, an offer, if you will, and extend an invitation, rather, to form part of the new executive, my executive, and to ask her to come onboard. I believe that she does have much to contribute and she is a person with a longstanding career for service. She’s an educator and she’s a psychologist and I believe that as soon as tempers and emotions cool down a bit, you know, cooler heads usually prevail and that we will find a way to work together in harmony because, after all, we both have the same goal at heart. We both have Corozal Bay and Corozal Town and the development of that town at heart.”
Thea Garcia-Ramirez is also the chair of the National Women’s Commission. Her foray into electoral politics is attributed to a group of childhood friends that she went to school with and the community work they have been able to achieve together.
Thea Garcia-Ramirez
Thea Garcia-Ramirez, P.U.P. Standard Bearer, Corozal Bay
“Part of the success is that we are active monthly. We are either doing clean up campaigns, we have done the entire rehabilitation of a school and we’ve painted another school and we do regular fundraising for these activities. So it’s a team that I know well, that knows me well, [and] we work very well together and it’s a big team. We have about two hundred and fifty people out there yesterday. I didn’t have enough time to meet with everybody, so, right off the bat, I want to assure supporters that I did not get to see this time around [that] I will definitely continue the campaign and ensure that I make more thorough visits and consultations. It was definitely hectic. Corozal has grown and so, as statistics recently show, it has nine thousand households. So those are the amounts of households that we have to visit and it takes time, you know, to speak with everyone, especially establishing a relationship with the voters, the families. It’s not a five-minute visit. I wanted to take the opportunity if I can for thanking Corozal Bay for all the voters that came out, all the voters that cast their votes. There were some people, unfortunately, that were not on the list and to them, I would like to say, that despite that, I will reach out to each and every one of them as voters of the bay and I will campaign to them and I will present my ideas and I honestly wanted just to thank them because many of them, even if they could not vote, stood with us, encouraging and supporting, and the positive, positive energy, was really contagious.”
As we mentioned, Thea Garcia-Ramirez garnered one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-nine votes, while her political opponent and sitting area representative Elvia Vega-Samos received one thousand, one hundred and seventy-four votes. Fifty-six votes were either spoilt or rejected.
In Corozal North, David Castillo was also chosen as the People’s United Party’s standard bearer who will be contesting the seat occupied by U.D.P. Deputy Leader Hugo Patt in the next general elections. Castillo ran against Doctor Einstein Bodden and Ivan Valencia in a convention held at Mary Hill R.C. School. A total of one thousand, four hundred and ninety-eight voters cast their ballots during the convention.
David Castillo
David Castillo, P.U.P. Standard Bearer, Corozal North
“We almost had one thousand, five hundred voters turn out yesterday. There was a while when it was raining very hard, you know, if not we would have probably had more people coming out because we just had a previous convention last year whereby we had like one thousand, seven people coming out. That convention was to elect a chairman of the P.U.P. executive. Yesterday was for a standard bearer. But, in general, the turnout was good, it was satisfactory and yes, I got the support of the people. The people, basically gave me that support yesterday to continue the good work. We will ensure that we continue to roll out Plan Belize. As you know, Plan Belize has benefited the country of Belize. Basically, Plan Belize has restored the Belizean economy by our good Prime Minister, Honorable John Briceño and his cabinet, they have restored the economy and that is a major area that the party has concentrated in. But there’s a lot to Plan Belize and we will ensure that Corozal North benefits from the plan of the People’s United Party and at the end of the day it will be beneficial to the people of Corozal North. So that is our major plan for Corozal North.”
Following the results of Sunday’s convention, Castillo says he plans to reunite the party by working closely with his opponents who ran against him.
David Castillo
David Castillo, P.U.P. Standard Bearer, Corozal North
“One thing that will help a lot is the margin that we won by. It was overwhelming, almost two or three to one. So that in itself will help the reunification process. Knowing myself, and people in the north and Corozal District, and even the country, I would say, know me for being a very humble and kind person and I’m a team player. So I see no issues in reaching out to those that participated, I congratulate them for participating. Our party’s foundation is built on democracy so it’s good, you know, it’s healthy. But personally will reach out to them and we will get their supporters, the people that voted for them, to come in and support because they are also part of our plans, our plans for Corozal North, great plans, Plan Belize and, in particular, our plan as well.”
Those vehicles donated to the San Ignacio Police Station come just over a month after there was a violent intrusion at the San Ignacio Community Hospital. Several standard operating procedures have been put in place to prevent a repeat situation. Today, the Commissioner of Police told reporters that the medical workers who were on duty inside the hospital at the time have not been cooperative with the investigation. As a result, the individuals who were detained in connection with the incident were only charged for disorderly behavior.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I wish that we could make additional arrest. The issue with the mischief behind the incident at the San Ignacio Polyclinic is one that I don’t understand. The persons who were working, the doctor who shared that audio with Channel 7 had since refused to come forward and make any reports to police. We made an arrest based on the account of a third party who was not present and if police would have been able to file charges for threatening words or whatever, we would have needed statements from those persons who were in the hospital. Those people refuse to cooperate. As a matter of fact even the meetings we had they did not partake in those meetings. So in the absence of not getting statements from them we will not be able to proceed any further. All parties were detained and we did the best we can to charge some of them for disorderly behavior. They went to court, they pleaded guilty and they were fined. From the policing standpoint we have done what we can do with what we have. If at some point the statute of limitation passes the nurses who were working decide they want to give statements then we can proceed against those persons for threatening words.”
Reporter
“At the time David Galindo’s brother, Minor had been named a suspect. Was he identified?”
Chester Williams
“We have checked out the video footage from the hospital and it turns out he was not at the hospital. So he was not a part of what took place at the hospital.”
The Minister of Health and Wellness has strongly criticized “self-made journalist” Joseph “Ryan” Budna for his ‘disruptive behavior’ at Corozal Community Hospital on Thursday evening.
The ministry said, “Budna’s actions, which included placing a camera in the face of the Acting Chief of Staff and disrupting vital medical services, are deeply concerning and unacceptable.”
Budna allegedly disrupted medical services and caused a disturbance.
A livestream on Budna’s Facebook platform appeared to show a heated confrontation between Budna and Dr. Rafael Riverol, the Acting Chief of Staff, in the presence of policemen, during which Dr. Riverol allegedly assaulted Budna. Budna said he will press charges.
The Ministry said, “It has come to our attention that Mr. Joseph “Ryan” Budna, who claims to be a self-made journalist, recently engaged in highly inappropriate behavior at the Corozal Community Hospital.”
The Ministry further said, “While we acknowledge the valuable role that journalism plays in our society, it is imperative that this role is carried out with integrity, respect, and adherence to professional standards… The Ministry of Health and Wellness has a duty to protect our staff from any form of harassment or harm, whether it comes from criminal elements or individuals masquerading as journalists. Our healthcare workers are on the front lines, tirelessly serving the community, and they deserve a safe and respectful working environment.”
Budna, in response, has released video footage alleging the mistreatment by the hospital’s Acting Chief of Staff and accusing the Ministry of not holding Dr. Riverol accountable for his actions.
This morning, the National Emergency Management Organization declared an all-clear for areas in the country that were under a tropical storm watch. Hurricane Beryl made landfall early Friday morning north of Tulum, along the Yucatan Peninsula. A tropical storm watch was still in effect for Belize City all the way up to the Belize-Mexico border with the expectation that northern Belize would experience incessant rainfall and tropical storm force winds. But Hurricane Beryl shifted its course further north throughout the night. Except for two shorts periods of rain on Thursday night, the northernmost town in the country remained dry and free from tropical storm force winds. There was a bit of panic among residents of Corozal leading up to Thursday night. But this morning, worry turned to a collective sigh of relief, as residents in northern Belize went about their daily routine. News Five’s Paul Lopez spent the night in Corozal Town. He filed the following report.
Paul Lopez
Paul Lopez, Reporting It is approximately seven a.m. in Corozal and it appears as if the town has been spared any sort of excessive rain throughout the course of the night or tropical storm force winds. If you look behind me the sea is calm. There is some overcast right now and a bit of drizzling. But everyone seems to be going about their morning routine seemingly without any fear, concern or worry. On Thursday morning, Hurricane Beryl was forecasted to make landfall along the Yucatan Peninsula. It was projected to bring rains and tropical storm force winds to northern Belize. As a result, most businesses in Corozal Town closed at midday, except for a handful of grocery stores that remained open to accommodate last-minute shoppers.
Jose Zetina
Jose Zetina, Resident, Corozal Town “We just get a little heavy rain right now, a heavy rain shower but according to what I know the hurricane is moving a little upward so we have been receiving some rain and I don’t know if in the night, but that is as far as I know.”
By late Thursday afternoon, Hurricane Beryl began to move further north of Belize. Yet and still, residents took no chances and secured their homes. In Calcutta Village, hours before the tropical system was projected to make landfall, one family sat around a table in front of a fast-food restaurant enjoying a meal with little to no concern.
Adrian Tun
Adrian Tun, Resident, Calcutta Village “We just experienced like two episodes of rain. That is everything. The palm tree not even the move and it has a wasp nest on it. So nothing the go on. I think that thank God because we always have to give God thanks because nothing the go on and we hope to keep it that way. We hope the weather doesn’t deteriorate or anything like that. But at this moment in Corozal everything all right. I am glad that everybody do the necessary hunker down. I see they have plywood on their windows, and we have to heed the warnings but thank God everything is alright.”
Ronald Gordon
Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist, NMS
“Hurricane Beryl made landfall this morning, just after four a.m. as a category two hurricane about five miles northeast of Tulum Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula.
Fortunately for us here in Belize we had minimal impacts from the hurricane. The last time I looked the highest wind gust was thirty-four miles per hour recorded up in the north at Ranchito in the Corozal District. We were spared the strong winds from this system. In terms of rainfall, we are very grateful that God has blessed once again. We had about one to two inches but that was not in the north. The north got about half an inch or rainfall.”
At seventy-thirty a.m., Daniel Mendez, the National Emergency Coordinator, declared an all-clear for the areas that were under a tropical storm watch.
Daniel Mendez
Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO
“I want to reinforce the message that Belize is under a state of all clear. We believe there is no longer a threat president from Hurricane Beryl. Based on the advice from the N.M.S. we advised the prime minister that businesses should reopen today.”
In Ranchito Village where the National Meteorological Service of Belize recorded slight tropical storm force winds, we spoke to one resident who told us that he may have slept through those winds.
Marvin Rancharan
Marvin Rancharan, Resident, Ranchito Village
“We feel good because everything gone through good and no disaster, everybody wake up feeling good, village clear. We had a little rain like around seven the showers dropped and we didn’t hear anything else after that. We were prepared, we bought enough groceries, water, food, light, we were prepared for the weather.”
In Corozal Town, Eric Donn was up early and off to work.
Eric Donn
Eric Donn, Resident, Corozal Town
“The way I feel, I feel glad because we serve a big God and only God could move that storm. So, that is just to show the nation that we serve a big God. So, whether we believe or not, we can do better, but only he could move that storm, no man could move that storm. We just board up the house, get some rations and the normal way you suppose to be prepared, try to be safe as much.”
Paul Lopez
“How concerned were you?”
Eric Donn
“We had to be concerned, because this weather is nothing to play with. Anything could happen in a storm, so we have to be concerned. But we never get no rain or anything so we have to thankful to God bout it.”
