A forgetful Lance Corporal of the B.D.F. is spending a year behind bars for misplacing a high-powered weapon near the Xunantunich Maya temple. The officer was on duty at the Xunantunich Observation Post in Cayo last October and left his post to go to a friend’s house and when he returned, could not determine where he had left the M4 Commando rifle. The soldier was taken before an internal court of inquiry and was found to be culpable. He was sentenced to one year imprisonment at Price Barracks.
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F
“The person that left the weapon behind, he was sentenced to one yearimprisonment.”
Marion Ali
“So he’s serving his one year?”
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
“He’s serving his one year.”
Marion Ali
“He’s Belize Central Prison?”
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
“That is where we are trying to get a warrant for him to do so at Kolby.”
Kaya Cattouse and a team of five riders from LA Sweat are gearing up for the Women’s Cross Country Cycling Classic scheduled for this weekend. The riders are hosting their team camp in Belize City ahead of the big race. Part of their team camp is a ride along with young riders from across the country. That was held just before news time. Riders gathered in front the Marion Jones Sporting Complex and journeyed to Ladyville. We heard from Cattouse and one of her teammates.
Kaya Cattouse
Kaya Cattouse, LA Sweat Rider
“As you guys know the Women’s Cross-Country Classic is coming up on Sunday. Team LA Sweat is here to compete, and we are also having a team camp this week and a part of our team camp is giving back to the community. That is what we do everywhere we go. That is no different in this team camp in Belize City. We are having a community ride engaging the Belize City youths and youths in cycling from across the country. We have some youths from Griga coming in. We have from Cayo, so that is what we are doing today. We would like to say a big thank you to our local sponsors, the Belize Tourism Board and Honorable Anthony Mahler, Kareem Musa, National Sports Council of Belize. WE also have Mayor Bernard Wagner and the Belize City Council as well as Loans to Go.”
Mia Scarlato
Mia Scarlato, LA Sweat Rider
“Oh my, the cycling community here is amazing. Everybody is so supportive and so kind and welcoming. It has been more than I could ever ask for. I am so grateful. I think just being able to ride with the kids and show them there are opportunities in cycling. I am a collegiate cyclist as well. I am on a scholarship to ride in college. There are so many opportunities, things to help you go forward in life beyond riding that are available to them. So, showing them those opportunities are there and they are more than capable of doing it is so important.”
Two days ago, we went to Thelma’s Kitchen on Caesar Ridge Road, but it wasn’t to do a story on her fabulous meals. Our visit was to inquire why there seemed to be a smoke issue that her next-door neighbour, Betty Bradley says is affecting her. Bradley said that the breeze blows the smoke from Thelma’s barbeque grill in the direction of her house at times and it has become a nuisance over the years. Thelma explained to us that she does all her cooking now on commercial stoves in her kitchen and the only days she uses the grill is on Thursdays to boil the plantains for her hudut and on Fridays to boil the pigtail for her boil-up sale. She told us that she has had disputes with her neighbour in the past and that she is convinced that the complaint was solely out of spite since the grill is all the way around the corner and is shielded by a wall. So today, the grill was again in use and News Five was called out again to hear another complaint from the neighbour. Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Two days ago, when Betty Bradley called us to complain about a smoke problem from her neighbour, Thelma Arana’s barbeque grill, the grill was not in use. But earlier today it was when Bradley called us to say that the problem remains the same for her: the smoke that the grill produces makes it difficult for her to breathe. The grill is located around the corner of the lane and behind a wall that prevents much of the smoke from drifting to the other yard. But Bradley said when the breeze picks up, the smoke goes right into her house, and she wants it to stop. Today, she called representatives from the Belize City Council to address the matter and they called the National Fire Service to respond.
Voice of: Betty Bradley
Voice of: Betty Bradley, Caesar Ridge Road resident
“They come yesterday and talk to the lady and everything, and the lady say, how ih wa close down the fire hearth and everything, right? But then, this morning, I get up eena peace from six o’clock, say I wa get up and do my lee washing and thing, and when I di wash everything, I see big smoke. I called the City Council.”
Marion Ali
“Okay, and what happened?
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“And it seemed like city council send the fire department.”
Marion Ali
“The fire is still lit, so I think the fire department…”
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“Soh when the man them come out I asked ah “Sir, did you make the lady out the fire hearth? Ih say that da nuh fi dehn job fi out the fire hearth. So, weh you come do?”
Thelma Arana told us that she does not use pinewood and took us to show us the fire that she had lit. She explained that there’s little to no smoke that goes around the house to the neighbour’s yard, but that she has agreed to make whatever necessary adjustments to channel all the smoke through a chimney.
Thelma Arana
Thelma Arana, Owner, Thelma’s Kitchen
“Da nuh pinewood. I nuh use pinewood. We use the coconut husk and the shell. That da weh I use. But I wa end that soon because I need to build like a chimney, a long chimney.”
Marion Ali
“Okay. And will you have anybody come and inspect it to ensure that it’s approved?”
Thelma Arana
“As soon as I finish, I’ll make the fire department come and check it out and see if it’s okay.”
Marion Ali
“And the city council?”
Thelma Arana
“Whosoever come by, I’ll let them see if it’s alright.”
Thelma says that Friday will be the last day that she will use the grill to boil pigtails for her boil-up before making the adjustments because that will require an investment and time to get it done. Bradley says she can cope with one more day without the chimney.
Marion Ali
“How soon will that happen? Because the neighbor is saying that it’s really affecting her.”
Thelma Arana
“That’ll be maybe Monday. Monday. “
Marion Ali
“Okay. Come next week Thursday and Friday, as you have explained when you need to boil your stuff, that won’t be an issue anymore?”
Thelma Arana
“No, that will be no more. This is the last time. Tomorrow will be the last time.”
Marion Ali
“She’s saying she will only do it for one more day, which is tomorrow.
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“So I fi sacrifice me and mi life.”
Marion Ali
“She’s just asking for one more day.
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“I don’t have nothing with that, mammy. I don’t have nothing with that. This lady could buy ih things tomorrow. Ms Thelma, please, I nuh have nothing against you, Ms Thelma. Please, I’m begging you, all I want to do is to live, to breathe for me and my children them could live and breathe the same fresh air that you guys breathe in.”
Marion Ali
“So she says that by Monday, that problem will be solved.
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“So tomorrow wa be ih last day?”
Marion Ali
“Yes. Is that okay?”
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“It’s okay with me. See, I still di give ah that, Mammy cause me know everybody got to live, Miss.”
The two women, who admit they have had differences in the past, have both expressed that they want the bickering between them to stop. Marion Ali for News Five.
The likelihood that Prime Minister John Briceño will launch a commission on inquiry into the sugar industry is dwindling. Last night, we told you about the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association’s condemnation of what they describe as poor excuses from Prime Minister John Briceño, almost three months after he committed to establish the commission. Tonight, A.S.R./B.S.I. is denouncing the idea of a commission of inquiry, contending that the decision is politically motivated. According to a release from the miller, it is not the only stakeholder opposed to the commission. B.S.I. says, three of the four associations are against having or participating in an inquiry into the sugar industry. And, the prime minister says it is their right and he cannot force them to participate. PM Briceño argued that members of the B.S.C.F.A. have been acting out of emotions and refuse to listen.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“That is their right if they don’t want to have a commission of inquiry but at the end of the day we need to have a commission of inquiry to look at the different challenges that industry is facing, form the planting to the harvesting to the transportation and see how we can make the industry more viable and I am hoping that everybody can participate in this proves. It is a process being done in good faith.”
Reporter
“Did you listen to BSCFA’s press conference. They had a lot of negative things to say about you.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I don’t listen to them. The issue of the commission of inquiry I said to them that we are going to do it in one month, but one month later it came to my attention that there was not consultations with the associations and now BSI. If we had not done that then it would have gone to court and be squashed immediately. I was looking after their interest.”
Paul Lopez
“It seems that in spite of any consultations BSI and the other three associations don’t want to participate.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“That is the very point I was trying to make to the BSCFA. So the BSCFA got what they ask for.”
Paul Lopez
“Notwithstanding their objective to participate, the commission of inquiry is still going to go ahead?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I don’t know, because with the commission of inquiry you can’t force them to participate. I don’t want to be listening to one group and we can’t listen to others in the industry then it is of no use. What BSCFA has done is play in the hands of other people and because of thinking emotionally instead of looking at the facts and how we can get things done. They have refused to listen and this is the result.”
And, if you have been following the news then you know that this has been a busy week for PM Briceño. On Monday, he met with stevedores to address their concerns at the Port of Belize. On Tuesday, he was faced with sharp verbal daggers from the members of the B.S.C.F.A. And today, the Prime Minister had to face a group of retired public officers who are no longer interested in verbal promises. All this on top of the 2024 budget debate that will run into Friday. So how does he manage all of this? That was what he was asked today and, of course, he still had more to say to the B.S.C.F.A.’s membership.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“If it is one thing I must be grateful for is my father. He thought me hard work when I was a young boy and use to work in the cane field. So I am not fazed by hard work. But at the same time it is something I love doing to be able to see how we can solve problems and make the country move forward. Every step that I take in my mind I think I am doing the right thing about how we can move. I don’t want to go in a back and forth with the people of the BSCFA. My father was the leader for many years and I know the militancy of the BSCFA. But when they get personal it is best I ignore them, but I am not going to be in a back and forth. But they do have the right to say what they want. Do I agree with them absolutely not.”
Parliamentarians will spend the next three days inside the National Assembly debating the Draft Estimate Budget and Revenue for 2024/2025. Prime Minister Briceño introduced the budget during a House Meeting two weeks ago. As is customary, the Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow was the first to contribute to the budget debate. In his forty-five-minute address, Barrow touched on various issues in education, health, finance and other areas. And, as was expected, he began by denouncing the Briceño administration’s budget, referring to it as a budget of lies and deception.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“Madam Speaker, a budget of lies and deception that fails to meaningfully address the needs and aspirations of the Belizean people is the accurate description of this stay off track presentation of the draft estimate budget and revenue 2024 made by the prime minister and his government. This is not a budget that makes th4 necessary investments, short medium and long terms change our nation needs for the better. This budget will not increase economic growth, it will not safeguard the health and security of our country for generation to come. This government has not put forward a budget that will ease the devastation of inflation; nothing outlined in this budget adequately alleviates poverty and strengthens the guardrails that protect the working class form being driven pass the margins. This budget is tone deaf like the prime minister that presents it, disconnected is how you can only describe the presentation by a lame duck prime minister who has already checked out mentally and emotionally. This is a hallow budget that does not present any vision, no bold courageous policy decision and no numbers to support all of the lofty promises made by this government and I will say this, in 1993 the Right Honorable Said Musa won all the municipalities and called early elections and Sr. Manuel Esquivel trashed him. So I say to you Prime Minister, call the elections. You think that you are doing so well and your budgets and policies are doing well, call the elections.”
Barrow went on to counter the Briceño administration’s claims of economic growth. He contended that the Government of Belize has been presenting false statistics to Belizeans and that it has not realized any economic accomplishments that supersedes the performance of the former U.D.P. administration. Here is how he puts it.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“Before the worst crisis of our generation the debt was at sixty one percent of GDP under the barrow administration which is lower than this government had in 2022 when they were at sixty-three percent and only two percent higher is the 2023 fifty-nine percent. The lies and deception needs to stop, it does the people of Belize no good when the government projects these false statistics as accomplishments rather than accept the reality, own up to where you are, your performance and understand and appreciate that it has been less than spectator, it has been in some instance average, on par with what the UDP government was able to accomplish and in most instances, less. As the next government of Belize the UDP will not engage in this silly statistical game of deceit. The UDP will give honest assessments to the public so we can meet our targets and realize our full potential. On thing UDP governments have proven is that we know how to manage debt and grow the economy. That is why the people of Belize elected us for thirteen years. Three consecutive terms.”
Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Natural Resources, Cordel Hyde, was the second parliamentarian to contribute to the budget debate. Hyde, as all area representatives do during their budget presentation, first spoke on the works he accomplished in his Lake Independence constituency. He then proceeded to highlight accomplishments in his respective ministry. Minister Hyde noted that over the last year, twenty thousand first-time landowners received a plot of land. He then announced that another ten thousand parcels are being surveyed for distribution.
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
“At the ministry in just three years we have provided twenty thousand lots to Belizeans, to first time land owners, in just forty months, five hundred lots a month and guess how much we will survey this year to issue, another ten thousand. So the flood, the deluge of house lots will not stop and this is the achievement that makes us most proud of the ministry. It transforms the beneficiary. It is not just about a lot to build a house. You can go to the bank and borrow money to start a business, send your children to school. If you have an emergency you can bank that lot. When you have land you will not be poor, there are billions on this planet who work and die not owning anything. Eight hundred million people are living on less than four dollar a day. Yet in this jewel twenty thousand Belizeans have become land owners. Last year the prime minister focused on this incredible transfer of wealth that this represents a transfer that will only continue and gather pace. If we assume that each lot is valued at twenty thousand dollars then essentially this government has transferred four hundred million dollars in wealth to people who had no wealth before.”
Minister of Education, Francis Fonseca, in his contributions to today’s budget debate, announced that his ministry is assuming full responsibility for the payment of one hundred percent of the salary and benefits for all teachers in government aided secondary and tertiary institutions. He noted that this commitment has increased the ministry’s wage expenditure to two hundred and ten million dollars. Minister Fonseca also took a jab at the members of the Belize National Teachers Union who participated in a press conference in Belmopan a day before the municipal elections. Here is more.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
“The government of Belize and the ministry of education commits to assuming full responsibility for the payment of one hundred percent salary and benefit for all government aided secondary and tertiary teachers and support staff effective 2024. That is in this year’s budget, minister speaker. This commitment will benefit over nine hundred teachers at the secondary and tertiary levels as we;; as one hundred and ninety-five support staff. The budget allocation will witness an increase in salary and benefits amounting to approximately fourteen million dollars resulting in a total expenditure on two hundred and twenty million dollars for teachers in salaries and support benefits over the next five years. With this initiative the ministry aims to incentivize quality teaching practices, implement result based education and ensure proper accountability among all secondary and tertiary institutions and their staff. This is big, this is something our teachers, Belize National Teachers Union and even managing authorities have been advocating for, fighting for, pushing for, seventeen years and it is this government that made the decision, not an easy decision. These are big money we are talking about. It is no wonder, if I can say this, because I have heard form a lot of teachers. There still a few UDPs who want to create mischief, there are a few left, shrinking day by day. So they tried to create some mischief before the municipal elections, but they were met with absolute silence form the teachers, because the teachers understand that we respect them, we are working with them and we are doing our very best to assist them.”
Accused murderer Jamie Young remains on the lam, several days after he shot and killed Damion Baptist during a vehicular pursuit over the weekend. As we’ve reported, Baptist and his new girlfriend were followed by an enraged Young as they drove from Maxboro en route to Baptist’s home in Ladyville. When they noticed that they were being tailed, Baptist and Amber Dawson attempted to drive to the Ladyville Police Station, but the couple did not make it. The vehicle that they were driving collided into a lamppost and that’s when Young exited his pickup truck and opened fire into the driver’s side window of Baptist’s car, killing him at the scene. According to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, he was informed that Young would have turned himself in earlier this week.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I was told that he was to surrender himself to the police on Monday. We have been waiting and that has not occurred. We are still in search of him, the wanted posters are out and we are urging the public if anyone has any information that may be able to lead to his detention, please feel free to call 911, or the 922 number, and we would be most grateful if we can get him in custody so that he can face charges for what he has done over the weekend.”
Reporter
“Do you believe that he is being facilitated by [others]?”
Chester Williams
“Certainly, when we have people on the run they must have people who are aiding them in some way or the other. So yes, we do anticipate that he is being facilitated, but who, we cannot say at this time.”
