There was another shooting that occurred at the start of the weekend, this time in the Orange Walk District. It happened on Friday on the outskirts of the town, in Trial Farm Village. Luckily for the complainant and his family, no one was injured, and police say the gunman was a seventeen-year-old minor. The motive – an “old beef.”
“On Friday, the nineteenth day of July, 2024, police responded to a shooting incident at Trial Farm in the Orange Walk District. Upon their arrival, they met Julio Castillo, who reported he was at home when he heard several bangs. Thereafter, he noticed that there were bullet holes on his front door. Thereafter he called the police. The police responded. An investigation was carried out. Since then police have arrested and charged a seventeen-year-old minor for the crimes of aggravated assault and damage to property.”
It was a weekend of tragedy across the country after several fatal road traffic accidents resulted in the death of eight individuals. Southern Belize saw the deaths of three people on Friday, while four perished near Carmelita on Sunday morning and lastly, one person was killed near Harmonyville also in the wee small hours of Sunday. In the North, two families are now grieving the loss of their loved ones after a collision on the Phillip Goldson Highway resulted in the deaths of two parents and two sons. They are, Cecelio de Jesus Arana and his son Alan Arana of Orange Walk Town, as well as Aurora Angelita Chi and her son, Gustavo Chi of Palmar Village. This incident is one of several fatal road traffic accidents that occurred over the weekend, totaling to eight deaths. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero tells us that police are still investigating the cause of the accident. Here’s more on that.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
If you happen to be driving along the Phillip Goldson Highway, you may spot something out of the ordinary on the ground around mile forty-five. What may appear to be litter at first glance, is a small memorial to pay tribute to the lives lost over the weekend in a deadly road traffic accident. A total of four people were killed and at least two were injured. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander of the Eastern Division details the incident.
“On Sunday, the fourteenth day of July, 2024, there was a fatal accident between miles forty-five and forty-six on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Police responded where they saw a Mitsubishi Montero vehicle and a Pontiac SUV extensively damaged. Persons were treated and taken to the K.H.M.H. At the scene police also saw the lifeless body of a female. At the conclusion, police then visited the hospital where it was confirmed that Cecilio Arana, Aurora Chi, Gustavo Chi, and Alan Arana all passed away as a result of the fatal RTA. A police officer Andy Garcia, received serious injuries and is being treated And he’s in critical condition at this time.”
The grey vehicle was being driven by forty-one-year-old Cecilio Jesus de Arana and was heading in the direction of Belize City. The black SUV, which was travelling in the direction of Orange Walk, was driven by thirty-nine-year-old Jesus Chi. Police are still investigating the cause of the collision.
Reporter
“Any idea what led to this RTA?”
Hilberto Romero
“Again, this matter is under investigation. The scene was processed, sketch plan was drawn. And we will review the file thereafter to see who is at fault and if any charges will be levied. All persons are receiving treatment at this time.”
The deaths of the four individuals have taken significant emotional tolls on their families, who are now grieving the loss of two beloved family members at the same time. Among those impacted are also friends and community members. Gustavo Chi, one of the deceased, was a teacher at Orange Walk Technical High School at the time of his passing and hailed as an active community member. We spoke with Alberto Tutt, a former student of Chi, who spoke fondly of his teacher.
Alberto Tutt
Alberto Tutt, Former Student of Gustavo Chi
“Mister Gustavo Chi was my literature teacher in first and second form. And to be honest, he was the best teacher in Orange Walk Technical High School and I mean that in the most respectful way possible because he was always so energetic and he always made sure that his students did his work even if he yelled at us every now and then. But he did his best to make sure that we gave our best at performing our best at every piece of work he would give us. Especially when it came to reading books he would encourage all of his students to read books even if they weren’t demanded by the school and that’s why we all loved him at Orange Walk Technical High School.”
Tutt explained that the news of his teacher’s demise spread quickly among the students, who were shocked and saddened by the sudden passing.
Alberto Tutt
“It hit very hard when we found out that he died yesterday morning and everyone was calling me saying that mister is dead. I was like, wow, that’s odd. So it was very heartbreaking news yesterday in the morning. He was a very creative person. He always loved filming his little TikTok videos every now and then. Or he would, we would ask him to participate in a video and he would gladly do it with us. But the most that he could do, or even if he was tired, he would show that he wasn’t tired, but he was very clearly tired most of the time.”
Police officer, Andy Garcia, was critically injured in the incident and is currently receiving treatment at the K.H.M.H. Garcia’s family and colleagues have appealed to the public to make a blood donation to the hospital to contribute to his recovery. Britney Gordon for News Five.
On Sunday morning, sixty-year-old Norman Gillett and Leon Tasher came under gunfire as they entered a property in the Palmar Boundary neighborhood of Orange Walk. Someone in a vehicle approached and shot at them, mortally wounding Gillett and injuring Tasher. Earlier today, police formally arrested and charged twenty-three-year-old Jahiem Fuller, a resident of Orange Walk Town, for the crimes of murder and attempted murder.
Police have another murder to solve, this time in Orange Walk Town. The incident happened on Sunday morning as Norman Gillett and Leon Tasher were entering a yard in the Palmar Boundary area of town. Reports are that Gillett had just arrived home and was heading into his yard when he and Tasher came under fire by someone in a vehicle. But police say they have a suspect in custody, as well as the vehicle involved. News Five’s Marion Ali filed this report on the incident.
“On Sunday, the 30th day of June 2024, police responded to a shooting incident at Monkey River Street in Orange Walk Town. Upon arrival, they learned that two male persons had been shot. They were identified as Norman Gillett and Leon Tasher and were taken for medical treatment. Thereafter, police visited the hospital where they learned that Norma Gillett had passed away.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
Sixty-year-old Norman Gillett was reportedly entering his yard on Monkey River Street in Orange Walk Town when he and Leon Tasher came under gunfire. ACP Hilberto Romero shared what the police have gathered on the incident so far.
ACP Hilberto Romero
“Investigations revealed that they were at a yard at the address along with other persons when an SUV vehicle pulled up. A person came out of a vehicle, fired several shots towards the direction, causing the fatal injuries to Norman Gillett and the injuries to Leon Tasher.”
At the entrance to Gillett’s house his relatives and friends lit candles where he was gunned down in honour of his memory. One of his neighbours told News Five that Gillett was not a troublemaker.
Voice of: Neighbour
Voice of: Neighbour
“He nuh mess with nobody. He just goh da work, come back and then that’s it. Ih da wa good bally, when I tell you good, he start to earn money, treat them picnic good. Whatever he bring for them kids, take it, because da wa good bally. I can’t explain it. I shocked cause he’s a good buddy, he’s a good friend.”
Police have recovered the vehicle involved in the shooting and have detained one person pending investigation. Marion Ali for News Five.
Seven persons are displaced in Carmelita Village, after a fire destroyed their thirty-by-twenty wooden home on Sunday night. Twenty-two-year-old Brianna Conorquie told News Five that no one was at home when the fire started and that she believes it was arson.
Brianna Conorquie
Brianna Conorquie, Fire Victim
“Last night around 9:30, I got a call. I was not at home. I mi deh da Orange Walk. And then my friend called me first and said, Bri, your house is on fire. So I said, no, man, never, that can’t happen. So we just stay a little at my friend’s house. And then I said, my auntie messaged me that live right down the road. And she said, Bri, you know, your house di burn to the ground, right? So when I reach home, my house blazing fire, I couldn’t save nothing. I couldn’t even come in the yard. And that da mi around 10 30 when I reach home cause the fire start like 9:30.”
Marion Ali
“Have they said what caused it?”
Brianna Conorquie
“No ma’am, but they said that the fire started in my sister’s room in the back. So somebody had to light it because my sister’s room ih nuh wired. So no wire in the room at all.”
Marion Ali
“Nothing left on, like a candle?”
Brianna Conorquie
“Nothing, nothing. My sister’s room is like a storeroom. So she nuh use it and nothing in there.”
Marion Ali
“Nothing flammable?”
Brianna Conorquie
“Nothing, nothing, and the door can’t lock. So somebody must have went in and light the fire while we were not here. It has to be somebody. I don’t know for what reason or I don’t know, but it is someone and I hope that they see what is happening here and I hope that they are happy with themselves because we have nothing. I’m staying with my grandmother right now in a back room. Yeah, me and my daughter and my little brother and my sister and my mother is staying at her mother’s home. We have been asking for help. We are getting a little help, you know, one step at a time. And I am grateful for everything. I appreciate everything. I just want everybody to know that I am thankful, and whoever could help in any way, we would really appreciate that.”
Marion Ali
“They could reach you at –“
Brianna Conorquie
“They can reach me at 635 3378 – Brianna Conorquie on Facebook.”
Several portions of the August Pine Ridge community in the Orange Walk District were also under water over the weekend. According to the National Hydrological Service, the village received at least six inches of rain. We spoke with Hydrologist Carmelita Blanco.
Carmelita Blanco
Carmelita Blanco, Hydrologist, National Hydrological Service of Belize
“We had a conversation with the chairman of the village earlier and he shared to us that this flooding that happened is something that haven’t happened a long time ago. But August Pine Ridge that section does flood, but it has not flooded a long time before as it did yesterday. What led to this is the accumulation of rainfall that took place and also the creek that passes through the villages overflowed its banks. It was about six inches yesterday of rainfall.”
BELTRAIDE’s second Micro-Small and Medium Enterprise Roadshow opened this morning in Orange Walk Town. The event aims to give economic support to these businesses to start and keep their operations running. This is key in Belize’s development, since M.S.M.E.s are responsible for as much as seventy percent of our country’s G.D.P. This second roadshow has seen adjustments to the initial one in 2022, according to Executive Director of BELTRAIDE, Doctor Leroy Almendarez, and the inclusion of two more destinations. News Five’s Marion Ali and Darrel Moguel were in Orange Walk Town for the launch and filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Belize currently has roughly two thousand micro, small and medium enterprises that are registered with the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service. And with the launch of BELTRAIDE’s second roadshow today, the organization hopes that this number will increase significantly. Today, the prime minister noted the importance of having these mini businesses in a developing Belize.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“M.S.M.E.s fuel our communities, create jobs, and they drive innovation. They are diverse, ranging from family-owned mom and pop shops, such as what we see from farmers’ daughters to tech startups on service providers to artisans. They fuel our orange economy most importantly, and listen to this, they contribute to more than 50 percent of G.D.P., approximately 70 percent of employment.”
A major part of the success that these small businesses enjoy is access to financial capital. They can access funding to either get started or to remain open. International financial institutions, like I.D.B., are key partners in this process. Rocio Medina-Bolivar spoke of relevant ways that I.D.B. has been instrumental to M.S.M.E.s.
Rocio Medina-Bolivar
Rocio Medina-Bolivar, Country Rep., I.D.B
“We have the promotion of digitalization of M.S.M.E.s and governance services, providing digital training to workers and supporting approximately 200 M.S.M.E.s to enhance their business processes inclusively. With our private sector window, I.D.B. lab, we are supporting projects like Let’s Go Belize, which assists M.S.M.E.s in tourism by enhancing their digital presence and leveraging technology to improve their services, or B.C.C.I., that supports the adoptions of digital technologies within M.S.M.E.s with a gender lens. Also, recognizing the importance of global market exposure for M.S.M.E.s, the trade facilitation investment project funded by the I.D.B. empowers local M.S.M.E.s to become exporters, establishing together and supporting the government to establish a single trade window for small and medium exporters.”
Tyree Lizama is the owner of Farmers’ Daughters, a small enterprise she opened in 2022 when COVID was wreaking havoc on lives and businesses.
Tyree Lizama
Tyree Lizama, Owner, Farmers’ Daughters
“My husband and I, we thought it was a good idea that we come up with some kind of business that we can help our family with. And we were inspired to help our daughters. I have two daughters ages nine and 10 and from this project, we wanted to teach them entrepreneurship. And so we started the, we started first with making cooked beans for businesses in Belize City. And from there we ventured off into making seaweed products. So I started with Bell Trade in 2022. I was one of the winners from the roadshow events. And from the funds that I received, it helped me to buy equipment and further my business.”
Executive Director, Dr. Leroy Almendarez explained to us that BELTRAIDE helps entrepreneurs with their businesses from the point of conception.
Dr. Leroy Almendarez
Dr. Leroy Almendarez, Executive Director, BELTRAIDE
“We hold your hand until you let go of ours. And so once you’re registered and you’re working with us and we continue to tell, we continue to say register because there’s so many benefits. I mentioned benefits like economic incentives. If you want to get custom duty or exemptions for products from materials that you need in your business for inputs. Once you’re registered, it’s easier than because you have a tax identification number that you use with customs in order to access or get those exemptions. And so if you, if they find out they’re having challenges, they can always call Bell Trade. In fact, they do. If and don’t be afraid. Someone, we have advisors that cover this country as well. We start to help you from your conceptualizing. What is it that I want to do? What market do I want to get to? Because that’s another thing. Don’t just go into a market. Know what’s operating within the market. So we collect market intelligence and can guide you and say that market is full. It’s flooded. If you’re going there, it’s going to cost you more and the benefits, the profits have already declined. So start something new. Never be afraid to be a leader so we can provide that market intelligence to you.”
Ishmael Quiroz is the Executive Director of the Economic Development Council. It is government’s official mechanism for dialogue between the public and private sectors.
Ishmael Quiroz
Ishmael Quiroz, Executive Director, Economic Development Council
“One of the things that we champion in addition to innovation is business climate reform, so anything that facilitates being able to do business in Belize, and that includes making it easy for small enterprises to participate in the formal economy.”
Marion Ali
And if there are challenges that they’re facing, would you play a role in trying to get them back on track?
Ishmael Quiroz
“Absolutely. So one of the functions of the public private desk unit in the office of the prime minister is to bring both public and private sector stakeholders together to identify and deliver solutions to make it easier to do business in Belize. Sometimes that involves digitalization of government services. Other times it means simplification of processes, and sometimes it just requires good communication and standardization of information.”
Prime Minister Briceno pledged to make accessing to financing and support systems much easier for small businesses.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“We are committed to building on this momentum of the roadshow through championing access to finance by streamlining loan processes and exploring innovative financing solutions, reducing the burden of regulation by simplifying legislation, policies and procedures that foster a business-friendly environment, promoting buy Belizean by encouraging government procurement from local businesses and empowering consumers to choose Belizean made products, investing in skills development by promoting training programs that equip M.S.M.E.s with the tools they need to thrive.”
The roadshow will travel to Punta Gorda June twenty-seventh to the twenty-ninth. Marion Ali for News Five.
In what police believe to be a case of driving under the influence, a man is left dead after losing control of his vehicle in Orange Walk District. That is seventy-eight-year-old Catalino Hernandez, who was driving a motorcycle in Blue Creek Village when he crashed and later succumbed to his injuries. Here’s A.C.P Hilberto Romero, with those details.
“On Friday, the thirty-first day of May 2024 in Orange Walk, police responded to a fatal toad traffic accident at Blue Creek Village, Orange Walk. Upon the arrival this, a damaged motorcycle and the saw lifeless body of a male person later identified as Catalino Hernandez. Investigation revealed that Catalina. Hernandez was consuming alcoholic beverage and was driving his motorcycle when he lost control. He was taken to the hospital in morgue and is now awaiting a post mortem examination.“
Reporter
“Is it that he lost control of the vehicle, or?”
Hilberto Romero
“Yes, he lost control of the motorcycle and crashed and crashed.”
Carrot farmers in Orange Walk and Corozal districts will lose all that they have invested in this year’s crop if they are unable to get their produce to market soon. Dozens of acres of carrots remain in the field unharvested, which is uncommon in the north at this time of the year. The Ministry of Agriculture says the market is oversaturated due to unfavorable weather conditions late last year. The Belize Marketing and Development Corporation refutes claims that it is importing carrots currently. The farmers believe that contraband carrots from Mexico have taken their place in the market. News Five’s Paul Lopez traveled north today. He filed the following report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
2024 has been a difficult year so far for carrot farmers, particularly those in the Orange Walk and Corozal districts. Carrots are not selling at the rate they traditionally would, leaving many farmers with acres of unharvested crops that are starting to go bad.
Sabino Yam
Sabino Yam, Patchakan Farmer
“I guess all the farmers that have carrots right now are basically in the same problem. Basically it is the selling of the carrots we are having problem right now. I have contacted some of my buyers and they are not buying.”
Sabino Yam owns a carrot farm in Patchakan Village in the Corozal District. On a normal year, Yam would have already sold all his carrots on the local market. This year, he has only been able to sell eight sacks of carrots. So, what has led to this shift in the market? The Ministry of Agriculture says there’s a glut of carrots on the local market.
Andrew Mejia
Andrew Mejia, Acting Director of Extensions, Ministry of Agriculture
“The situation we are having now is as a result of what happened last year. During the months from August to October we had a drought preventing the farmers that were to plant early based on the schedule we had created with the Ministry. After that we had an issue with flooding. That compounded the situation. So everybody planted the same time, around the end of November to December.”
To ensure that every farmer gets a fair share of market demands, they take turns planting and harvesting. Carrots in the Cayo District should have already been sold out by now, leaving only carrots from farmers in northern Belize on the market. But that is not the case this year.
William Can
William Can, Agriculture Officer for Cayo District, Ministry of Agriculture
“From the data we have Cayo planted sixty-three acres and from that sixty-three acres at the moment we have around eight acres to manage in the Cayo District so we can safely say that the peak of production in the Cayo District has passed. We will have two to three weeks of production left in Cayo and from that the only two districts left is Corozal and Orange Walk.”
The Ministry of Agriculture says that produce in Cayo should be sold out within a week. That will make space in the market for carrots from Orange Walk and Corozal. But farmers are not sold on the ministry’s explanation. Jose Gonzalez, a farmer in Indian Creek Village is doubtful.
Jose Gonzalez
Jose Gonzalez, Indian Creek Village
“Si, puedo nostros. We have our doubts. We heard that Cayo have carrots. But in the past they use to come buy eighty, a hundred sacks of carrots from us. And now they are just taking twenty, twenty-five sacks. So we have our doubts and think that contraband has something to do with how they are not buying carrots from us right now.”
Carrot farmers are convinced that the illegal importation of vegetables from Mexico is the reason they are facing these challenges. During our visit to a farm in San Carlos, a group of farmers complained bitterly about the negative effects of contraband carrots. While cleaning their produce to take to the market, the men argued that the government is not doing enough to stop contrabandistas. Mejia says the argument about contraband carrots is, to an extent, justified.
Andrew Mejia
“I do believe so and I won’t discredit them. What the Ministry of Agriculture has done is that we are in the process of re-activating our contraband interdiction team, compromised of customs, immigration, police, BAHA to see what is actually happening with this accusation. Otherwise we don’t have any concrete information on that. So until the team is activated we will be able to get a handle on what is happening with that. But I can assure the farmers that the saturation is due to oversupply at this time.”
The Belize Marketing and Development Corporation is also responding to allegations that it has received import permits from the Ministry of Agriculture to bring in carrots from Mexico. B.M.D.C. Is responsible for importing goods that are not available on the local market. Valentin Carillo, the administrator at B.M.D.C., says the last time they imported carrots was in November 2023.
Valentin Carillo
Valentin Carillo, Administrator, B.M.D.C.
“I have heard concerns about the carrots issue and I have also heard that we have License right now. I came here to clear it out. We are not importing carrots from last year November.”
Paul Lopez
“How often during the season?”
Valentin Carillo
“Like last year we had a meeting with the farmers and we put a cut off date. It depends on how the season goes. As if see it right now it will go a month, a month and a half depending on local production.”
Sabino Yam
“It is claimed that they are not giving license to import but still we are seeing Mexican products on the market. So what is happening? That is rhe reason we want to know. But some of the farmers do have evidence that those importers there are bringing stuff through the border. I am from Patchakan. Patchakan is right next to the borderline to Mexico. I can say maybe six four years back there was a lot of contraband. Now I have not seen much. As a result I can conclude that this contraband is passing through the border.”
Belize Sugar Industries Limited fired off a press release saying that it denounces a commission of inquiry into its private affairs. BSI says that Prime Minister John Briceño announced the Commission of Inquiry (COI) “with a mandate to delve into the private affairs of BSI, with the sole purpose of providing ammunition for one cane farmer association, the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA), to continue its relentless effort to coerce BSI to pay more for cane without any economic or business justification.”
BSI asserts that the three other cane farmers’ associations that represent “roughly half the cane do not support the COI.”
According to BSI, “This decision is politically driven and totally erodes ASR’s investor confidence as the largest US investor in Belize and undermines representations made by the Government of Belize to ASR in 2012 that it would receive fair treatment.”
BSI says that it will not be compelled to “produce proprietary and confidential commercial information, the rights over which are protected by law.”
“BSI sees this Commission of Inquiry as a further assault on its business interests and outright bad faith by the government.”
