Along with the seven-point five percent salary increase, the union is also pushing for transfer grants to go up from twelve hundred to one thousand, five hundred dollars. They want the government to make sure every public officer transferred between 2021 and 2024 gets the one thousand, five hundred dollars they’re owed, as per the negotiated agreement. P.S.U. President, Dean Flowers, pointed out that these demands haven’t been met yet, and despite no budget review, a C.E.O. salary increase has been approved.
Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union
“In essence, we’re saying to them that we want a response to that framework within twenty-one days, so that we can move ahead with the negotiations. And more specifically with the submission of proposals that are to be considered under the new CBA. So they have twenty-one days to respond to us before we go back to our membership and ask for a mandate on how we proceed. Despite the elections, the government had enough time to look at that framework and to provide us with a response. But clearly they do not prioritize public officers. They do not prioritize improving the lives and the working conditions of public officers. So they’ve dragged their feet there and now that the election is behind us and a new cabinet has been installed. We’re hoping that we will get a response within twenty-one days. We will be thereafter submitting our proposals and on the negotiations, I’m hoping we’ll then proceed and we can close those negotiations within six to twelve months at maximum. Within the framework, we’re proposing a maximum of one year of negotiations.”
PSU President Dean Flowers also shared that the Union has submitted its framework for a new CBA to the government and are awaiting a response from the government. The PSU has allocated twenty-one days for the government to receive that response, after which the union will submit its proposals regardless of what that framework states. Flowers elaborated on the union’s urgent need for a response to the framework to advance CBA negotiations.
Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union
“In essence, we’re saying to them that we want a response to that framework within twenty-one days, so that we can move ahead with the negotiations. And more specifically with the submission of proposals that are to be considered under the new CBA. So they have twenty-one days to respond to us before we go back to our membership and ask for a mandate on how we proceed. Despite the elections, the government had enough time to look at that framework and to provide us with a response. But clearly they do not prioritize public officers. They do not prioritize improving the lives and the working conditions of public officers. So they’ve dragged their feet there and now that the election is behind us and a new cabinet has been installed. We’re hoping that we will get a response within twenty-one days. We will be thereafter submitting our proposals and on the negotiations, I’m hoping we’ll then proceed and we can close those negotiations within six to twelve months at maximum. Within the framework, we’re proposing a maximum of one year of negotiations.”
Incoming C.E.O. Chester Williams is already making his mark at the Ministry of Transport. On Monday, he joined the newly appointed transport board for their first meeting. Minister Zabaneh mentioned that the meeting aimed to familiarize the new board with the current transport regulations.
Louis Zabaneh
Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport
“Yesterday we had the inaugural meeting of the transport board, where he had representation from persons who are in the sector who have experience in transportation and then we have a representative from the police department, MIDH, and a representative from the bus association. So together, along with the department of transport, the seven members are now engaged in the duties assigned to this body and so, we have great people on the board and I anticipate they will be able to move forward expeditiously with their duties. Haven gotten feedback from experiences in the past, one of the first things we did yesterday was to have thorough training with respect to all the rules and regulations pertaining to transportation. I think that was important. Although we have people who were chosen for the experience in the sector, we just wanted to make sure that they are fully aware of the latest regulations there right now.”
Haitian nationals often make headlines in Belize due to migration issues, which sometimes cast them in a negative light. However, many Haitians have lived in Belize for decades, making this country their home. They fled their impoverished homeland in search of a better life and have since established families and integrated into Belize’s vibrant culture. News Five’s Paul Lopez sat down with one such individual, a Haitian taxi driver who has been living in Belize since 1983. He loves Punta music, enjoys rice and beans, and takes pride in earning his living honestly. Join us for tonight’s installment of Kolcha Tuesday as we take a taxi ride-along with him.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Belize is home to a significant number of Haitian nationals who fled their impoverished communities in Haiti in search of a better life. Many have found work as security guards or taxi drivers, like sixty-nine-year-old Milson Lature. He first arrived in Belize in 1983 and has been part of the community ever since.
Milson Lature
Milson Lature, Taxi Driver
“I have a friend here that told me to come take a walk and visit Belize City. You know when people are young, they need to see somewhere, some different place.”
Haiti has faced revolts and political turmoil since the late 1700s. Over the last two centuries, natural disasters have further plunged the population into poverty. Now, strict migration policies have been imposed on Haitian nationals by the Belize government, influenced by pressure from the U.S. Despite these challenges, Milson Lature has never pursued the American dream. For over forty years, he has built his life in Belize, where he now has seven children and ten grandchildren, all born in Belize.
Milson Lature
“I will tell you the Belizean culture is a good culture. The change should be with the younger people, but Belize is a nice, beautiful country and it is nice and has good freedom. I complete to Belizean food, some Belizean cook good. Some, hmp, when you have the food, you can’t eat that. I miss Haiti food, you have food called mimule. It is made with corn. We have corn in Belize and not everybody know how to make it. Then you have legim. It is a beautiful food, but I can’t find somebody that could make it nice and good.”
Lature hasn’t visited his homeland since he arrived in Belize forty years ago. The last time he heard from his relatives in Haiti was three years ago. Over the years, he has fully embraced Belizean culture, developing a deep appreciation for the food, music, and people.
Milson Lature
“What I tell you, when in Haiti, when you hear the music, all the gial deh punta. We have everything and we have soul to, when you have the soul. When we have the soul, nobody moves, everybody just the wine.”
Paul Lopez
“What kind of music you enjoy in Belize?”
Milson Lature
“I like the Punta, I like the Garifuna music.”
Paul Lopez
“Do you know how to Punta now?”
Milson Lature
“I know how to Punta. I love them. And when you say Garifuna people you will be treated with love, good love. Garifuna food is nice. When you have a Garifuna young lady you will eat good. They cook and village people cook. City people you have to go to shop. You know what me call them, foam plate.”
Lature’s white minivan may be worn and in need of new shocks, but it’s his livelihood. He has earned a stellar reputation among his customers, who describe him as reliable, affordable, and friendly. We spoke with a few of them to hear their thoughts.
Voice of: Taxi Customer #1
Voice of: Taxi Customer #1
“Well there is never a dull moment, he is always interactive, always on time, and you can call him anytime of the day, night and he is coming.”
Voice of: Taxi Customer #2
Voice of: Taxi Customer #2
“I notice that he is very reliable and stuff so I call him like almost everyday, sometimes two three times and I don’t matter if it is in the night, he will come for you. And I was just saying, mein he doesn’t sleep, because anytime of the day he is coming for you.”
Paul Lopez
“What is your thoughts on Haitians coming to Belize and integrating themselves into society?”
Taxi Customer #2
“I don’t have a problem with it, because everybody deserves to make a better life for themselves.”
To the casual observer, Milson Lature might seem like just another Haitian taxi driver in Belize. But to those who know him and his service, he’s seen as a cheerful and respectable man from a country a thousand miles away, who has truly immersed himself in Belizean culture. Despite his new life, the struggles of his people in Haiti are always on his mind.
Milson Lature
“I want freedom and in Belize I can go anywhere. There is no bad boys in Belize. Bad boy the hide behind fence, if you are bad boys, you suppose to walk free. I try not to have problems with anyone.”
As the humanitarian crisis in Haiti worsens, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is urging the international community to step up support for those displaced by gang violence and instability. In a statement today, the IOM revealed that over one million people are now displaced within Haiti, a number that has tripled in just a year, leaving many without shelter, water, or medical care. Additionally, nearly 200,000 Haitians were deported from neighboring countries last year, adding to the nation’s struggles. This week, IOM Director General Amy Pope visited Haiti to discuss with government officials how to improve migration governance, expand access to legal documentation, and strengthen reintegration efforts. Pope emphasized the urgent need for action, stating, “the Haitian people are showing remarkable strength in the face of unthinkable hardship, but relying on resilience alone is not a strategy. The Haitian people need support, and they need it now. The cost of inaction will not only be measured in lives lost, but also in broader instability that affects us all”.
One area that will need significant attention under Minister Dr. Louis Zabaneh’s leadership is Indigenous Affairs. The Government of Belize and Maya communities in Toledo are working together to implement the 2015 CCJ Consent Order. Just six days ago, the CCJ held its latest monitoring hearing. Today, Minister Zabaneh emphasized that genuine consultations will be crucial to meeting the deadlines set by the order.
Louis Zabaneh
Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Indigenous Affairs
“It is very important that whoever we are working with, whatever part of government we are in, something I learnt and utilized when I was privileged to be in the ministry of education, is genuine consultations. This means you are not just sitting and listening and giving lip service to meeting with people. You are in a real sense incorporating their points of view, their interest in the final solution. That is the only way you will have sustainable solutions. I felt that is was important along with my colleagues Minister Doctor Osmond Martinez, Minister Oscar Requena, as we met with the Toledo Alcaldes Association and with the Julian Cho Society that we made that clear at the beginning, we listened carefully to their positions and I think we left with a very good feeling that whatever gaps there might has been due to a previous misunderstanding, we want to close those gaps to go forward and try to meet our deadlines from that consent order in 2015.”
If the newly appointed Minister of Transport can’t get support from bus operators, his incoming Chief Executive Officer, Chester Williams, will surely give it a shot. With his background as the highest-ranking police officer, Williams brings a wealth of enforcement expertise to the ministry. However, the minister and his new boss will have to wait a couple more weeks for Williams to officially start his role.
Louis Zabaneh
Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport
“Well it would have been good to have him on board earlier. But he has been, as much as he could, attending meetings and getting familiar with the various areas of the portfolio, but particular his strengths will certainly come to bear and I am excited we will have him on board the first of may, especially looking at areas of enforcement, all these areas of safety, the training of our traffic wardens. We will be looking at things related to laws that could strengthen their presence on the road. These are things that he will be able to help tremendously to ensure we can implement them expeditiously to the benefit of the public.”
Paul Lopez
“There are critics that says Mr. Williams tends to be an authority unto his own. Do you foresee any sort of hierarchical or leadership issues that you will have to tone down?”
Dr. Louis Zabaneh
“I think we are going to work very well together. I know incoming CEO Chester Williams very well. We have worked very well for many of those years. Rember he is from the south, so even before he became commissioner I knew him. And we have the common objective of service to our country, being passionate about what we do and like anything else, whether it is a family business, or the public or private sector, once everybody is clear about their responsibilities or duties, then we are able to work well.”
The medical team stressed that people with chronic illnesses should get vaccinated for measles. Those with weakened immune systems are at risk of severe cases if they catch the virus. While many people recover completely, Doctor Russell Manzanero, an epidemiologist with the Ministry of Health, explained that those in vulnerable health categories can suffer lasting effects or even die.
Russell Manzanero
Dr. Russell Manzanero, Epidemiologist, Ministry of Health & Wellness
“The very young, those who are older, pregnant women, those who have a weakened immune response, such as those perhaps living with cancer or one of the chronic illnesses that are perhaps not managed properly. Those are individuals who have weakened immune system, so those are the persons of concern of where the severity might be even greater. It varies from perhaps, we may have a lung infection, it develops to pneumonias, you can have inflammation and swelling of the brain, but these are instances where hospitalization rates perhaps are not that great. These are the severe cases. In that instance, if you do have a neurological complication that you do get a swelling to the brain, you might have side effects of hearing loss or vision loss, blindness. Yes, there are some cases of death.”
On Friday, police confirmed that twenty-four-year-old Luis Marin, who was gunned down in Belize City, was wanted for questioning in relation to the Belmopan shooting incident. On April fifth, several men were captured on CCTV footage scrambling out of a car as a slew of bullets were fired in their direction from a gunman in a nearby vehicle. While no lives were lost, one passenger, Jamal Hyde, was injured. Three days later, Marin would be fatally shot in Belize City. Following the incident, two men have been arrested and charged. ACP Hilberto Romero has more details on the arrest.
“Referenced the murder of Luis Marin that occurred at Pinks Alley. Police this weekend, arrested and charged Scorian Stuart and Michael Gillett jointly for the crime of murder.”
Reporter
“Was this indeed in retaliation?”
Hilberto Romero
“Yes. That is the information we have received. It’s retaliation for that incident.”
Reporter
“Were the two men who are arrested in the vehicle in the for Belmopan incident?”
Hilberto Romero
“No, we don’t have information that they were in that vehicle.”
Reporter
“What connection do they have to the injured person from that shooting?”
Hilberto Romero
“They had some interaction with those persons and that is what led to this murder.”
Reporter
“Were they laywaitiing Mr. Marin like following him around?”
Hilberto Romero
“No. Well, he was at that area in a house when he was targeted. He was inside a house at the time.”
Reporter
“So was Marin believed to be one of the people in the car that had the shooter?”
Hilberto Romero
“Well, he at the time was wanted for questioning regards to that shooting. So thatis all information.”
Reporter
“Are the two men who have since been arrested and charged, known to police?”
Hilberto Romero
“Yes. There are known.”
Reporter
“Would you be able to tell us about the affiliation, what group they may have been involved with?”
Hilberto Romero
“I will not provide that information, or an investigation was carried out when they were charged.”
Reporter
“Have police were able to detain all the other ones in suspects in that investigation?”
Hilberto Romero
“Persons were detained, interviewed, so far no one else has been arrested for any of the incident.”
Tonight, two men are on remand at the Belize Central Prison following the murder of twenty-four-year-old Luis Marin, which occurred on April eighth, 2025. They are nineteen-year-old Scorian Stuart and twenty-three-year-old Michael Gillet, who were escorted before a magistrate in court this morning, where they were jointly read the single charge of murder for Marin’s death. Reports are that Marin had been socializing with a family member at a home in Pinks Alley when gunmen entered the home and fired in his direction. Police strongly believe his murder to be tied to the Belmopan shooting incident, which led to the injury of Jamal Hyde. Both men appeared unrepresented and were told that due to the nature of the offense, they could not be granted bail. Stuart and Gillett were remanded to the Belize Central Prison until their next court hearing on June ninth, 2025. Reports are that about an hour before his death, a close family friend of Marin’s sent one last text message asking him to be safe.
