The Trump administration is shutting down the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a foreign aid agency that collaborates with over fifty countries, including Belize, to boost economic growth. The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, announced the decision in an email to employees on Tuesday. The Millennium Challenge Corporation currently manages over five billion dollars in active grants across twenty lower-income countries. These grants are either signed or in the process of being implemented. On September fourth, 2024, the Government of Belize and MCC signed a landmark five-year US$125 million Grant Agreement. This funding would have been directed towards significant investments in Belize’s education and energy sectors. The Education Project focused on increasing the number of post-primary graduates with skills relevant to the current and future job market. This would be achieved by transforming teaching methods, improving access to secondary education, and strengthening the legal and institutional framework for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Meanwhile, the Energy Project aimed to reduce electricity costs by facilitating new power purchase agreements for affordable renewable energy, modernizing the grid to handle variable power generation efficiently, and supporting the Government of Belize in enhancing policies and regulations for the effective use of renewable energy. Both projects were to be managed by the newly established Millennium Challenge Account-Belize (MCA-Belize Authority), a statutory body formed in August 2024. Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño represented the Government of Belize, while CEO Mrs. Alice Albright signed on behalf of MCC. Project implementation was set to begin in 2025. The Department of Government Efficiency’s move to target MCC adds to the Trump administration’s broader efforts to cut back on foreign aid groups.
The Ministry of Agriculture has announced its 2025 Farmers of the Year, just in time for the National Agriculture and Trade Show. These awards celebrate farmers for their dedication to food security and innovative practices. Today, we visited San Lazaro Village to chat with the Junior Farmer of the Year, twenty-five-year-old Juan Carillo. Juan dropped out of high school at fifteen to help with the family farm. At eighteen, he left to try another job, but less than a year ago, his younger brother convinced him to return as a business partner. Now, the Carillo brothers are making waves in the agriculture sector. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Twenty-five-year-old Juan Carillo from San Lazaro has snagged the title of 2025 Junior Farmer of the Year. Carillo and his two brothers oversee more than a hundred acres of farmland in their village.
Juan Carillo
Juan Carillo, Junior Farmer of the Year
“What we do here is plant vegetables and work with the livestock also. I get into farming since I was twelve years old. I started farming with my dad. He left and I left too. I came back when I was fifteen and started on my own. I left studying and did it on my own. I did it for two or three year and one day my little brother called me and said he want to do it again and I said let us do it and here we are working together.”
The brothers have more than twenty sheep on their farm. They are well taken care of, with plenty of land to graze on, and are sold based on demand. When their owner calls out to them, the sheep come forward eagerly. The cows, initially far off, also come running when called.
Paul Lopez
“You said that at the age of fifteen you did not want to continue school anymore.”
Juan Carillo
“I did not like it, so I just drop off.”
Paul Lopez
“What is your thoughts on going to school to learn. Do you feel like you need to go?”
Juan Carillo
“Actually, I don’t feel like I need to go to learn. It is like other students, when they go to study agriculture if they go to study and don’t practice, they don’t know anything.”
Juan’s brother, Amin Carillo, persuaded him to come back to farming less than a year ago. At the time, both brothers lived away from the community. When their grandfather, who originally owned the farm, fell ill, someone needed to step in. Now, Juan and Amin are business partners, working together to keep the family farm thriving.
Amir Carillo
Amir Carillo, Farmer, San Lazzaro
“First of all I give thanks to the lord that we have this opportunity. We have my grandfather and father that teach us how to do agriculture.”
Paul Lopez
“Your brother received the Junior Farmer of the Year Award, but as he pointed out it is a team effort. Talk about how proud you are of him.”
Amir Carillo
“I am proud, because two of us are working good. We don’t argue, we don’t fight. We find this work fun. Sometimes when we are transplanting we said, let us race, who good do it faster.”
The soursop trees produce huge fruits that even the birds can’t resist. To keep the birds away, the brothers placed a pair of sunshades on one of the fruits. They’ve harvested over a thousand pounds of tomatoes and hundreds of pounds of cabbage. More than two thousand seedlings are ready for transplanting. Watermelon seedlings are already in the ground, and hundreds of sweet pepper plants are starting to bear vegetables. The farm also grows corn, cucumber, cilantro, and habanero peppers.
Paul Lopez
“What is the hardest thing about this job?”
Juan Carillo
“The hardest thing? Well I don’t think nothing is hard.”
More impressive than the vegetables they grow and the livestock they raise are Juan Carillo’s exceptional record-keeping skills. He meticulously tracks everything they cultivate, all sales to the market, and even anticipates future market needs. Additionally, the brothers’ advanced irrigation system plays a crucial role in their efforts to combat climate change.
Juan Carillo
“For me it is an honor for being the junior farmer of the year and my family is so proud of me.”
Paul Lopez
“What would you say was the main reasons why you got this award?”
Juan Carillo
“A part of the vegetables we have, they were seeing how we work and record keeping too. Like, let us say if you plant cabbage, you plant this amount, and when you sell, you have to see how much you spend, how much you make and from there you will see how much you win or how much you lose.”
Amir Carillo
“If God give us the life and the opportunity, my brother and I, this is our life, we love this so, I don’t think we will quit planting.”
Residents from a Guatemalan fishing community claim Belizean authorities are violating their human rights by preventing them from fishing in their waters. The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) has responded to these claims. Leonardo Chavarria, TIDE’s Executive Director, explained that the Sapodilla Caye Marine Reserve was recently expanded to over three hundred thousand acres to protect the newly discovered Caiman Crown Reef. While most of this reef is within Belize’s territory, part of it falls within Guatemalan waters. Chavarria noted that in 2020, Guatemalan authorities declared their portion a protected no-take zone. However, following the fishermen’s allegations, the Guatemalan government has reversed this declaration, leading the fishermen to believe they can fish beyond Guatemala’s marine border.
Leonardo Chavarria
Leonardo Chavarria, Executive Director, TIDE
“What transpired recently is that there is a community which works very close to the Caiman Crown Area, about two miles. That community is entitled San Francisco Del Mar. If you notice, what they do is that they released a video in which they are expressing their dissatisfaction with the type of enforcement that Belize has in that area. In that video they are making a lot of allegations that are untrue. They are saying that we are violating their human rights, taking away their fishing gear and that we have been shooting live rounds and threatening their lives. None of that is true. The truth is these fishers have opened fire on Belizean law enforcement authorities, including the Belize Coast Guard and TIDE personnel. Gunfire was never exchanged with them. So, our authorities exercise restraint. However, the allegations of human rights are really pronounced in Guatemala that the ministry of natural resources and environment and the ministry responsible for protected area designation is issuing a press release in why they are saying that they are not in accordance with a recent bill proposed in the Guatemalan Congress to include Caiman Crown within the protected area. The impression portrayed out there to the Guatemalan communities is that it is a free for all and that status formally held in which the Caiman Crown area was a no take zone. The fishers can fish without real enforcement form Guatemalan NGOS. You will see more illicit fishing gears such a s gill nets, long lines, even in Belize. They are saying they have authority over six miles extending from the Caiman Crown area which brings them well into Belizean territory.”
Today, The Imagination Factri unveiled the first published work by Belizean rapper and poet Kenny Morgan, a founding member of the Belize City rap trio Fresh Breeze Crew. In his book “If unu tink da lai,” Morgan combines his passion for lyricism and Belizean culture through nineteen captivating poems. News Five’s Britney Gordon was at the Bliss Center for Performing Arts for the launch.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
In 1988, Belize welcomed the Fresh Breeze Crew, a rap group founded by friends Kenny Morgan, Leroy Young, and Trevor Morgan. Inspired by the New York rap scene, they fused the genre with Belizean sounds, allowing Kenny Morgan’s lyrical talent to shine. He continued to nurture this passion in his solo music career. Now, Morgan is sharing his love for writing with the release of his first poetry book, “If unu tink da lie.”
Kenny Morgan, Author
“Most of my inspiration comes from situations that I observe in everyday life, persons that I interact with. And mostly I try to pick on themes that I believe will echo with the larger population. I strongly believe that utilizing the art form should always be with a view to creating positive change or motivating someone to want to do something about something. So if one line from one of the poems can reach out and accomplish that, I feel justified.”
Morgan’s work is inspired by his own life experiences and the social challenges he sees around him. Several poems include themes of feminism and poverty.
Kenny Morgan
“I believe they were important. They are important now and will continue to be important until we as a people, as a society start to address some of the changes that we see creating the situations that we are living in, that affects the way our young people approach life in general. I think it’s important for us to try to instill in them something that will have them want to rise up, to move up to greater heights and a better way of living, not just socially economically, but the interaction with the people around you and the way that you share information and knowledge.”
Yasser Musa of the Imagination Factri published the book. Musa shared that he and Morgan have admired each other’s work for years and are thrilled to collaborate on this exciting project.
Yasser Musa, Publisher
“Kenny Morgan earlier talked about how his mother raised him with a strict diet of reading. I think that says a lot about how parenting can infuse in a person, in a human being. That love and that imaginary power that you can use throughout your life. Kenny Morgan is in my mind, an enigmatic artist. He’s a artist that has a spectrum. One of the presenters, Gina Scott, called him a multi-man. And I think that is a very powerful phrased term for him because not only is he an incredible poet, but he’s also an amazing lyricist, a musician. A person who speaks not just for his generation, but for the current generation.”
Morgan was visibly moved during his speech, admitting he was blown away by the huge crowd. He expressed heartfelt thanks to everyone for backing his projects over the years.
Kenny Morgan
“I think what I feel most gratified about is the fact that the people of Belize over the years have always given me a certain amount of respect and appreciation and they give credibility to the things that I say I do. I think this is because they have been observing me for quite a while. They know what I stand for. They know the things that I say come from my heart. I mean them when I speak them. So I think what I’m most proud of is the appreciation and the reception that I get from the Belizean populates.”
Musa urges everyone to dive into the book, promising it’s packed with witty insights that he’s sure will resonate with just about anyone.
Yasser Musa
“Reading is an explosive form of self-determination. It allows you to become yourself and becoming yourself is not a, at this moment or at that moment. It is a constant journey. And I think Kenny Morgan’s own journey, we can look at even from his words, but from his lyrics, but from his life.”
A raging fire at the Western Sanitary Landfill has been burning for nearly a day and a half. While it was a major concern on Monday night, an official from the Belize Solid Waste Management Authority assures that the blaze is now under control and will soon be extinguished. The fire started mid-morning on Monday in the brush near the facility, likely set by someone seen in the area just minutes before. This raises the issue of the dangers posed by deliberately set fires that can quickly spread, threatening lives and property. The flames came dangerously close to the transfer station buildings, making it a priority to save them. But there’s good news this evening—the fire is expected to be fully extinguished by tonight. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
This video, posted on Monday night, shows a raging fire out of control and threatening anything in its path. This was the scene near the Belize Solid Waste Management Authority’s Western Sanitary Landfill as night fell. The fire was dangerously close to the facility’s buildings, but thanks to quick teamwork among the National Fire Service, the San Ignacio/Santa Elena Town Council, and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, the structures were saved.
Rojelio Pop
Rojelio Pop, Operations Manager, BSWAMA
“Our protocol is working reasonably okay. Our priority had to change from actually containing the fire yesterday and we moved to protecting the buildings and the offices that you see here. So we created that buffer – fifteen to twenty feet – away from the building because the waste was really close to the buildings. So that had to be our priority, dowsing with the help of MIDH and private companies providing water. We had about three fire trucks here – continuous operation until we had to move the garbage away from the buildings.”
San Ignacio/Santa Elena Mayor Earl Trapp was one of the first to offer his resources to help.
Earl Trapp
Earl Trapp, Mayor, San Ignacio/Santa Elena
“I was called out about one thirty in the afternoon and told that the fire was getting out of control and the place was catching fire and they needed support. I tried my best to get the town council’s heavy-duty equipment out there. I had a problem getting the operator, so the best I could have done was to get our water bowser and I had the driver take that out there and that’s how we were basically supplying the fire engine with water. I called some other friends and they came and so we had five bowsers out there.”
The Ministry of Infrastructure Development quickly stepped in to provide an excavator, which is still at the site helping out. With all the resources working together to extinguish the fire, Rojelio Pop, the operations manager at BSWAMA, is hopeful that the blaze will be completely under control by early tonight.
Rojelio Pop
“We don’t have a definite timeline, but what we’re hoping for is that we can bringit under complete control by this evening. As long as we have a sustained supplyof water – we have these machines, they are willing to work, but water is theproblem. Once we can sustain the flow of water, we should be able to get it undercontrol, hopefully by tonight.”
Pop assured that the work crew fighting the fire is equipped with proper gear to protect them from the toxic fumes coming from the burning garbage.
Rojelio Pop
“Those guys who are operating the machines are receiving some sort of help from the fire service in terms of smoke masks that are complemented with the use of direct oxygen so that oxygen does not get into their lungs or they do notinhale all that toxic smoke. So they’re inhaling oxygen at this point.”
But even though firefighting efforts are in full swing, the business of collecting and dumping garbage continues, according to the Acting Director, Aldo Cansino.
Aldo Cansino
Aldo Cansino, Acting Director, BSWAMA
“If you notice in the background you have two trucks waiting. The process here will not stop. It will continue. We will continue to load garbage from within the transfer station and that will continue to move, hence the priority initially was to make sure that we have the site secured so that the operations can continue. This morning we had a bit of a delay because we still had some issues, but the trucks are here and we should get back on track.”
Mayor Trapp strongly believes that human carelessness is to blame for the blaze.
Earl Trapp
“According to the watchman, he saw someone walk out of the bushes, which is about 2,000 feet from the transfer station and about ten minutes after he saw smoke, So he is believing that’s where the fire started.”
Although there’s no surveillance to identify the culprit, fortunately, there are no residential communities nearby. Plus, the wind is blowing the smoke towards the hills, so it shouldn’t pose much of a threat to anyone. Marion Ali for News Five.
The much-awaited Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic has come to an end. As you might already know, British rider Jim Brown clinched the victory for his team, the Miami Blazers. The first Belizean rider finished in fourth place, just like in 2024. Tonight, we’ll hear from the champion and other riders who performed exceptionally well under the scorching heat. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Ninety-Fifth Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic saw British Cyclist Jim Brown from the Miami Blazers emerge victorious. This was Brown’s first time riding the race, and he completed the entire ride in five hours, forty-five minutes and forty seconds.
Jim Brown
Jim Brown, Winner, 95th Cross Country
“Super difficult to be honest. I am really not use to this hot weather, so that was really difficult part of it for me. But, I will take the win.”
Marion Ali
“Tell us how the ride went, where you made the decision to make a breakaway and how difficult it was to hold that?”
Jim Brown
“To be honest, I was not feeling good at all in the middle part of the race, in the early middle part of the race. I told Kory, our team leader, I said to him I am not in a good day, I will just try to and follow moves and hopefully we can set the race up for you. So I took it upon myself to follow the defending champion because I saw him ride away and then two more came across. We were a good working group and I think the cohesion was not good behind. We just took off and that was that.”
At mile twenty-seven, heading into Belize City, Brown was a part of a four-men breakaway group leading the race with a one minute time gap. Defending Champion, Luis Lopez was among the four riders. No Belizean was present. Luis Lopez was dropped at mile twenty-six, while three riders pressed on. As the race headed into Belize City, the leading trio became a duo. Jim Brown secured the victory with a thrilling sprint finish, while Alfredo Bueno from Legions of Los Angeles took second place.
Alfredo Bueno
Alfredo Bueno, Second Place, 95th Cross Country
“It was hot, very lots of bad luck. I was kind of on the back foot all day. I just stayed locked in my mind and ended up riding to every move I missed. I ended up riding with Jim that ended up being the one, so I am pretty happy with my racing tactics today.”
Mation Ali
“What happened, why Jim beat you at the tape.”
“I think there is a simple answer to that. He is just better. This guy has won races way. I actually felt pretty good and he did too. Me and him felt fine. It is just like in these types of races he is superior in every way. He has done well in flat races in the past also.”
Tenis Star Rider, Omar Espinosa finished in third place, rounding off the top three.
Omar Espinosa
Omar Espinosa, Third Place, 95th Cross Country
*In Spanish*
The results mirrored last year, with no Belizean rider finishing in the top three. Just like in 2024, the first Belizean to cross the finish line came in fourth place. This time, it was G-Flow Rider Derrick Chavarria, who was warmly embraced by Cycling Federation President Glenn Flowers at the finish line.
Derrick Chavarria
Derrick Chavarria, Fourth Place, 95th Cross Country
“Yeah, so I am fourth place and the strategy honestly we slip up the get somebody in that key break away around mile thirty-one and form there everything gone south. If we had a representative I would have been proud. But nonetheless we have to go back on the drawing board and start again for next year.”
Tropic Air released a statement after the incident, calling it a serious and unprecedented in-flight emergency. They praised the pilot’s heroic effort and extraordinary courage in safely landing the plane under intense pressure. Tropic Air expressed sympathy for the injured passengers and emphasized that safety is their top priority, with pilots undergoing rigorous training to handle any situation. The airline also thanked the Prime Minister, the Department of Civil Aviation, law enforcement, and medical teams for their swift response. Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa and Commissioner of Police Chester Williams visited the injured passengers at private healthcare facilities in Belize City. We spoke with Minister Musa.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“Myself and the commissioner visited the pilot, Mr. Howell Grange over at Health Care Partners a few minutes ago. Mr. Grange was undergoing a CT Scan to ensure that no organs was affected. He received stab wounds as well. We have two patients here at the Belize Medical Associates. Both are being treated at this time. Currently no serious impact to their organs as well. But they are badly injured. They have several stab wounds to the head and over the body. We had a chance to see them. They are in good spirit and we will continue to keep them in our prayers.”
The Belize Airports Authority issued a press release thanking all authorities involved and reassuring the public that safety and security are top priorities at municipal airstrips across the country. The BAA announced plans to enhance security protocols, including passenger bag checks and installing scanning equipment. It also clarified that these measures are part of a long-term strategy to improve safety standards across aerodromes, not a direct response to today’s incident. The hijacker on the Tropic Air flight managed to bring a knife on board, highlighting gaps in safety protocols at municipal airports.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“This is going to be something discussed intensely at the next National Security Council meeting. I know we have commenced dialogue in terms of looking at our internal flight security. The time has come for us to look at it more in depth and see what adjustments can be made. I am sure there is going to be input from the airport authority in this respect. It is a matter for the national security to see what is going to be done moving forward where security on these planes are concerned.”
Reporter
“So how lax is security at the Corozal Airstrip?”
Chester Williams
“I cannot say how lax it is. At this time I cannot say. I don’t think we have thatsystem where we do rigid search. It is only at the PGIA where you will have to go through a scanner to board a flight. At these airstrips there is not that kind of security. The time has come for us to look at having security measures at every airstrip onc e it is used for commercial purpose.”
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams praised all the agencies that responded to the hijacking, highlighting the pilot’s bravery. Williams noted that if the pilot had panicked, the outcome could have been very different.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“It is a matter of making sure we have proper command and control. I took command of the operation and guided what the police weas going to do, lasing with different counterparts, looking at the U.S. Embassy, the Coast Guard, the BDF, even the CEO in the prime minister’s office. My minister, I kept constant dialogue with him. It is to ensure we are all in sync in terms of what we do when have these incidents. At the end of the day, one slip can cause mayhem. So we have to ensure that whatever we do is done with the intent to create good and achieve good. I believe that all the agencies involved today did execute their functions properly and that is the reason why we have the results we have. And, I cannot forget the pilot. The pilot for that plane did an exception job, even in terms of his communication with the tower as this was unfolding. He remained calm and was extremely focused in terms of what he was going to do. Had he panicked it could have had a different outcome.”
A man is missing at sea near Tobacco Caye in Stann Creek after disappearing around eight PM on Tuesday night. Thirty-three-year-old Jeremy Mushlar was fishing in a dory with three others who were in a separate boat. When the others decided to head back because the fish weren’t biting, Mushlar chose to stay out longer. That was the last time he was seen. His younger sister, Kaia Mushlar, told News Five that while the family doesn’t want to judge anyone, the details they’ve received are inconsistent. She said they learned on Wednesday that Jeremy had been fishing at Tobacco Caye for four days until he vanished on Tuesday night.
Kaia Mushlar
Kaia Mushlar, Sister of Missing Man
“Jeremy went out to go fishing by himself Tuesday the 15th of April at approximately 8:00 p.m.. He was in a blue dory that did belong to his previous friend from Dangriga that was lately murdered on Ramos Road on the 23rd of March.”
Marion Ali
Who’s that?
Charles Bradley
Kaia Mushlar
“That would be Charles Bradley, also known as Short Man. So according to the information that we have received, Jeremy went out in the blue dory. He was, according to the three people who were in a boat that saw him out there, he was drinking and he was lying at the bottom of the dory and he was told three times by them that he was drifting and he told them that he still wanted to go ahead and stay out and try to catch some fish. Since the three in the big boat stated that fish weren’t biting, they went ahead and headed back to the caye. They then told us that around 11:00 p.m., they decided to go back and check on Jeremy and they went back to the same spot where they had last seen him, and they didn’t see him anywhere.”
Marion Ali
“Now these people, are they his friends? Are they his associates?”
Kaia Mushlar
“So, one of them is his girlfriend’s brother, and the next two are friends that live around the same area as him, his friends? Yes, that’s correct.”
Marion Ali
“Do you have any reason to believe that foul play was involved in his disappearance?”
Kaia Mushlar
“Well, I don’t really wanna say too much at this time, however, the details that we have been receiving have been very inconsistent. And we believe that something definitely fishy is happening and we just hope that we’re able to get to the bottom of this.”
Marion Ali
“The friend that was murdered just a month ago on Ramos Road, do you think that has anything to do with his disappearance?”
Kaia Mushlar
“Well, again, I don’t want really wanna say too much, but we had heard from sources that it was supposed to be Jeremy and him that were supposed to get shot that morning, that thanks to God, Jeremy wasn’t around him at that time, so he was the only one that unfortunately it happened to.”
Marion Ali
“And if that is the case, why would anybody want to hurt your brother?”
Kaia Mushlar
“Again, due to – we live way here in Belize City and he lives in Dangriga you know, we aren’t really around him much to see, you know, what he’s doing or to be a judge of that. However, as far as I’m concerned, my brother has never had any issues with the police, nothing like that. There was an incident a while ago that happened that my brother did end up in the hospital for that incident, and I just hope that it’s not that issue again.”
