The U.S. is seeking to strengthen relations with Central America and the Caribbean, and according to Eric Jacobstein, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Belize is a top priority in that endeavor. Jacobstein made the journey to Belize from Washington, D.C., to discuss matters such as international security, democratic governance, and migration with Belizean government officials. At the annual CARSI-E.S.F. award ceremony hosted in Belmopan today, he explained why he believes it is important to have these discussions between nations.
Eric Jacobstein, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Western Hemisphere Affairs
“It’s such an honor to be here in Belize with our fantastic ambassador, Michelle Kwan. And I would just say that Biden-Harris administration, our relationship with Belize is a top priority. We recognize Belize’s leadership on democracy in the region, its leadership on a number of issues, its recognition of Taiwan, its leadership in Haiti, on migration through the Los Angeles declaration process, on migration management. For me, it’s really an opportunity to check in with government leaders, have important conversations, and really demonstrate our strong support for the U.S. Belize partnership.”
The Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) has intensified its scrutiny of recent developments impacting the Board of Directors at One Caribbean Media (OCM), headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago.
In a statement released Thursday, the CBU, representing public service and independent media entities across the Dutch, English, French, and Spanish Caribbean, expressed grave concern over the Trinidad and Tobago government’s attempts to secure positions on OCM’s board through the National Investment Fund. This state entity holds OCM shares obtained during the government’s CLICO bailout.
CBU emphasized its interest, noting its membership, which includes several OCM Group media houses such as CCN-TV6 in Trinidad and Tobago and Starcom Network Inc. in Barbados. Beyond commercial ties, the CBU’s primary commitment is to safeguard the independence of Caribbean media, which is essential for democratic societies. The organization raised alarms, “It is of concern that despite the shareholders expressing their will during an election supervised by an audit firm the Government appears to be challenging the rejection of its nominated directors.”
“As a prominent media entity with services in many Caribbean countries and territories OCM is regionally influential. It is therefore vital that the organisation abides by the highest journalistic principles. It also needs to maintain the trust of the audiences it serves through its media outlets. ” the CBU stated. It cautioned that any insistence by the Trinidad and Tobago government to appoint two directors could jeopardize perceptions of OCM’s fairness and principled conduct.
The CBU urged all parties to engage in constructive dialogue to reach a resolution that upholds the Caribbean’s values of media freedom and transparent governance.
The Belize Red Cross is appealing to the Belizean public for donations to support ongoing recovery efforts in Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and the Cayman Islands following Hurricane Beryl. While Belize was spared, these Caribbean nations urgently need assistance.
Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 storm on record in the Atlantic Ocean, began impacting the region on July 1, 2024, devastating Barbados and subsequently causing severe damage in Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Jamaica. Homes, infrastructure, and essential services have been severely affected, with significant loss of life reported and thousands displaced.
Financial donations to aid these recovery efforts can be made to The Belize Red Cross Society’s Disaster Account #1082665 at Heritage Bank Limited. The appeal for assistance will remain open from July to November 2024, and international donations can be sent via wire transfer.
Leader of the Opposition Moses “Shyne” Barrow has issued a cease-and-desist letter through his attorney to Natania Reuben in the U.S. If that name sounds familiar, that is because Reuben is one of the victims of the infamous 1999 Club New York shooting. A few months back, Reuben released a video claiming that it was Sean “Diddy” Combs who shot her during the incident and not Moses “Shyne” Barrow. The Leader of the Opposition has embraced those remarks. But, on June first, a YouTube Channel published an interview with Reuben in which she made several claims against Barrow that he says are untrue and defamatory. In his four-page cease-and-desist letter Barrow maintains his innocence and denies that Reuben was the catalyst for his successful music career. He further clarified that no law exists in Belize stating that anyone convicted of a crime anywhere in the world can never be prime minister of Belize. We can confirm that such is the case. Reuben made several serious allegations against Barrow directed towards his character, source of funds and trips to the U.S. He has of course denied every single one of them. Reuben even suggested that Barrow drives a Maybach [pronounced may-back] in Belize. This of course we know to be false. But when questions pertaining to Reuben’s comments were posed to Barrow today, he threatened to sue any media house that dared to repeat her allegation. Here is how that played out.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“I have a lawsuit right here and I will share the lawsuit with all of the media, suing her for defamation so everything that she has said is defamatory and I will share the lawsuit with the media, and I will take it from there. If you insist on repeating it, we will send letters to all the media houses.”
Paul Lopez
“I note that there are several publications that have ran this story, are you suing them as well?”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Yes, we have already sent out letters to everybody on Facebook that have repeated defamatory comments and sent letters to Ms. Ruben and the media entity that was recorded.”
Paul Lopez
“That is to say that you categorically deny everything she alleges.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Defamatory means it is dishonest, so yes.”
Paul Lopez
“This is fair play in that you have piggybacked on her comments clearing your name.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Did she change that?”
Paul Lopez
“She maintains that.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“That is, it and anything else is a lie and the U.S Courts will deal with it. If anybody feels strongly they want to share the information, the Belize court will deal with it.”
Paul Lopez
“You see the conflict here though, on one hand she is telling the truth and is a reliable source and on the other hand she is being defamatory and spewing lies.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Was I the one that brought her up?”
Paul Lopez
“It was a question posed to you.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Was I the one that call a press briefing to say that this is the one who said so and so?”
Paul Lopez
“You are the one that calls your press briefing?”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“My press briefing is to deal with national matters as the leader of the opposition. I did not bring that matter into it and if the gentle man asks a question. He asked a question in an attempt to be disparaging to me and bring me down and I told him what I got from it. Do I drive a Maybach.”
Paul Lopez
“I don’t think I have seen a Maybach in Belize.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Exactly, but I was not using it for any leverage because I don’t need to. I have been elected to the House of Representatives. Everyone knows my story and what I have been through so there is no surprise there. The fact that someone who said I did something twenty-seven years ago comes out now and says I didn’t do it that is newsworthy but whether she is credible or not, that does not matter in Belize because that ship has already sailed. I have been elected as an area representative, a party leader and we continue. So I don’t think it has any consequence.”
Today, approximately one hundred dignitaries from across the region gathered in Belize to share knowledge on how to improve aviation security and facilitation. This meeting was facilitated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which hosted the Twelfth Annual North American, Central American and Caribbean Directors of Civil Aviation Meeting. In his keynote address, Prime Minister John Briceño, shared his hopes for the outcome of the conference and explains that it is a necessary step towards improving the aviation industry across regions.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“In looking forward, it is imperative that we focus on key areas that are vital for the sustainable development and security of our aviation sector. Aviation security and facilitation stand at the forefront of our discussions as we strive to ensure the safety and efficiency of air travel within our region. By sharing best practices and collaborating on innovative solutions, we can enhance our collective efforts in safeguarding our skies and protecting our passengers. Furthermore, effective implementation of ICAO’s standard and recommended practices is essential for harmonizing aviation regulations and procedures across the Americas. By working together to overcome the challenges and barriers to compliance, we can strengthen our aviation systems and promote seamless connectivity within the region. Gender equality is another critical issue that we must address in our discussion. And gender equality is not only in aviation industries but across countries. For instance, like us in Belize, that we are probably more than 40 percent of women that are not working. And you could imagine if we could harness the that workforce, bring them into the workforce, how much more productivity we can have as a country, as a region, even in the world at large. So it’s important for us to be able to try to have more gender equality. Of course, the issue of sustainable aviation, again, challenges to the connectivity.”
After days of preparation, Belize was spared from the impact of Hurricane Beryl as it bypassed the country on its path through the Yucatan Peninsula. The hurricane made landfall in Mexico, as a category two storm, however, it began as a category five, and was the first ever to be recorded in the month of June. On Monday, Beryl ripped through the southeast Caribbean, devastating islands such as Saint Vincent, Grenada, and Jamaica. In a message from the Secretary General, Doctor Carla Banett explained that CARICOM member states have come together and are providing urgent support to each other as they seek to recover. On Thursday, CARICOM celebrated the fifty-first anniversary of its formation. This year’s commemoration underlined the community’s desire for continued partnerships and willingness to assist in times of need. Doctor Barnett further stressed the importance of keeping to climate change commitments as the early formation and intensity of Beryl indicate the warming of the sea’s impacts on the region. Barnett concluded by reiterating the community’s objective, stating, “together, we will build on the gains of regional integration, address the challenges of recovery and sustainable economic growth and development, and shape an inclusive, resilient and thriving Community for all.”
Labour has achieved a landslide victory in the UK general election. The new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, promised to guide the nation towards “calmer waters” in his inaugural address. Starmer is now assembling his cabinet and has appointed the UK’s first-ever female finance minister.
Sir Keir Starmer is the UK’s new prime minister following a landslide general election victory by the Labour Party. The Conservative Party suffered a dramatic collapse after 14 years in power, losing 250 seats in a devastating night. Outgoing PM Rishi Sunak accepted responsibility for the result and announced his upcoming resignation as party leader.
In his first speech as prime minister, Sir Keir vowed to lead a “government of service” and initiate a period of “national renewal,” emphasising the need to address insecurity and promising immediate work on change.
Labour won 412 seats, the Conservatives dropped to 121, and the Liberal Democrats secured 71 seats. Reform UK and the Green Party each gained four seats. Labour’s success was partly due to the collapse of the Scottish National Party, which fell to nine seats.
On Wednesday, we spoke with a Belizean student in Jamaica just before Hurricane Beryl impacted the island with category four strength winds. We heard from Brianney Smith earlier today, following the passage of the storm. She is doing well but says that many of the main roads in Jamaica are impassable, while several homes have been destroyed. She told us about the unpleasant experience she had weathering a category four hurricane.
Brianney Smith
Brianney Smith, Belizean Student
“The experience was kind of scary. My shutters were not able to fully close so for me that was kind of frightening. Luckily I have my dad at home and I gave him a call. He helped me to figure out a way to get it shut. I was able to manage that. I would the say the wind and the rain rattling all of the shutters and you can hear, you cant really see outside because the rain and breeze and all kind of things were flooding the window. So, it was a scary experience and it was for hours on end. So just when you think it was slowing down a little bit the wind and the rain and everything just picked up back. The scariest part for me was when it hit nighttime and you cannot see anything outside and you hope that what is happening isn’t too devastating. It transitioned from just wind and rain to thunder and lighting and wind and rain, and it is the kind of thunder that rattles everything inside. Thank God the worst of it is over and that the damage to campus was not that great. Based on what I heard and what I have seen and the images coming into me, I have some friends from Saint Elizabeth that have been really devastated, all of, it is a coastal community, all of their wooden houses, their taches. They has up some taches and everything complete destroyed. A lot of their fruit trees, all of their roofs have just been dismantled by the storm. So my thoughts and prayers goes out to everybody in Saint Elizabeth specifically and all the other communities that have been devastated by the storm.”
Jamaica felt the fury of Hurricane Beryl as it made landfall as a category four hurricane just after midday. The storm continues to batter Jamaica with powerful winds and torrential rains. The Government of Jamaica declared a curfew from six a.m. to six p.m. today. Approximately one hour before Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Jamaica, we spoke with one Belizean student currently pursuing a graduate degree in the island nation. Brianney Smith decided to weather the hurricane inside her dormitory at the University of the West Indies. Here is what she told us.
Brianney Smith
Brianney Smith, Belizean Student
“Since this morning it morning it has just been constant rain. It gets lighter and then it gets harder but it doesn’t completely stop. There has not been much winds since much this morning. but as of the past ten to fifteen minutes there has been a pickup of winds. The traffic on a regular day is kind of bad, but it has just been crazy with everybody filling up the supermarkets, everybody trying to get their last-minute supplies. But I would say everybody is in a state of slight panic because for a lot of people it is their first hurricane as adults and for a lot of them it is the first hurricane of this magnitude since they can remember. So, I would so everybody is in a slight panic, myself as well. For the most part I am relatively safe because I live on the sixth floor of my building and my room comes with shutters and my windows are shutter proof. But I have also been taking little precautions, moving my furniture away from the window where water and anything can seep in. I have been stacking up on my nonperishables, making sure my devices are charged, ensuring I have data on my p[hone in the event that power goes out. Kingston on a regular basis has water issues so I can only imagine what is to come. So I have been trying to fill up any empty bottle I have in my apartment to ensure that if water does go away I have enough to last me for at last two to three days. It is a bit scary especially because I am weathering the storm alone but I have to say I am very grateful for my friends and family in Belize and Jamaica that knows my situation that have been checking on me routinely, asking for the latest update and ensuring that I feel supported at this time. I would say across the island a lot of people are fearful of the damage it could do to their roofs, because water is one thing but water and wind at the same time, uncontrollable is another. So for me I think that my building is able to withstand at least the rain. I am not too sure about how it is going to hold up against the wind and when branches start breaking and projectiles get in the wind. I am not too sure how it will hold up against that but for the most part I am pretty safe.”
B.S.C.F.A. Committee of Management Vice Chair, Alfredo Ortega told us earlier that around seventeen hundred canefarmers in the north have suffered losses so far by the flood waters, which represents roughly twenty-five percent of all canefarmers from Orange Walk and Corozal. The B.S.F.C.A. official is in Guadalajara, Mexico for a workshop on agro-science. Ortega will be back on Wednesday, as the workshop has been shortened because of the approaching Hurricane Beryl. He explained to us that the session is mainly to share information about products that could be beneficial for the farmers across the board.
Alfredo Ortega, Vice Chairman, Committee of Management, B.S.C.F.A.
“It’s more products that could be beneficial for the cane farming community, not only cane farming, but also all the agriculture sector, because these products that they are presenting to us right now are products that are really friendly with the environment. They’re mostly enriched with organic production, so they are more environmentally friendly and we’re seeing that if we start to use those products, then we can have better yields with the same varieties we have. And also our vegetable farmers or our green farmers can really benefit to have a better use in their production of the different vegetables that we can plant.”
