Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams is on a mission to improve the Belize Police Department. As part of this endeavor, on Tuesday, he traveled to New York to attend a conference hosted by the United Nations which will discuss several law enforcement improvement strategies. We spoke with Williams today to hear what topics will be covered during the conference.
Britney Gordon
“So if you would be able to provide an update about the conference that you’re attending right now?”
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I’m at the U.N. in New York, attending the United Nations Chief of Police Conference. And the conference is focused on different types of crime. Looking at environmental crime. We also be looking at interviewing and interrogation of suspects. We’ve been looking at gender within law enforcement. We’ll be looking at peacekeeping missions and we’ll be also looking at gang violence, firearm issues. And then we do have some bilateral meetings with different countries where I will see how we can solicit support in the form of training to be able to train our officers back home?”
Belize has maintained its Tier 2 status on the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report for 2024. According to the report, the Government of Belize does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The release notes that the government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period. As a result, Belize remained on Tier 2. Among the achievements listed in the report is the conviction of two traffickers, as well as the continued prosecution of five alleged traffickers. The U.S. Department of State also commended the Government of Belize for identifying more victims and increasing investigations. The report, however, notes that the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. It says quote, “Belize did not adequately address official complicity in trafficking crimes nor initiate any new prosecutions. The government did not take adequate measures to screen Cuban medical workers, People’s Republic of China nationals, or Indian workers for indicators of trafficking. It also did not adequately oversee labor recruitment or train its diplomats”, unquote. A release from the Government of Belize says that the Tier 2 ranking acknowledges Belize’s substantial efforts to comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
The Mundo Maya is a region that includes parts of five countries in Central America, including Belize where the Maya civilization once flourished. In 1992, these five countries came together to establish the Mundo Maya Organization to develop the region’s cultural value and promote it to tourists. The Ministry of Tourism took on the presidency of the Mundo Maya organization in January. This week, the ministry is hosting delegates from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala for strategic planning sessions. These delegates will also be participating in the National Institute of Culture and History’s annual archeological symposium set to begin on Wednesday in San Ignacio. We stopped in at the strategic planning session here in Belize City where we spoke with Nicole Solano the C.E.O in the Ministry of Tourism, as well as Honduras’ Vice Minister of Tourism.
Nicole Solano
Nicole Solano, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Tourism
“As you know, archaeology is an important part of the tourism product. We work all the time closely with the institute to make sure we can develop those sites with tourism infrastructure and for the tourism product. So we continue to work along with them. the symposium begins tomorrow and that will run Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. But, our Mundo Maya delegates will actually do presentations in the afternoon tomorrow so they will be talking about tourism best practices and a number of things. The idea of Mundo Maya is to have regional integration where we come together behind the common product of the Maya history and heritage. So we are talking not only of the archaeological sites. You have Chicen Itza in Mexico, Tikal in Guatemala, Copan in Honduras, in Belize we have Characol as one of our large sites.”
Reizel Vilorio
Reizel Vilorio, Vice Minister of Tourism, Honduras
“We have important cities in the Mayan culture. We have Copan which are really important and attractive for tourism around the world. Honduras has two main products which is the coral reef, we are with Belize, we have the second largest barrier reef in the world. And, we have the Maya heritage which we have focus on Copan. But it is really important because people of different countries love knowing and getting to learn about cultures. They want to come to our countries and see what we have. As we have a product in common with all these five countries it is important we develop multi-destination packages so that tourists can travel around these destinations and see what we have in the lower cost and the longer stays.”
Belize has long agreed to send a team of law enforcement officers to Haiti to assist the nation in its efforts to restore citizen security. That team is yet to be deployed. So, what is the hold up? Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca says Belize remains committed but important funding and logistical details remain outstanding.
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“Belize remains committed to participating in the MSSM mission, but there are still a few outstanding issues that has to be finalized. The funding, I keep making this point, the funding of the mission is critically important. All the funds have not been sourced as yet. But we are glad to hear that countries have been stepping up, United States, Canada, France are all saying they will contribute more. So this is not just a Belize issue. All CARICOM is saying that they will contribute more. This is not just a Belize issue. The entire CARICOM is concerned about the mission. And, also the very important issue of the logistics of the organization of the mission. We need to have a very clear exit strategy. We cannot send our soldiers in on a mission where we don’t have a clear exit strategy. What will they be doing in Haiti? We need to be very clear on that, what roles will they be performing? But we are very happy that progress has been made. CARICOM has been at the forefront of this issue. We now have in place a prime minister, interim prime minister in Haiti. The transitional council is still in place. So, I think we are hoping that over the next few months we can see greater level of stability in Haiti and eventually free and fair elections.”
There is quite a bit of division among Belizeans over the fact that the Ministry of Natural Resources is scheduled to hold a land clinic in California for Belizeans living in the diaspora. The argument is whether Belizeans living abroad should be afforded such a service when many Belizeans at home are still working to own a piece of land. We note that over the last couple of years, the Government of Belize has hosted numerous land clinics in each district across the country. We asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs for his thoughts on this ongoing conversation.
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“I will not be there, but I understand the deputy prime minister and the prime minister should attend. I really, to be honest, don’t know much about it. It is being organized by an organization in L.A, not by the ministry of Diaspora Affairs or Foreign Affairs. They got directly in contact with the DPM, and he had facilitated their request. We have provided whatever support the deputy and the prime minister has asked of us.”
Paul Lopez
“Should Belizean living in the diaspora receive this type of service?”
Francis Fonseca
“Yeah, I think people differ on this point. I think it is fair and many Belizeans living in the U.S. have expressed an interest in wanting to come home and contribute to Belize after retirement. In think that is the context which the deputy prime minister is looking at it. Many of them are saying we want to come back home but we don’t have land. We want to build our home, but we don’t have land. We have been saving while working here in the U.S. We have we lee pension. We want to put it back into Belize, but we need land. That is a legitimate point of view and the deputy prime minister, and his team wanted to facilitate. We want to encourage Belizeans to come back home, especially those who have retired with some expertise, extra money, savings. We want them to come back and invest in Belize and participate in the growth and development of Belize.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in North Korea to meet with its leader, Kim Jong Un, signaling the deepening alignment between the two countries. This visit marks Putin’s first to North Korea since 2000 and is notable as he has made few overseas trips since invading Ukraine in 2022.
The visit aims to strengthen the partnership between Russia and North Korea, founded on their shared hostility towards the West and driven by Russia’s need for munitions for its war in Ukraine.
Putin’s itinerary includes signing a new strategic partnership agreement with Kim, replacing previous agreements from 1961, 2000, and 2001. The visit is being closely watched globally, especially by the US and South Korea, who have accused North Korea of supplying military aid to Russia. Both countries deny these claims.
Following North Korea, Putin will visit Vietnam, underlining Russia’s ties with another communist-governed nation, which is likely to unsettle the United States. Putin’s trip also comes amid high tensions on the Korean peninsula and ongoing international concern about North Korea’s military ambitions.
This visit reciprocates Kim’s trip to Russia last year and is seen as an opportunity for Putin to bolster support for his war in Ukraine. It also provides a platform for both leaders to demonstrate their defiance against Western pressure and sanctions.
At 700 AM CDT (1200 UTC), the disturbance was about 355 miles (575 km) east-southeast of La Pesca, Mexico. The system is moving toward the north near 6 mph (9 km/h). A gradual turn toward the west-northwest and west is expected is expected tonight and Wednesday, and the system is likely to approach the western Gulf coast late Wednesday. Maximum sustained winds remain near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts.
Some increase in strength is likely during the next 36 hours, and the disturbance is forecast to become a tropical storm by Wednesday. It has a high (80 percent) chance of formation during the next 48 hours and the next 7 days.
The disturbance is quite large with tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 290 miles (465 km) to the northeast of the center.
RAINFALL: Potential Tropical Cyclone One is expected to produce rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches across northeast Mexico into South Texas, with maximum totals of 15 inches possible. This rainfall will likely produce flash and urban flooding along with new and renewed river flooding. Mudslides are also possible in areas of higher terrain across northeast Mexico.
STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…
As part of the year-long celebration of the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) 50th anniversary, rum producers across the region are set to present specially curated 50th Anniversary Rum Blends to CARICOM governments. These contributions from the rum industry will mark the culmination of a year-long celebration of CARICOM’s 50th anniversary. Producers from all rum-producing CARICOM Member States, a total of thirteen, which are also members of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA), will showcase their products to national governments during the month of June. The thirteen distilleries involved include:
Mount Gay Distilleries (Barbados)
Demerara Distillers (Guyana)
Suriname Alcoholic Beverages (Suriname)
Angostura (Trinidad and Tobago)
West Indies Rum Distillery (Barbados)
Saint Lucia Distillers (Saint Lucia)
Belfast Estate – Dominica (Dominica)
Antigua Distillery (Antigua)
Grenada Distillers (Grenada)
Travellers Liquors (Belize)
Watlings Distillery (Bahamas)
National Rums of Jamaica (Jamaica)
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Distillers (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)123.
The products being showcased by regional rum producers will be distributed to CARICOM Member States, with some products available for sale in local markets. Several of the special edition rums are unique blends that will only be available for this purpose and in very limited quantities.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is aiding Central American nations by sharing advanced techniques and technologies to bolster their agricultural, livestock, aquaculture, and fisheries sectors.
To facilitate the safe importation of cattle from Belize to Mexico for immediate slaughter and terminal fattening, thereby strengthening the domestic industry’s raw material supply, the agriculture ministries of both countries are developing a sanitary control mechanism. This mechanism aims to ensure the cattle are free from pests and diseases of quarantine significance.
Currently, Mexico imports around five thousand certified cattle annually from Orange Walk County, Belize, under an existing import protocol validated by the Central American health authority.
The updated protocol seeks to include more certified producers from Belize. These producers must demonstrate through clinical tests that their cattle are free from bovine tuberculosis (Tb), brucellosis (Br), and ticks and pass a sanitary inspection conducted by Mexican veterinarians.
In a meeting with Belize’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise, José Abelardo Mai, and the Belizean ambassador to Mexico, Oscar Lorenzo Arnold, Javier Calderón Elizalde, head director of the National Agro-alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality Service, highlighted the shared cultural ties, friendship, and sanitary challenges between the two nations, noting that pests do not respect borders.
Elizalde emphasised that Senasica’s mission is to protect agri-food production and facilitate the trade of healthy and safe products for national supply, building bridges rather than closing borders.
Agriculture supports small and medium-scale producers in Central America by sharing techniques and technologies that enhance their agricultural, livestock, aquaculture, and fisheries development.
The meeting also addressed the cattle screwworm threat in Panama and Costa Rica, which poses a risk to regional livestock. Health authorities are urged to collaborate and allocate resources to prevent the insect’s northward spread. Mexico has proposed a pest eradication plan to the International Regional Organisation for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA) to halt its advance before it reaches Nicaragua.
The General Coordination of International Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture reaffirmed the priority of its relationship with Belize, committing ongoing support from the ministry’s technical and scientific institutions to their Central American counterparts.
Minister José Abelardo Mai highlighted that Belize, with over 5,400 livestock producers, primarily small-scale, sees livestock exports as a key opportunity for community development. He noted improvements in Belize’s livestock sector through the acquisition of Mexican stallions, better grass varieties, and infrastructure investments.
Mai also acknowledged the significant contributions of the National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural, and Livestock Research (INIFAP) in boosting the production of soybeans, soursop, coconut, and pitahaya in Belize.
On the topic of cattle screwworm, Mai, a veteran of eradication efforts 30 years ago, announced plans for an awareness campaign and a fund to support regional health initiatives.
The meeting was attended by key officials, including Senasica’s general director of Animal Health, Juan Gay Gutiérrez, and of Plant and Animal Health Inspection, Jorge Luis Leyva Vázquez, as well as Belizean representatives such as the director of the Citrus Revitalization and Diversification Programme, Hugh O’Brien, the general director of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), Zoe Zetina, and BAHA’s director of Animal Health, Roxanna Álvarez.
Hunter Biden, the eldest living son of the US president, was found guilty on all three felony counts related to purchasing a handgun while being a user of crack cocaine. The verdict came after a weeklong trial in Wilmington, Delaware, featuring intense testimony about his addiction from close relatives. Biden chose not to testify in his defense.
The jury reached its verdict after three hours of deliberation over two days. Hunter Biden received the verdict in court, supported by family members including the first lady, Jill Biden.
President Joe Biden responded, saying, “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.
Hunter Biden faces a potential maximum sentence of 25 years, although this is more than expected for a first-time offender. No sentencing date has been set.
The Trump campaign called the trial “nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family.”
Hunter Biden was charged with making false statements on a form to buy a Colt revolver in October 2018 by stating he was not addicted to drugs and then illegally owning the gun for 11 days before his sister-in-law, Hallie Biden, disposed of it.
