In that same release issued by the Government of Belize earlier this month, it was also announced that Belize Rural South Area Representative Andre Perez would be returning to Cabinet as Minister of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management. The news came after several months of Perez being sidelined from government following a sex scandal including a female attorney. So what became of an investigation into the matter? When asked about the inquiry led by the attorney general, the PM opted not to touch on the controversial issue.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I really don’t want to go into that. A lot of that has been said. I don’t want to go into a back and forth with Ms. Auxillou. What I can tell you is that anybody could have made any report to the attorney general and nobody did.”
Reporter
“But was there actually an investigation…”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I said nobody did. The investigation was that no laws were broken. You could question the judgment of the person, but no laws were broken that came to light. Nobody went to the attorney general and said here is any evidence. Next question…”
Reporter
“And so it wasn’t determined that the minister did not offer things that he shouldn’t have to this woman.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“As I said, nothing came to attention, no evidence. The point of [it all], I think the point that you all are missing is that Minister Perez went into his constituency and he worked hard and for this municipal election, he… For this election, he, along with the mayor, Wally Nunez, they won by the largest margin ever in the history of San Pedro.”
The housing budget is arguably the smallest allocation in this year’s fiscal plan. But is the Briceño administration considering an increase in the expenditure set aside for the construction of new houses across the country?
Reporter
“Is there any potential that the housing budget would be increased via supplementary? People have complained how minor it is.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Well let’s put it this way, it’s way better than what the UDP were doing. I mean, the UDP, they built no homes and so far we have built going to close to four hundred homes and that’s what you need to look at. What is it that we’re getting for. The UDP voted for eight million dollars every year and no houses were being built. So we are building houses. Yes, we said we want to do more but we have to do with what we have. We are still looking around to see if we can get cheap long-term funding and we’re working on that. Should we get that then obviously we are going to make it available for housing.”
Last month, the stevedores who are members of the Christian Workers’ Union turned out at their job site at the Port of Belize Limited to state their discontent with the government and the port on two main issues. They wanted fair and immediate compensation from the government after bulk sugar stopped going to that port for export and was instead channeled through the Big Creek Port. That meant that the stevedores lost earnings from that shipment. They also wanted the port to sit with them to come up with a Collective Bargaining Agreement. Today President of the C.W.U., Leonora Flowers told News Five that while the government has paid up one point six million dollars to the stevedores in compensation, the C.B.A. is still pending with the port and being worked on over the next few weeks. But aside from that, there is one other concern she shared with us.
Via phone: Leonora Flowers, President, C.W.U.
“What we agreed also in that those last days were to move was to move with the discussion on the new negotiations of the CBA, and so we are getting into those as in the next couple of weeks. Actually, we are waiting for the date to be set so we can agree on the days. As it relates to sugar money, there is no more contention with Port of Belize and the Government of Belize. That is a done deal. What is of a bother to us right now, and a serious one, is the fact that the 2nd of July 2020, 35 of our members were terminated and that 35 were members who were adamant and outspoken and who were the more boisterous of our members who headed the union representation, the chiefs and so forth. And so when they were singled out, we believe they were targeted because of their affiliation with the union and the role they played in keeping our members hyped up when there was something to see at all times. And so we took that matter to the Labour Complaints Tribunal. Before that, the Labour Complaints Tribunal did not even exist. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Labour had to implement that tribunal because of the need. And that has been 4 years now, and we have not gotten a resolution on that matter. As late as last year, October, November, we submitted, we made written submissions, or members did their testimonials, as the tribunal panel had requested. And to date, Marion, there has not been a response. And it’s very unnerving to think that a group of people will get a task accept the task, accept their nomination on the panel, and still be unable to present what is their findings and come to a resolution. One thing we know, we have been going into the tribunal procedure in quite detail, and we were told you don’t have to be called, you can be carried forward. Procedures say that you don’t have to be called to a hearing, but in this specific instance, we believe that we are to be heard because we’re making allegations against the court to say that there was evidence, there is evidence of union busting, and we believe that the tribunal owes a responsibility to delve into those matters and to come up with what the reason, reasonable man would do. See as union-busting because we believe it is and we believe our kids have merit.”
The Caribbean Court of Justice today heard an appeal concerning a ruling handed down by Belize’s Court of Appeal back in March 2023. The appellants in the matter are the Attorney General and the Minister of Natural Resources and the respondent is Primrose Gabourel. Viewers may recall that back in 2017, the Government of Belize compulsorily acquired the Buttonwood Bay property. In 2023 the court of appeal ruled that Primrose Gabourel is entitled to over one million dollars in full and fair compensation. The appellants are now seeking to set aside that Court of Appeal decision. As we said, the matter was heard today before the CCJ. The Appellants are being represented by Samantha Matute while Godfrey Smith appeared on behalf of the respondents. Here is some of how that played out.
Samantha Matute
Samantha Matute, Assistant Solicitor General
“The fixed date claim that was filed, if your honor takes a look at the number one relief that is being sought, it says that the respondents is actually seeking damages for violation of the claimants rights under section seventeen of the Belize constitution to protection from depravation from its property, except by or under law by the unlawful taking of approximately one point three five acres of the claimant property. In response to this fixed date form an affidavit was filed on behalf of the appellants. In that affidavit there were certain admissions that would have been made and one of those been the compulsory acquisition of the respondents property and this would have occurred in February of 2007 and in addition to that admission being made, there was the admission that the government was ready to establish the land assessment board to make a determination of what would have been the just compensation due to the respondent.”
Godfrey Smith
Godfrey Smith, Attorney for Respondents
“If the appellant’s appeal fails then this court affirms the judgement of the Court of Appeal will consequentially flow or perhaps this court can decide that it can do the valuation itself.”
The matter was adjourned for the CCJ to make a decision on the matter.
If you are a coconut lover then you probably have tried this Belizean coconut sweet treat, tableta. Different people approach the recipe in their unique ways. But the primary ingredients of tableta are coconut flakes, ginger, and sugar. It is one of those cultural sweets that Belizeans enjoy as a dessert or simply to satisfy a craving. The preparation process has been passed down from generations and it still lives on. In tonight’s episode of Kolcha Tuesday, News Five’s Paul Lopez travelled to Sand Hill Village to learn how to make tableta from one resident who learned the recipe from her mother more than four decades ago. Here is that story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Sharon Louise Leslie splits wood for her fire hearth. This is the first step in the process to make tableta, a Belizean coconut sweet.
Sharon Leslie
Sharon Leslie, Entrepreneur
“Ah the chop the wood now to light the fire so we could start to make the tableta right.”
She sources pine wood from land in Sand Hill Village where she has lived since childhood. Leslie was ten years old when her mother first taught her how to make tableta.
Sharon Leslie
“Because my mom the do and we the help her. I dah mih the oldest gial for my mah.”
Paul Lopez
“And at that time did you see it as a chore or was it fun?”
Sharon Leslie
“As fun, because mommy the do something and we the help out. Like when we use to make cake, we never had mixer. You have your bucket and you stir.”
The wood is lit, and the first step is complete. The fire hearth is Leslie’s preferred method for cooking tableta.
Sharon Leslie
“The stove is too small because sometimes I have to make a big amount. This lady would say, I need sixty dollars’ worth. I can’t put those on the stove and ih wah tek to long.”
Leslie places a huge cast iron pot over the fire and ensures that it is thoroughly clean.
Sharon Leslie
“Yo wah sih this pot when I finish with it, because yo have some people, once the tableta finish there is nothing in this pot.”
Paul Lopez
“And that is how you do yours.”
Sharon Leslie
“Right.”
Paul Lopez
“Now you put yourself to the test, because you give me a promise. Ah have to sih if dah thing real.”
For this recipe, Leslie grates three coconuts. She is very particular about the types of coconuts she uses in her product.
Sharon Leslie
“We nuh use dry coconut, it have to be half green coconut, yo grater it. The main ingredient and the white sugar, nuh brown sugar white. Because, some people do mek it with brown. I don’t know, from I the mek, I the use white not brown. From my mom teach me then.”
After the grating, Leslie pours her white sugar into the heated cast iron pot. This process requires constant stirring to prevent the sugar from burning while it melts over the fire. When she wants to increase the heat, Leslie adds more wood. Similarly, to decrease the temperature, she removes wood from the fire. After ten minutes, the sugar is completely melted.
Sharon Leslie
“Now we are going to add the trash to it…”
Leslie takes a break from stirring to grate a piece of ginger that she adds to the pot closer to the end of the cooking process. She has passed down these skills to her two daughters to keep the tradition alive. But she says that they prefer steering clear of the fire hearth and working their eight-to-five jobs. Her twelve-year-old grandson assists her when he is off from school.
Sharon Leslie
“Yo got some people weh deh gwen dah states today, deh wah call me from eena the week and seh Ms Leslie I need wah forty dollars tableta and a thirty dollars cutup brut fih ker. Deh wah inform me ahead of time to get the coconut prepared to make it.”
Soon after the cooking process is complete, Leslie transfers the tableta onto a flat wooden surface to cool down. She flattens out the finished product with her hands and cup.
Sharon Leslie
“We done smooth it off now we wah leff it fih cool fih bout twenty minutes then we will slice, and you guys can have your taste.”
Paul Lopez
“Watch so the pot just as clean as Ms Louise said it would be, so you could tek ah at it world.”
Now it is time for the taste test, though the tableta required a bit more time to cool down.
Paul Lopez
“Original tableta, straight from the fire hearth the way your granny use to do it. Ms Leslie, mein, yo can’t beat this. I the tell yo that.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez
Sharon Leslie can be reached on her Facebook page at Louise Leslie or by phone at six-two-five-two-seven-six.
In March 2024, four representatives from various Belizean organizations journeyed to America to participate in the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative. This program was launched by the U.S. Department of State in 2015, with the mission to empower emerging entrepreneurs and business leaders from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. This year, over two hundred and sixty entrepreneurs spent four weeks with various U.S. organizations nationwide. News Five’s Britney Gordon spoke with two of these participants today, to learn more about the experience. Here’s that story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
The Leaders of the Americas Initiative is a five-week program for entrepreneurs, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In this annual fellowship, nearly three hundred promising leaders from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada travel to the United States to expand their leadership and entrepreneurial skills and network through skills-building workshops and opportunities to learn from and exchange with U.S. counterparts. YLAI states that participants are selected via a competitive application process. We spoke with Iniki Zuniga, owner of Aesthetics Marketing Solutions in Belize, who was a participant in this year’s event.
Britney Gordon
“What is it that you do while a part of this program?
“We basically get to be partnered with another organization that is similar to ours so that we can learn. First of all, they ask us what is the major problem of our business. For me, it was scaling and expansion. So they found a company that was already in the process of scaling and expanding. And that way I could witness how they are doing it. And from there, I feel like I’m more equipped now to scale and expand my business here in Belize.”
Zuniga explained that he had previously applied for the fellowship in 2015, when it was first launched but was not selected. This year, he decided to try again as he is now doing business full-time, and his application was approved. He said that his program started off in Houston before moving over to Utah and finishing in Washington D.C.
Iniki Zuniga
“The main takeaway is sharing your business and networking helps a lot because now I have a lot more opportunities. And also, now I have a lot more resources that I could get, that I could use to expand and help my business. If I was offered to do it again, I’d definitely do it again. The program is very helpful, very useful and very beneficial to anybody that would join.”
Also participating in the program was Javier Saqui, owner of Ya’axkin Butterfly Farm in Maya Center, Stann Creek. Saqui explained that he applied for the program after a colleague from the Department of Youth Services reached out to him about the opportunity.
Javier Saqui
Javier Saqui, Owner, Ya’axkin Butterfly Farm
“So Youn Leaders of the America’s initiative is it’s an exchange program. It connects young entrepreneurs from the Caribbean, Central and South America to US companies and organizations. And they will place you with companies and organizations that align with your business. For example, in my case, I’m a butterfly farmer. I do butterfly farming. So they placed me with Butterfly Wonderland. It’s a butterfly conservatory in the United States, and it is the largest butterfly Conservatory in the United States. I’m very fortunate enough to work with the director side by side to teach me how to develop my business more.”
Much like Zuniga, Saqui stated that one of the challenges his company faces is expansion and through the program, he was able to learn how to overcome that. Another aspect of the program that Saqui enjoyed was the cultural exchange between other participants and friendships he was able to foster.
Javier Saqui
“I think the best part of the experience was connecting with the other fourteen fellows that was placed with me in Phoenix, Arizona. So they were from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. And we made long life friendships. We became a family and we connected so much. I know I have friends from different parts of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. So to me, that was the best part of the experience, the bond that we created. So, I think it’s a life changing experience for me, like I said, so when I came back, I have a different mindset now. I’m not the same person when I left. So when I came back, I am motivated more than ever to develop my business and to look for more opportunities. One of the things we also found is we found a market for our butterflies in the United States with Butterfly Wonderland. So there were some species that they’re very interested in and now we’re starting to work on those species. We’re starting to farm them so we can export them to the United States to Butterfly Wonderland. So other people get to see the Belize butterflies there and they learn which country they come from and part of the country they come from.”
Former Bad Boy recording artist Shyne Barrow has broken his silence in the wake of a recent sex scandal that involves Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Allegations have been brought against the well-known music mogul by a record producer who worked on Diddy’s latest release. In the wake of those claims, a victim of the December 1999 shooting inside Club New York came forward via a social media video during which she asserted that she was shot by Diddy and not rapper Shyne. Barrow served almost a decade in prison after being convicted of the shooting, despite maintaining his innocence. Today, he finally spoke about the allegations made by producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, as well as the supporting claims made by shooting victim Natania Reuben.
Shyne Barrow
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“It opens wounds when you hear, you know, the victim saying that, you know, it was Diddy that shot her… and that was triggered by a lawsuit from a producer that produced on the Love Album who is making accusations and in those accusations, he says that the gentleman confessed to the shooting. And that is what stands out to me the most because, you know, I’ve done my best to put it behind me and to move forward. But it certainly reopens the wounds that I’ve been saying this all along, everyone knew all along that I was the fall guy. But my political enemies and, you know, detractors try to make me into, you know, this criminal. But everyone knew that I was a young kid that took the fall. Everyone knew that, that was the story. I’m just saying that I maintained my innocence all this time. I said I was defending myself, I didn’t get into who did what, but the victim is telling you who did what and I understand that there are other witnesses. I’m not going to get into that, but it does open wounds and certainly I am relieved that people are saying what the truth is, that I did not shoot those people. I maintain that I never shoot nobody, that there were other guns there. I’ve always said that, that has not changed and that is the testimony that came out. Fragments were never removed so there was never any forensic testing to say who it was, but the victims are vindicating me. Witnesses are vindicating me, but I have moved on, I am not trying to relive that. And so, I am appreciative of whatever contributions that Diddy has made to help the people of Belize. I wish him well and I pray for him, and I pray for the alleged victims and if it is true, may justice be served and if it’s not, it’s a tragedy because a global icon would have been destroyed.”
The first time many of us got to know of Joseph Camp was when he went live on Facebook following the shooting of his brother-in-law, eighteen-year-old Jaylon Jones, earlier this month. Jones was shot by Belize City police following the murder of twenty-six-year-old Charles James on Tuesday, April 11, near his home on Consuelo Street in Belize City. Jones was later charged with James’ murder.
Jaylon Jones charged with the murder of Charles James
James was considered a respected member of the Belize Coast Guard. He was the nephew of the late Winston “Tanga” James, a figure known for his gang affiliations. However, Police Commissioner Chester Williams maintained that his murder was not gang-related and was instead driven by a dispute over a romantic partner.
When police arrived on the scene, chaos erupted. This led to a shootout between police officers and the suspects. Jones sustained a gunshot wound to the foot amid the chaos. But Jones’s family complained about his detention. They, including Camp, asserted that he was wrongly identified and had no connection to the altercation besides being caught in the midst of it. Camp decided to go live from the Raccoon Street Police Station, saying that his brother-in-law had been shot and that police officers were “purposely trying to keep him dead.” He also says that the police officers assaulted him. He repeatedly tells the officers that he is an American citizen. Camp was subsequently charged with spreading false news.
Joseph Camp appearing in court with Attorney Sharon Pitts.
He appeared in court in Belize City with his attorney, Sharon Pitts. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a fine of six hundred Belize dollars or be sentenced to three months behind bars.
In one of his social media posts, he says, “Imagine the meltdown when they realize that it is $600bzd which is equal to only $300usd. Since I have no criminal history and very high and good character it was the minimal it could be.”
Joseph Camp explains that 600 Belize dollars is 300 US dollars.
Camp has a criminal history in the U.S.A. He was asked about it on Friday. He said, “In 2010, I was arrested for changing my grades at the University of Central Missouri. I thought that it would be easier to change my grades. The police thought it would be a felony. Three years later, I was acquitted of all of those charges, except for a minor offense.”
Former Student Sentenced for Computer Hacking at University of Central Missouri
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri, Camp was sentenced to three years in federal prison without parole for his involvement in a computer hacking conspiracy. Camp, along with Daniel J. Fowler, gained unauthorised access to the UCM computer network, obtaining sensitive information and attempting to alter grades and transfer money to their student accounts. They also developed a virus to infect UCM computers and remotely access webcams and email accounts. Camp pleaded guilty to these charges in April 2013. The court also ordered Camp to pay $61,500 in restitution.
The United Nations Security Council has voiced its concern regarding the escalating tensions between Guyana and Venezuela over the Essequibo region. This area, spanning approximately 160,000 square kilometres of densely forested land, constitutes two-thirds of Guyana’s territory and is inhabited by around 125,000 of its 800,000 citizens.
The roots of this dispute trace back to the 19th century, when Guyana was under colonial rule. Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo region dates back to 1841, when it asserted that the British Empire had encroached on Venezuelan territory during the acquisition of the territory of then-British Guiana from the Netherlands. Venezuela has contested the validity of the 1899 Paris Arbitral Award, which delineated the border between Venezuela and British Guiana.
In response to recent developments, Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali, submitted a letter to the UN Security Council on April 5, requesting a meeting to address the situation. President Ali highlighted Venezuela’s enactment of the “Organic Law for the Defence of Guayana Esequiba,” signed by President Nicolás Maduro on April 3, as evidence of Venezuela’s intent to annex a significant portion of Guyana’s sovereign territory.
The Security Council convened in private on Tuesday to deliberate on these recent developments in the territorial dispute.
The FAO’s One Country, One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative has kicked off its inception workshop, marking the beginning of a comprehensive project aimed at bolstering Belize’s coconut value chain. This global endeavor will facilitate the formulation of a thorough value chain analysis and a three-year sector development plan specifically tailored for coconuts in Belize.
On April 9, stakeholders from various sectors, including government bodies, non-governmental organisations, civil society representatives, project task force members, prominent technical experts, OCOP focal points, and FAO personnel from 11 project countries, congregated virtually to inaugurate this transformative project. The inception workshop focused on delineating project objectives, anticipated outcomes, major activities, and scrutinising the detailed project implementation roadmap and budget.
Participants at the OCOP Inception Workshop
The OCOP initiative, a flagship program of the FAO, is engineered to aid Member Countries in transitioning towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems by fortifying the value chains of Special Agricultural Products (SAPs). By championing sustainable practices in the production, storage, processing, and marketing of selected SAPs, OCOP contributes significantly to the empowerment of smallholders and family farms, in alignment with FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022–31 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Funded by the FAO Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC), the global project is slated for implementation from March 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025, with a total allocation of USD 1 million. Eleven countries stand to benefit from this initiative, each focusing on promoting a distinct SAP. These countries and their chosen SAPs encompass:
Belize (coconut) and Jamaica (ginger) from Latin America and the Caribbean.
– South Sudan (sorghum), Togo (rice), and Zambia (onion) from Africa.
– Bhutan (Quinoa) and Nepal (large cardamom) from Asia and the Pacific.
– Kyrgyzstan (walnut) and Tajikistan (apricot) from Europe and Central Asia.
– Algeria (fig) and Lebanon (pulse) from the Near East and North Africa.
Participants at the OCOP Inception Workshop
The primary aim of this project is to augment food security, livelihoods, environmental sustainability, and income generation for rural communities through the sustainable development of special agricultural product value chains.
With the participation of over 110 stakeholders, the inception workshop provided a platform for deliberating project implementation and exchanging challenges and priorities concerning the OCOP initiative at regional and national levels. To date, approximately 15 million has been mobilised to support 54 countries.
Activities in Belize entail the mobilization of a national task force and the formulation of a collaborative work plan in tandem with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise since the launch of the regional OCOP.
