2024-06-10 - Channel 5 Belize

Hopkins Mango Fest: Treats with a Mango Twist

Mango is a seasonal fruit in Belize, so when the time comes around, some communities maximize their chances of drawing crowds and generating money. Hopkins is one such community and on Saturday, that southern village had on sale food and drinks with a mango twist for people who enjoy the succulent fruit. News Five attended the fest and found that there was mango in all forms, from ice cream to burgers, to mangoritas. And the monies collected from the day’s events will be invested right back into the community. Here’s that report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

From about midday on Saturday and up until ten p.m., this was a popular sight and sound on the main street in Hopkins. Villagers and businesses were out offering their most popular beverages and treats made with a mango twist. Blending was a major part of the preparations. Leonela Aranda, owner of Blue Mantarraya Tours, was blending up a refreshing beverage to beat the heat.

Leonela Aranda, Owner, Blue Mantarray Tours

“Down south we call the big mango belly full mango or I think it’s known as Apple Mango as well. So I just ordered bellyful mango, diced it up, freeze it to have it like an ice cubes. We just basically put a half cup of ice, a half cup of the mango, put it in. We get the juice, the two type of juice then we’ll have the squash and the raw mango juice, add it in and then we just blend it. I just actually get my cup and then I just label my logo on it. After all the blending, you add it in. No, before that we would put the lee rim with chamoyada and the tajin around the rim inside, the same thing. And we add it in and it have the lee red color. Just add that in and just put the tambran stick and a little mango sweet on top. And that is how we make our mango chamoyada.”

Marion Ali

“And it’s supposed to taste how when you drink it. Mango, slushy, everything, cold, all of that.”

Marion Ali

“And the tajin…”

Leonela Aranda

“Yeah, it just give it a little sweet and sour taste.”

Nice Cream took all their mango-infused ice cream treats and Yahira Maldonado let us in on what the crowd favourite was.

Yahira Maldonado, Sales Representative, Nice Cream

“Today it looks like a mango cheesecake, so the mango cheesecake bar and the mango cheesecake. Basically they are the same thing, the only difference is that we prep it in a different way. Like the bars, we cut them and then we make the mango jam at the top, then the whipped cream and then we have the mango ice cream and then we have a filling at the bottom which is made out of the waffle chips and then the mango cheesecake. We just add the chips inside of the mango base.”

Marion Ali

“So if you don’t taste mango, something wrong?”

Yahira Maldonado

“You have to taste the mango, but you have to taste the cheesecake too. My boss, she’s the head behind this. She does say, okay mek wi mek something different today. She would go in ah the shop – eena ih lee factory and say, okay, we wa add a lee cheesecake to this. Mek wi see how ih taste and then she wa bring everybody, like the workers deh mek wi sample it and tell ah yeah, that good. And then we make waffles. And then sometimes some ah deh would ah bruk, soh we say, okay, instead ah buy the biscuit, we just crush the waffles, blend it, put ah lee flavour eena it fi add to the bottom for the filling.”

Marion Ali

“And then everybody di buy that now?”

Yahira Maldonado

“It seems like that’s the hit for today.”

We came by a booth that made mango chicken burgers and a mango/strawberry popsicle.

Lindsay Montgomery, Sale Representative, Mangoes Beach Front Bar

“I have a ground chicken burger with Swiss cheese, bacon, and a homemade mango chutney. It’s like a spicy mango habanero sauce. It’s really good. So it gives that bite, but then with the mango, it’s got a nice sweet to it as well. Then it’s got vinegar, so it’s got a little bit of acidity and then the salt. So it hits all your taste buds and the mangoes and Hopkins are so fresh and delicious and so sweet. And then you add that habanero in for that really good bite. It’s a really good flavor.”

Marion Ali

“So you just came up with this or it’s been around for a while?”

Lindsay Montgomery

“This is the first time I’ve done it. It’s debuting here today at Mango Fest.”

Marion Ali

“And it’s popular, I would imagine.”

Lindsay Montgomery

“Yeah, oh definitely.”

Marion Ali

“And this in your hand?”

Lindsay Montgomery

“This is a strawberry mango popsicle with fresh mango blended right into it and frozen. And it’s only $3 and it’s nice to cool down on a hot day like today.”

Further up the street we bumped into retired media personality, Rodel Beltran Perrera and his friend Kathy Cuellar, who told us it was their first time at the event.

Rodel Beltran Pererra, Attendee, Hopkins Mango Fest

“This is called a mango margarita, or a mangorita, I’d call it. It’s so good. This is incredible. This is what I came for here today. I was going to be very upset if I hadn’t gotten one. And I want to thank that young man. He’s the one that makes the best. It’s the first time I’m coming to this festival, but we heard about coming to this tent and tasting their drinks and it is really good. A very good friend Kathy, said let’s go, what you’re doing today, and I said I’m doing nothing. So let’s go to Hopkins and check out the festival.”

Kathy Cuellar, Attendee, Hopkins Mango Fest

“It’s great to see so many things, so many people trying out the products, inventing different food, dishes, et cetera, et cetera, with the mango. That’s interesting.”

Marion Ali

“How is that?”

Kathy Cuellar

“This is a standard – I believe a mango margarita. I got the mango. I’m looking for the “rita” but with the weather, you wouldn’t want to go too strong.”

Except for the halt that COVID brought on almost every activity, the Hopkins Mango Fest has been a yearly event since the early 2000’s. The event was started by Mary Castillo, a villager who passed away in 2008. Treasurer of the Hopkins branch of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, Desiree Rodriguez says that the village boasts well over a dozen types of mangoes. This event has drawn tourists from all over and generates funds that the community can put to good use.

Desiree Rodriguez, Treasurer, B.T.I.A., Hopkins Branch

“We took over last year, this new chapter, we’re looking at infrastructure. So there’s two things that we want urgently: we need a multipurpose building and we also need a garbage truck. Garbage is a problem in our community, so we’re going we’re pushing towards infrastructure. So coming to these fests will help us You know if we come every year and it gets bigger then we’ll have more funds To go in that pot to put that money back into the community. So we want people to know that it’s not for us to fill our pockets. We’re not getting paid. We’re volunteering 100 percent popular. Is it among the tourists? Very much popular. It’s Mango Street Fest is now a thing in our community. So looking at this year, I’m already seeing that we’ve doubled the number.”

Marion Ali for News Five.

Nicaragua Beats Belize 4-0 in World Cup Qualifier Match

The F.F.B. Stadium in Belmopan came alive on Friday night with football fans hoping for a Belize National team win against Nicaragua. But the result was quite the opposite, team Belize lost to Nicaragua in the 2026 World Cup Qualifier match, four goals to zero. Would the results have been different if three of the national team’s players did not sit out the game in protest? News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

On Friday night, the Belize National Football team made its debut in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. They went up against Nicaragua’s national team. This was Nicaragua’s second match in the group. They played and won their first game against Montserrat. According to the latest FIFA ranking, Belize is sitting at the one hundred and eighty second position. Here is what the starting lineup looked like for both teams.

CONCACAF Announcer

“Let’s take a look at the lineup by the home national team. Belize with Tillett in the goal. Lopez, Trapp, Martinez, Ayala, four in the back. Myvett, Polanco and Avila in the middle in the midfield. Guerra, Bernandez and Moss will be three men in charge of producing goal for the team coach, David Perez. Let’s take a look at the starting lineup for Nicaragua. Rodriguez in goal. Five in the back with Quijsno, Flete, Serapio, Perez, Avecado. Four midfield is Rodriguez on the right, Moldskred, Montes in the middle, Hernandez on the left. On the front Number nine, Jaimee Moreno.”

The starting whistle is blown, and the game is underway with an early position by Nicaragua. Eight minutes and forty seconds in. Nicaragua in possession. Pass to number three in midfield. He dropped it inside to Montes who was unable to get a clean shot off. Spot kick for Nicaragua in the fourteen minutes. A kick to Hernandez, he got around Belize’s defender, gets the header and goalkeeper Tillett was able to make the stop. Twenty-six minutes in and Belize was struggling to get the ball beyond midfield, while Nicaragua was dominating possessions and getting more shots towards the goal. A pass through the middle found Moldskred near the goal. He fired, and Tillet again with the spot. A second attempt towards the goal hit the crossbar. Immediately following that play, Belize gained possession. Moss to Avila on the right wing. Avila sprinted down the field, into the penalty box. Avila shot the ball towards the goal. It bounced off the goalpost and spun towards Bernardez in front of the goal. But he was unable to finish for Belize.

Nicaragua scored its first goal thirty-nine minutes into the game, with a bullet from Hernandez off the header from a Belizean defender. Belize, down by one.

Jordy Polanco with one final attempt before the end of the first half to tie the game. Polanco dropped the ball to the far post, and no one was there to get it. That’s how the first half ended. A dominant forty-five minutes for Nicaragua. A Belize team that was unable to match, respond, and tie the game.

Fifty-three minutes into this one. Hernandez for Nicaragua all alone just outside the penalty box. He got the pass and pushed towards the goal. A hard tackle by Eugene Martinez sent Hernandez to the ground. The referee called a foul inside the penalty box, awarding Nicaragua with a penalty shot. With that shot they went up two goal to none.

Goal number three for Nicaragua came ten minutes. Medina to Moreno, Moreno with the quick touch to an open Hernandez, again on top of the penalty box. Hernandez saw the opening and placed the ball into the net. Down three goals with twenty-five minutes of play time left on the clock, Belize’s coach David Perez made several changes. Among them, he replaced starter and midfielder, Jordy Polanco, much to the dismay of Belizean fans as the crowd began booing the coach.

Nicaragua’s fourth and final goal in this match against Belize was made at the tail end of the game. Acevedo went down inside the penalty box off a hard tackle, leading to the second penalty shot in the game awarded to Nicaragua. Moreno took the penalty and scored.

We heard from team Belize immediately following the game.

David Perez, Head Coach, Belize National Football Team

“We competed very well during the first half. I think quite well, with tactical disorders and adjustments that we had to correct. But, well, the second half cost us a little more. Those two changes, well, in the end they are two quality changes and, well, we must accept them.”

Nahjib Guerra, Belize National Football Team Player

“It’s very, very tough last because it’s a loss at home, so I believe we need to go back to the drawing board. We, as coach said, we already seen how Diana plays, so it’s just for us to focus on our strength and build more on our weakness because we have a good team, but, uh, the big advantage at Nicaragua, however, also is they had players of better quality playing in Europe. In bigger leagues.”

And can the blame for this massive home field loss be placed on three players who decided to sit out the game. Fans who are familiar with the team noted during play time that Michael Salazar, Nanah Mensah and Deshawon Nembhard were not on Saturday night’s rotation. According to a statement issued by the Football Federation of Belize shortly after the defeat, these three players will have to face a disciplinary committee because they decided to sit-out the game only four hours before playtime. They cited contractual differences. The F.F.B. says their decision significantly impacted the team’s performance. On their part, the three players issued a joint press release stating that it was a difficult decision and that they had to take a stand against the continued mistreatment players have received at the hands of the F.F.B. The release refers to unprofessional communication, lack of organization, poor conditions and accommodations. They play Guyana this weekend.

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Defenders Headed to Finals; Jyven Gonzalez Gets Silver in Honduras

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. The Belize Elite Basketball League’s finals have been set.

The Benny’s Belize Hurricanes will face off against the Belize City Defenders. The Defenders secured their spot in the finals on Friday night after bringing down the San Pedro Tiger Sharks inside the Belize City Civic Center. It was a close one. The Defenders only defeated the Tiger Sharks by three points. The first quarter saw both teams scoring equal points. The Defenders outscored the Tiger Sharks by four points in the second quarter and three points in the third. But that still did not deter the San Pedro Tiger Sharks as they were looking to repeat their trip to the finals. The Tiger Sharks outscored the Defenders in the final quarter by four points. This one came down to the last twenty seconds.

Down by one point, Tiger Sharks was in possession of the Ball. Conorque threw it in to Williams. He found Arana, Arana back to Williams. Williams tried to drive and he is guarded heavily. He went back to Arana and Arana turned over the ball. There is a scramble for the ball and on the other end, John Kelly extended the Defenders’ lead to three points. Coach Rico Black called an immediate timeout and protested a non-call by the referees.

After review, the initial decision was upheld, and Sharks had possession with four point seven seconds left on the clock. Thurton threw the ball in, Conorque tried to find Williams and ended up turning over the ball on the most critical play of the game.

We spoke with a couple of the players following the playoff victory.

Devon Campbell, Belize City Defenders

“It means a lot for us. It gives us a chance to win the championship and everybody in the city wants to see the two city teams in the championship. So, this is big, it makes basketball great again.”

Nigel Jones, Belize City Defenders

“Last year it didn’t end how we wanted it. We had a couple set backs last year and we just wanted to come back and like you said it is a redemption tour for us and the same way we went out last year we want to take out everybody one by one this year. So we handled our business in San Pedro this first round. Now we have Hurricanes. We will just go out and keep out and keep fighting the way we are and we feel like we can handle business in the finals.”

And, as the Belize City Defenders prepare to face off against the B.E.B.L. Defending Champions, the Benny’s Belize Hurricanes, the nation’s Under-Eighteen Basketball Team is on its way home from Argentina after placing eight in the 2024 FIBA AmeriCup. After they were unable to win their FIBA World Cup qualifier match on Friday, team Belize fell to Venezuela on Saturday in a game that went to overtime and ended eight-six to eighty points. And then on Sunday, they faced off against Puerto Rico and fell to that team in a game that ended seventy-nine to forty-nine points. Eight teams competed in the AmeriCup tournament. Belize finished in the last position.

In Cycling, Jyven Gonzalez secured a silver medal in the Under-Twenty-Three Central American Honduras Tour. The eighty-mile race was held on Sunday.

Two hours and twenty-eight minutes into the race and Jyven Gonzalez was the only Belizean among a lead group of six riders. His name rang through the ears of spectators as the announcers kept repeating it in awe of his endurance. But, twenty minutes later, Gonzalez experiences some mechanical issues and fell behind. The lead group was now down to four. And with just a mile left in the race, Gonzalez made a surprising come back. Gonzalez sprinted to the finish line behind the winner, Costa Rican, Kenny Chavez.

Jyven Gonzalez, Belizean Cyclist

“Dah mih wah solid race today. Finally could talk in a little creole. I had to talk English for so long. But yeah, dah mih wah supper hard race. This was no joke, but everybody know from my physic I am not a pure climber. But I had to just fight through and push myself.”

From cycling we move into some football action. We continue our coverage of the Anthony Mahler Under -Thirteen Mundialito Tournament.

Tonight, we bring you highlights from a matchup between Ebony Lake F.C and Phoenix F.C. Ebony Lake sought to make a statement early in this one. In the first of three periods they scored three goals. The first goal was scored by Edgar Diaz Junior two minutes into playtime. Diaz fired from the center field line. The goalkeeper was unable to keep it in his hands.

Two minutes later, Denzi Jones puts in this beautiful left foot kick that proves to once again be too much for the goalkeeper. And just a minute later Jones again, was able to secure a third goal for Ebony Lake.

Phoenix F.C did not go down without a fight. It took them thirty-five minutes, but just before the game-ending whistle was blown Camron Gordon secured a goal for his team. That one ended three goals to one, in favor of Ebony Lake F.C.

And finally, for tonight, here is a sporting discipline that does not get much coverage in Belize, table tennis. The Belize Table Tennis Association hosted its Junior Table Tennis Tournament over the weekend inside the Swift Hall. Each competitor in the tournament took turns to play against each other. The games then went on elimination rounds. Ten-year-old Jorge Espat emerged victorious as the tournament champion. We send our congratulations to the organizers on a successful tournament.

Well folks that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday

Catch you in the next one.

ComPol Chester Williams: “I would have shot him.”

One man remains hospitalised following a stabbing incident that occurred on Friday night on Central American Boulevard in Belize City.

The incident was the result of an altercation between two men, thirty-seven-year-old Jermaine Grant and forty-two-year-old Windel Anthony. Grant received cuts near the left eye and abrasions to the head.

The incident was caught on camera. The public criticised the police officers who were at the scene for failing to properly control the situation.

When asked about it today, Police Commissioner Chester Williams told reporters that he would not say that the officers did not perform their duties the way they should.

“Sometimes, no matter the training you have, when you confront a situation, you tend to forget that training and you just do what you believe can be done in that instance.”

Williams says he would have shot the man.

“If it were me, from the mere fact that the individual had stabbed the person, the person is on the ground, and he is constantly going after the person and trying to finish off that person, I would have shot him.”

The police officers at the scene had weapons. Williams applauded them for exceeding great restraint.

Police Looking for Person(s) Who Called in Bomb Threat at School

This morning, Queen Square Primary and Wesley Upper schools in Belize City were evacuated due to a bomb threat at Wesley Upper School. The schools, located across from each other on Dolphin Street, were quickly cleared by law enforcement, and the all-clear was given within thirty minutes. Parents and guardians were notified to pick up their children.

A parent from Queen Square Primary shared, “I received a text about a bomb threat and came immediately to get my child.” A guardian from Wesley Upper mentioned, “I initially thought it was a false alarm but came to ensure my brother’s safety.” Despite varying levels of concern among parents and guardians, the swift response ensured all students were safe.

Financial Services Commission of Belize Joins IOSCO as Associate Member

The Financial Services Commission of Belize (FSC) has achieved a significant milestone by becoming an associate member of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) as of May 20, 2024.

“This milestone marks a significant step in fostering international cooperation in Belize’s financial services sector.”

IOSCO, recognized as the global standard-setter for securities regulation, serves as the leading international policy forum for securities regulators. It is instrumental in developing, implementing, and promoting adherence to internationally recognized standards for securities regulations. By joining IOSCO, the Belize FSC underscores its commitment to upholding these global standards, thereby enhancing investor confidence and promoting market integrity in Belize.

Claude Haylock, Director General and Deputy Chairman of the FSC, welcomed the news, stating, “We are delighted to join IOSCO as an associate member. This membership will enable us to collaborate more closely with global regulators, share valuable insights, and continue to enhance our regulatory environment to meet international benchmarks.”

The Belize FSC is poised to actively participate in IOSCO’s initiatives, contributing to the collective goal of strengthening securities markets worldwide.

Football Players Accuse FFB of Continued Mistreatment

FFB To Take Disciplinary Action Against Three Players

Three football players, Michael Salazar, Nanah Mensah, and Deshown Nembhard, are accusing the Football Federation of Belize of “continued mistreatment.”

The players shared a statement on social media following the FFB’s announcement of its decision to take disciplinary action against the three players. The FFB said that the three players chose not to participate in the June 8th match against the Nicaraguan team. The FFB said, “this decision was made just four hours before kickoff, significantly impacting the team’s performance in tonight’s match.”

In its statement, the FFB said, “The players in question were training with their national team counterparts for over a week. The FFB invested significantly in ensuring optimal conditions for the team, including substantial investments in travel expenses, accommodations, and stipends to support our athletes.”

The statement continued, “The sudden withdrawal of these three players, two of whom were part of the starting eleven, necessitated critical last-minute changes by the coaching staff.”

The FFB said it was disappointed and that the matter would be referred to the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the FFB for revision.

The Players’ Response

The three players, Michael Salazar, Nanah Mensah, and Deshown Nembhard, responded to the FFB’s statement on social media. The players said, “While it was an extremely difficult decision, we felt it necessary to take a stance against the continued mistreatment we have received from the Football Federation of Belize. On several occasions over the years, there has been unprofessional communication, lack of organization and poor conditions and accommodations.”

The players said they have “sat down with the FFB multiple times to express our concerns and discuss possible solutions to move forward.”

“However, at this time, nothing has been done to remedy the situation.”

They said that they did not feel it “fair or responsible to continue to be asked to play under such conditions and lack of professionalism.”

“Because of the current state of the actions being taken against us, we will not be able to give specific details at this time, however, when the time is right, we will provide further insight.”

Belize lost the match, 0-4.