Twenty-one-year-old Robert Arnold is facing another charge of murder after being arraigned on Wednesday for the shooting death of businessman Cruz Magana on June third. It is alleged that Arnold, who is presently on remand for the murder of Rudolph ‘Bobo Youth’ Lewis, entered the home of Elizabeth Magana in the Fresh Pond Community. He, along with an accomplice, reportedly proceeded to rob the family of two thousand, five hundred dollars and personal electronics, before shooting thirty-two-year-old Cruz Magana. The incident shocked residents in that quiet neighborhood and police continued their investigation, despite not having much to go by. Their diligence paid off and yesterday, Arnold was brought down from the Belize Central Prison and taken before the lower courts where he was charged with murder. On June twenty-fifth, Arnold, along with twenty-two-year-old Travis Herbert, was charged for the March murder of Rudolph Lewis.
Tag: 2024-07-18
Guatemalan Machete Man Gets Almost Three Years for Chopping Incident
Guatemalan national, Julio Lopez-Perez will serve the next two years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to inflicting vicious chop wounds to Nerie Barrios. The incident happened in November 2021 when Barrios was attending a friend’s wake in Lords Bank Village. While inside the house talking with a few friends, including Lopez-Perez, when he was struck in the head. He then realized that he was bleeding profusely from the head. Barrios had been attacked with a machete and chopped twice in the head, cracking his skull. Today at sentencing, Justice Nigel Pilgrim after considering the severity of the offense handed down a four-year prison sentence, but awarded him a deduction for Lopez-Perez’s early guilty plea. That leaves him with two years and eight months, effective May ninth, 2022.
Haile Selassie I’s 132nd Earth Day Celebration at Birds Isle
On Saturday, Enoch Ethiopian International is hosting a Haile Selassie I One Hundred and Thirty-Second Earth Day Celebration at the Birds Isle. This event will mark nineteen years of celebrating Haile Selassie I’s earth day in Belize. It promises to be a time loaded with entertainment and food. Ras Reuben, a member of the Rastafarian community in Belize, stopped in at our studio to tell us more.
Ras Reuben, Member, Rastafarian Community
“This event is an annual event. We have been hosting it for nineteen years, since 2005 I have been on the forefront being in charge of hosting it in Belize City. It is an annual event that we try to get the awareness of the community of what Rastafari means to the community. This year we have Mile 41 Band, Kenny Gladden and the New Creation Band, and we also have a couple other artist, Ras Melanin, Ras Sherman and we two big DJs, Tony G and Fada Mose wah the spin pan the wheels ah steels. This is not as you would say exclusive to Rastafari small community. This is for the wider community and that is why we try to put together a show that has multiple kinds of personalities so that people could fins something to attract them. We also have food, my food will be there, Vegan Bites will be there. We have food from other people, for people that do eat meat and other stuff. So, a wide variety of entertainment for the people deh. That is the idea to come, commune, unite with a cooler, calmer, positive vibration. The idea is for us to find ways to interact with each other and learn at the same time, spreading the energy and the vibes of the music.”
Trump Demands Payment for U.S. Defence; Taiwan Responds: ‘We Will Defend Ourselves’
Former President Donald Trump has stirred controversy by suggesting Taiwan should pay the United States for protection against China, raising doubts about Washington’s commitment to the island if he were to reclaim the White House in November, 2024.
In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Trump demanded that Taiwan, a self-governed island, should finance U.S. protection, evaded answering whether he would defend it against China’s military actions, and accused Taiwan for taking the computer chip business away from the US, “I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100% of our chip business, I think. Taiwan should pay us for defence,” said Trump.
Trump’s comments come amid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, where China has increasingly flexed its military muscle. The U.S. remains Taiwan’s key security partner, selling billions in weapons under legal obligations to bolster its defence capabilities. “They have consistently been one of the biggest buyers of U.S. weapons for its defence,” said McCaul, a Republican, who travelled to Taiwan to affirm the U.S. support for the island, AP reported.
Moreover, President Joe Biden has reiterated his administration’s readiness to defend Taiwan against any Chinese aggression. According to AP, “Last month, the Biden administration approved a $360 million weapons sale to Taiwan, sending the island hundreds of armed drones, missile equipment and related support material. Taiwan pays for the military equipment.”
Responding to Trump’s remarks, Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai reaffirmed the island’s gratitude for U.S. support and commitment to enhancing its self-defence capabilities: “as a member of the international community, Taiwan and the US share a common responsibility for the Indo-Pacific region of the Taiwan Strait, and we are willing to do more to defend ourselves and protect our security,” The Guardian reported.
As the U.S. presidential election approaches, Trump’s statements signal a potential shift in U.S. foreign policy priorities, particularly concerning its stance on China and its strategic engagements in the Asia-Pacific region.
CBU Sounds Alarm Over T&T Government’s OCM Board Involvement
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.
Osmond Martinez Crushes Dennis Williams in Toledo East By-election
Dr. Osmond Martinez is the new area representative for Toledo East. Martinez, a member of the People’s United Party (PUP), replaces seventy-six-year-old Mike Espat, who passed away in April 2024 due to a heart attack.
Dr. Martinez defeated the United Democratic Party’s candidate, Dennis “Desho” Williams.
Martinez received 3269 votes. Williams received 1159 votes. Wil Maheia of the People’s National Party (PNP) received 202 votes. 40 votes were rejected.
Toledo East has 7725 registered voters. 4670 votes, or 60.25%, were cast.
In an interview with reporters late last night, the new area representative said, “It is a moment of emotion but at the same, it is a privilege, but more importantly it is a blessing of God.”
Prime Minister and PUP Leader John Briceño, who was on the grounds for the entire day, told reporters, “We wanted to have a decisive win to show the people or the rest of the country that the People’s United Party is strong and that people continue to support us.”