2024-12-11 - Channel 5 Belize

Higher Unemployment Rate Among Women

The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) held its fourth final press conference for 2024, presenting key data on the Labour Force Survey, poverty, GDP, consumer prices, and external trade.

Anya Mejia, Statistician I at the SIB, shared details from the Labour Force Survey for September 2024. The survey, which covers 3,000 randomly selected households, showed that Belize’s working-age population in September 2024 was 412,319, with 72.4% of this group in the labour force.

According to the SIB, the unemployment rate stood at 2.1%, a decrease from September 2023. Notably, female unemployment was higher at 3.1%, while the majority of employed persons (60%) were male.

Mejia reported that 35.6% of employed individuals were informally employed, earning an average of $1,329 per month. Informal workers typically completed primary education and worked an average of 34.5 hours weekly.

Underemployment affected 2.2% of the workforce, with women accounting for 62.5% of this group. Most underemployed workers were seen in the services and sales sector. Youths aged 14-24 continued to show the lowest participation rates, especially young females.

Meanwhile, 25% of youth aged 15 to 24 were neither in education, employment, nor training (NEET). Young women accounted for 70% of this group.

Social Media Frenzy: Suspect in C.E.O. Murder Cast as Folk Hero

A grainy image of the man’s face has sparked comparisons to Hollywood heartthrobs. His jacket, resembling the one seen in police-issued wanted posters, has become a hot commodity in retail stores. Even more unsettling, the cryptic words etched on the bullets he used to kill a man on a busy Manhattan sidewalk have been embraced by some as a rallying cry.

Three days after the shocking assassination of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan, the unidentified suspect has become, for some online communities, a modern-day folk hero.

Suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione is seeing a dramatic increase in followers on his social media accounts. On X, a 26-year-old suspect has amassed at least 160,000 followers, gaining roughly 1,000 new followers per minute. Over on Instagram, an account believed to be his—which contained just 10 posts—had grown to at least 65,000 followers before the platform took it down.

Meanwhile, “Free him” began trending on X, with tens of thousands of users calling for Mangione’s release and sharing images from his social media accounts. “He’s too pretty for prison. Free him,” one user posted alongside a photo of a shirtless Mangione hiking in Hawaii. “He’s hot, smart, and anti-capitalist—free him right now,” wrote another.

Rather than aiding the investigation, some users are rooting for the gunman and actively working to thwart police efforts. One notable target of this misplaced allegiance is the Upper West Side hostel where officials believe the suspect stayed. Online review platforms have been flooded with negative comments, with users labelling staff as “narcs” for cooperating with police. The deluge of bad reviews is just one example of the backlash aimed not at the killer but at those aiding the investigation.

The driving force behind this online fervour appears to be the three words found on the bullet casings at the crime scene: “depose,” “deny,” and “delay.” These terms, widely recognised as references to strategies often associated with insurance companies to delay or deny claims, have fuelled public anger toward the health insurance industry. While the words’ exact meaning remains speculative, they’ve been enough to galvanise support for the shooter from certain factions online.

Perhaps the most bizarre manifestation of this phenomenon occurred on Saturday afternoon in Washington Square Park, where a “look-alike” contest was held in the suspect’s honor. About half a dozen men gathered in the December chill, some wearing jackets emblazoned with the words “deny, defend, depose.”

Court Denies OJ’s Appeal; Rape Case Proceeds to Trial

Attorney Orson Elrington’s challenge to his rape charges has been dismissed by the court, and his case will now proceed to trial.

In July 2024, Elrington’s attorney, Hubert Elrington, announced plans to appeal the magistrate’s decision to commit his client to trial.” The DPP has brought a case, right? And her first duty is to show that there is a difference between a crime and a non-crime,” Hubert said. He suggested that the matter should be referred to the High Court.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Cheryl Lynn Vidal responded, “We didn’t think that there was any likelihood that he would not have been committed to stand trial.” She added that she looked forward to the defendant’s challenge in the high court.

Elrington’s appeal against the magistrate’s decision was based on claims that the magistrate mishandled his application and that the DPP had improperly communicated with the complainant during the investigation. But the court found no evidence to support these claims and ruled it had no jurisdiction to hear the appeal.

This means that the case will move forward to trial.

Elrington was charged with rape in March 2024 and granted bail of $8,000. The charges stem from allegations by two women who accuse Elrington of sexual assault after they were invited to his home for drinks. According to Police Commissioner Chester Williams, one woman reported becoming unconscious and waking up next to Elrington in a semi-nude state, with no memory of what transpired.

Convicted Murderer William ‘Danny’ Mason Claims ‘Cruel’ Prison Conditions

Did you know that convicted murderer William ‘Danny’ Mason has a DVD player in his jail cell? In fact, according to the Attorney General’s ministry, Mason’s cell includes amenities such as “its own toilet and its own shower, with running water… a standing fan, a writing table, a bed, and a DVD player with audio to watch movies.” This was a response to Mason’s attorney, Peter Taylor.

Taylor wrote to Virgilio Murillo, the CEO of the Belize Central Prison, claiming his client has been confined to a cell for 23 hours a day for the past eight years, with only one hour for recreation. Taylor described the conditions as “cruel, degrading, and inhuman treatment,” adding that Mason’s cell lacks proper lighting, making reading and writing difficult, and he is denied interaction with other inmates and visitors. Taylor also requested Mason’s recreation time be increased from one hour to three.

The ministry rejected the request, stating that Mason’s cell “is more than adequate for a single person.” It added that Mason is housed in Tango 10, a high-security area for dangerous prisoners, and is allowed one hour of recreation in line with prison rules.

Mason, along with Ernest Castillo, Ashton Vanegas, and brothers Keiron and Terrence Fernandez, were convicted in 2019 for the murder of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas in 2016. Pastor Lucas’ burnt remains were found on Mason’s ranch, with his head discovered in a bucket inside a vehicle occupied by Mason and his co-defendants. The five men were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 35 years.

Trump Humiliates Trudeau

President-elect Donald Trump mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a social media post on Monday. Trump called Trudeau “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” Trump’s comments are part of his ongoing criticism of Canada, as he has pledged to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian exports unless Canada and Mexico address issues like undocumented migration. This could have serious economic consequences for Canada, which depends heavily on exports to the U.S.

The post came after a Thanksgiving weekend dinner between the two leaders at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, which Trump described as “a pleasure.” Despite the extensive discussion between the two on the effects of tariffs, there is no indication that Trudeau changed Trump’s stance. At one point, Trump even joked that Canada could become the 51st U.S. state.

Members of Trudeau’s Liberal Party downplayed the comments. “The president was teasing us,” said Canadian public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc.

During his first administration, after a G7 summit, Trump berated Trudeau, calling him “dishonest and weak” on Twitter.

In response to Trump’s tariff threat, Trudeau has shifted toward a more assertive stance. Trudeau suggested Canada could retaliate with tariffs on U.S. goods. “We will, of course, as we did eight years ago, respond to unfair tariffs in a number of ways, and we’re still looking at the right ways to respond,” Trudeau told a business audience in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “One of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic,” he added.

Fisherman Dies After Altercation on Tobacco Caye

A young fisherman from Dangriga Town lost his life in a deadly altercation on Tobacco Caye in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The deceased has been identified as 22-year-old Leonard Baltazar, also known as “Uzi.”

The incident occurred around 3:00 a.m. when Dangriga police received a call that workers of a resort discovered a man lying face down and unresponsive near a cabana.

The workers moved him to a safer location and attempted to revive him but found no pulse.

According to reports, two tourists were reportedly awakened by the sound of someone moving inside the room. Upon waking, they saw a man allegedly rummaging through their personal belongings. A confrontation ensued, resulting in a physical struggle. During the altercation, the intruder was reportedly thrown over the cabana’s balcony, which overlooks the sea.

The police investigation into the incident is ongoing, and no arrests have been announced at this time.