The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed a second case of screwworm in Belize. The first case of this highly destructive parasite was detected in late December in Crique Sarco Village, Toledo District. This Sunday, another case popped up in Toledo, this time in San Pedro, Columbia. We spoke with Minister of Agriculture, Jose Abelardo Mai, who shared that this case likely originated in Guatemala as well.
On the Phone: Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture
“Screwworm can only move in a number of ways. The first one is the flies. The fly flies. They are closest point to Guatemala. Guatemala’s case from our border was eleven miles. It could have easily been a fly that flew into the country, right? And laid eggs on a therefore we had the first case. Secondly, there is a strong connection between the farmers in Toledo and Guatemalan farmers, the exchange cattle it seems and so that could have been the second possibility. The animal may have arrived in masses, in vehicles. No, we do not put cattle for human consumption none at all. Those two possibilities are the only two that we have reviewed and the could be the source of entry into the country in the case right now in San Pedro Colombia, we are still not sure how it got there. We have investigated around the neighborhood. If any of them are important to the area, we can’t find evidence of it. We believe that it’s too far away from the deep jungle to say it is wildlife. And so we are not too certain. We haven’t ascertained yet what was the source but we have people on the ground. We have a dozen people on the ground or more that are doing a house to house campaign and a farm to farm campaign to ensure that there are no more cases on the ground.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has rolled out new restrictions on live animal imports from Belize, effective January third, 2025. This move follows Belize’s confirmation of its first case of New World Screwworm in late December. Under the new rules, ruminants like goats and cattle, as well as swine, are banned from entering the U.S. Dogs can still be imported, but they must have a health certificate confirming they’ve been inspected for screwworm. Horses will also need to undergo inspection and isolation upon arrival. Earlier today, Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai reassured News Five that these restrictions are unlikely to have a significant impact on Belize’s trade sector.
On the Phone: Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture
“We’re the last country in Central America to have contacted screwworm. Mexico had it first on us. When Mexico had the case, the U.S. did put some sanctions on them until they reviewed and made changes to the export protocol. So the Mexicans use the same protocol with us, Belize. We intend to use the same protocol with us, Belize. So we have screwworm now in the Belize, we have two cases confirmed, but Mexico has never stopped or closed the door on our exports for cattle. As a matter of fact, they are helping by reducing the number of quarantine deals from twenty-one to seven years. So that they could export a different protocol, easier and less expensive. All they want for us to do animal inspection and thorough treatment before we export. But it has not affected us. The U. S., put that on the website. We do not export any livestock to the U. S., so it does not affect us in any way.”
With the 2025 elections looming, politicians across Belize are gearing up for the big day. In the North, Orange Walk South Area Representative Jose Abelardo Mai is already getting ready. We caught up with him earlier today to see how he’s feeling as the fateful day approaches. Here’s what he had to say.
Britney Gordon
“What’s the elections preparations looking like for you as you gear up for this day that’s coming at any moment?”
On the Phone: Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture
“My preparations for elections? My preparations are geared to winning again. We are economizing our committees. We are already preparing our machinery. We’re already oiling up, we will be ready,”
Britney Gordon
“So you’re confident moving into the elections?”
Jose Abelardo Mai
“Absolutely. You’ve seen lately, the highway being paved at last, you’ve seen the electrification oiling up in San Carlos,, we’ve seen the improved livelihoods in the area because of employment. You’ve seen our poverty rates go down. So many things you can’t see.”
Fierce wildfires raging out of control in the Los Angeles area have tragically claimed five lives and forced nearly two hundred thousand people to flee their homes. Firefighters are battling to contain the blazes, which continue to spiral out of control. Thankfully, Belizeans in the area have remained safe, but they’re keeping a close watch on the situation. Today, two Belizeans living in the diaspora joined us on Open Your Eyes to share what they’re witnessing on the ground.
Belizean Living in LA #1
Belizean Living in LA #1
“Central LA and Los Angeles is close-knit when it comes to the Belizean community. We’re the largest Caribbean community here. So everybody’s attention is on this, you know. Everybody wishing the best for everybody because a lot of friends, family, loved ones affected directly with this. Never, never had this happened here before, you know.”
Belizean Living in LA #2
Belizean Living in LA #2
“I’m in the Gardenia area at the moment. I work at UCLA, which is in Westwood, which is closer to the Palisades area, and so because of that we just got word late last night that UCLA canceled classes for undergraduate students and for grad students, they’re going to go remote. For us, we’re going to be working remote also the next two days just for our safety. For anything can happen. It’s moving pretty quickly and so until they can contain it, that’s where we stand. And it’s very devastating. You know, I could speak from my experience with UCLA that students are displaced. I got word late last night and some images from one of my cousins. He was being picked up by his mom and the parking lot – this is after 11 pm – the parking lot was packed. And that’s because a lot of parents and families are picking up their kids, their loved ones and taking them home probably for the weekend just to be safe.”
Earlier today, the Corozal Free Zone Access Road was officially inaugurated. The event saw Prime Minister John Briceño, Free Zone C.E.O. Neri Ramirez, and other key representatives from the Government of Belize and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration in attendance. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with the full story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The Ministry of Economic Development has just announced the opening of the brand-new Corozal Free Zone Access Road. This transformative infrastructure project is set to boost economic opportunities, connectivity, and progress for both the Corozal District and the entire nation. The newly constructed road is one point six kilometers and is a key investment under the Plan Belize Medium Term Development Strategy, which promotes economic transformation and growth.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Plan Belize is a transformative document, it’s a document that plans out the work of Belize for the next ten, fifteen, twenty years from now and I want to take the opportunity to thank all our elected representatives and the Cabinet that have worked diligently and have worked day in, day out to bring the kind of success that we are now witnessing in Belize. When you think back about Belize of November 2020 to the Belize of today, of 2025, it’s a totally different Belize that you’re seeing. We have seen the development of the free zone, that the free zone has had unrepresented growth and we have turned it around from having it closed now to now today we have over a thousand, six hundred people working and we have a thousand, plus, more people with indirect jobs that we have.”
The project kicked off in January 2024 and wrapped up in less than a year – a true testament to efficient planning and execution. This new road enhances access to the Corozal Free Zone, making transportation of goods and services smoother, boosting trade, and attracting investment to the area.
Neri Ramirez
Neri Ramirez, C.E.O., Corozal Free Zone
“I stand before you today with pride, joy, heartfelt gratitude. This journey began in 2020, when we first assumed office. At that time, we inherited a Corozal Free Zone that was closed, lack of proper infrastructure and was in a debt. All that and also let me not forget that we were in a pandemic. How far have we come? This road was one of the first thing I added to my to-do list. If you know me, my to-do list is very secret and I try my best to accomplish all things that I add to it.”
The project’s success was a true team effort, thanks to the generous contributions from various stakeholders. The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) kicked things off with a hefty grant of 1.9 million Belize dollars. The Government of Belize chipped in with another 1 million Belize dollars. The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) played a crucial role by adding 200,000 Belize dollars to ensure the project’s sustainability. Lastly, the Corozal Free Zone invested 150,000 Belize dollars, rounding out the collaborative support that made this project possible.
Osmond Martinez
Dr. Osmond Martinez, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Trade
“The infrastructure development is one that is so important in any component that is related to economic development and economic growth, but more importantly to enable the friendly environment to support the private sector and consumers. I recall back, it was January as well, of last year, when we were here and part of the road was closed because of the dilapidated conditions the Corozal Free Zone Road was in. So, even though it was a two-way lane, one of the lanes was non-functional, nonexistent where bush was actually, or the grass was actually coming in to take over that part of the road. Small vehicles were having issues to come into the Corozal Free Zone and when you look at the Corozal Free Zone is a vital component and contributor to Belize’s GDP.”
Farmers in San Carlos Village, Orange Walk, say they have been facing financial losses as their carrots rot in the fields due to a lack of buyers. This morning, German Tillett, UDP standard bearer for Orange Walk South, told News 5 that local farmers are struggling to sell their crops due to an oversaturated market and fierce competition from contrabanded and imported Mexican carrots. He added that the current import policy is harming local farmers.
This afternoon, the Minister of Agriculture, Jose Abelardo Mai, dismissed the claims of contraband carrots. Mai told News 5 that Belize does not import carrots when there is enough local supply. He said, “This is a matter of supply and demand. The Ministry of Agriculture has never and will never issue importation permits when we are harvesting carrots, when our farmers are. That is a fundamental rule in the Ministry of Agriculture.”
Mai added, “As for contraband, the Ministry of Agriculture does not control contraband. We try to work with customs, immigration… We closed borders. Up to now, we haven’t seen enough evidence of illegal import of carrots because the quality is known.” Mai explained that the carrot issue is seasonal, with all crops maturing at once. This leads to a high supply when sales tend to slow down after the holidays and also attributes the carrot’s short shelf life as a factor contributing to the situation. Mai says that sales are expected to improve in the next two weeks as supply eases.
Minister Mai also announced plans to industrialise the agriculture sector, including an agro-processing facility in Orange Walk to add value to local crops. “We’ve looked at industrialising the sector; we have now moved to a position where we have enough primary production, and it’s time for us to look at industrialising agriculture—carrots is one of them,” Minister Mai stated.
Belize confirmed its second case of New World Screwworm. Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai told News 5 today the second case was detected on Sunday in San Pedro Columbia Village in the Toledo District. He said that the ministry is still investigating how this second case may have been introduced into the country.
A team has been deployed to the village and launched a campaign to monitor and control the situation. “We have a dozen people or more on the ground that are doing a house-to-house and farm-to-farm campaign to ensure there are no more cases on the ground,” Mai said.
The first case was confirmed on December 30, 2024, when the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) reported that a six-month-old Brangus heifer on a farm in Crique Sarco, Belize, had a suspicious wound on her right ear, near her ear tag. Upon closer inspection, fifty-nine larvae were removed from the wound.
Mai also pointed out that the recent restrictions imposed by the U.S. following the detection of the first case do not affect Belize “in no way, shape, or form,” since Belize does not export livestock to the United States.
Albert Area Representative Tracy Panton says there is a new headquarters of the United Democratic Party in the Mesopotamia Division in Belize City. She told News 5 that the building they now occupied is owned by the vice chairman of the party, Lee Mark Chang. “He made that resource available to us. We accepted it, of course. Resources are limited. But we need to have a command centre, if you will.”
According to Panton, they have 18 standard bearers and 20 constituencies that “align themselves with the work that we are doing, and so we need to be able to, for those standard bearers and members of the executive committees, be able to come in and speak to us, or if there are lists that need to be printed, whatever is required for our readiness and preparedness whenever the elections are called.”
We also asked if having the headquarters in Mesopotamia, the constituency of Moses “Shyne” Barrow, gives the group leverage in the ongoing leadership dispute. She said that their commitment is to defend democracy within the party. “We have remained steadfast in our desire to defend our democracy internally within the party and externally. And we will continue to do that…whether we have leverage or we don’t have leverage will be determined by the people who will come out and vote on election day.
Both Panton and Barrow claim to be the legitimate leader of the UDP. The matter is now before the court.
The newly completed Corozal Free Zone Access Road was officially inaugurated today. The project was under construction just under one year before it was completed. “The project broke ground in January 2024, and construction was completed in less than a year,” the Ministry of Economic Development stated.
The Ministry added that the 1.6-kilometre road will enhance connectivity and trade opportunities for the Corozal District.
At the inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister John Briceño stated, “This road is not just about infrastructure—it is about transformation. It symbolises our commitment to creating opportunities that change lives.”
The project was funded through contributions from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Government of Belize, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), and the Corozal Free Zone. The ministry says that the road will improve access to the Free Zone, boost trade, and attract investment.
The man who was the main witness in the Oscar Selgado trial was shot and killed earlier this afternoon in Belize City. Giovanni Ramirez was in a parked SUV on Amandala Drive in Belize City when an armed man on a motorcycle drove up to the car and fired a barrage of bullets.
The shooter escaped.
Police quickly responded to the scene. The incident occurred near the St. Martin de Porres Primary School compound, fortunately before students were dismissed.
In 2024, defence attorney Oscar Selgado was sentenced to ten years. He had been found guilty of abetment to commit murder. Selgado had attempted to hire Ramirez to kill Marilyn Barnes, who had filed a complaint with the General Legal Counsel accusing Selgado of unethical behavior. Ramirez, the prosecution’s key witness, was deemed truthful and reliable in Justice Pilgrim’s judgement.
