2025-01-14 - Channel 5 Belize

Should Belizeans in the Diaspora Vote in Elections?

It’s an election year, and the question is being asked again: Should Belizeans living abroad vote in the election?

According to the U.S. Department of State, “The largest Belizean community outside Belize, estimated at 70,000 to upwards of 100,000, resides in the United States.”

That figure might be closer to the population in Belize, according to Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler. He said this morning on Open Your Eyes, “It’s a very difficult thing because a lot of them, jokingly saying, went through the back.”

Some of them return to Belize to vote, while others hope to have the option to vote while living abroad.

Back in 2018, PUP Caribbean Shores Area Representative Kareem Musa proposed amending the Representation of the People Act to grant Belizeans living in the diaspora the opportunity to vote in Belizean elections. Musa told reporters, “I still firmly believe that dual citizens, those living abroad in the diaspora, should have the right to vote in our elections.”

Minister Mahler has a different view. When he was asked for his thoughts on Belizeans in the Diaspora voting in Belizean elections, he said, “I think you have to live in Belize; you participate here in Belize; you have to have an address here; you have to know what your street looks like to be able to participate in that voting process.”

He said they can vote, but “they just have to come home and register and come vote.”

While it may be challenging for undocumented Belizeans abroad, those with proper documentation can look forward to making arrangements to travel back to Belize and cast their votes.

Brake for Wildlife: Protect Lives on the Road

According to the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic, every year, countless wild animals fall victim to vehicle collisions.

“These collisions leave many deaths and many with injuries so severe that euthanasia becomes the only humane option.”

It said that for creatures like birds, survival often hinges on their ability to fly—when that’s taken away, there’s no second chance.

“This year, a Keel-billed Toucan became a heartbreaking statistic. Found roadside with multiple fractures in its wing and leg, the injuries were too severe to heal. The only kindness left was to ease its suffering through euthanasia.”

The clinic said that these animals aren’t intruders—they’re simply trying to survive in their natural habitats. “Let’s do better for them.”

“Drive cautiously. Watch the road. Brake for animals. Be their voice. Be their hope. Make a difference.”

The Keel-billed Toucan is Belize’s national bird, celebrated for its vibrant plumage and striking multicoloured beak. Found in tropical forests and lowland areas, this iconic species plays a vital role in seed dispersal, contributing to the health of Belize’s ecosystems. The Keel-billed Toucan often travels in small flocks, feeding on fruits, insects, and small prey.

Despite its ecological importance and symbolic status, the toucan faces threats from habitat loss, deforestation, and human activities such as vehicle collisions.

Belize Seeks Tren Maya Expansion to Boost Tourism in Northern Belize

The Tren Maya has been a major tourism/transportation project in Mexico, and Belize is seeking ways to benefit from it, particularly for the tourism industry.

Prime Minister John Briceño sent an official request to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. Briceño told the press, “This would bring many benefits to Belize. It could open a new market for tourists since those who come to Cancun are often from Europe… With the Maya Train, it would be much easier for them to travel to Belize.”

Similarly, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, Anthony Mahler, said this morning on Open Your Eyes that this would bring opportunities to the northern part of Belize, which are the Corozal and Orange Walk Districts.

But during the construction of the Tren Maya, the project faced many delays due to environmental concerns and legal challenges. When asked about this, Mahler stated, “With technology, there is a way to build out while still respecting the environment.” He pointed out that the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) balances tourism growth through its “cultural” and “sustainable” desks.

Mahler argued that Belize’s tourism accounts for “almost 50 percent of GDP,” and that expanding the Tren Maya into Belize can “have a meaningful opportunity for people to invest and make a decent living for themselves and their families.”

In March 2024, former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador met with Briceño to discuss the expansion of the Tren Maya into Belize. Plans include a train station near Belize’s northern border.

Youth Empowerment Takes Centre Stage at Climate Change Youth Forum

The Climate Change Youth Forum, hosted at CEMJC by the Department of Youth Services (DYS) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Sustainable Development, brought together passionate youth and experts to address sustainability challenges.

The event featured powerful speeches, engaging panel discussions, innovative project presentations, and interactive booth sessions.

One of the forum’s standout achievements was the impressive performance by Muffles College’s Eco Warriors Environmental Club. The students swept the top three prizes in the project proposal competition:

1st Place: Solar Synergy Schools by Gianna Flowers, Adir Castillo, and Alexandra Blanco
2nd Place: Husk Flow by Leilani Tun, Jarel Cordova, and Ziraili Narvallez
3rd Place: Eco Bricks by Breahana Castillo, Marcel Riverol, and Marvin Flores

The event has the participation of UB ERI, the Belize Fund for Sustainable Development, Oceana Belize, UNDP, and the Minister of Youth, Sports, and Transport, Rodwell Ferguson, who delivered the keynote address. He stressed the urgency of tackling the climate crisis.

The forum also included contributions from the Child Advisory Body (CAB) of the Child-Friendly Initiative, whose active participation highlighted the importance of youth involvement in environmental advocacy.

Should Belize Issue Travel Advisory to 15 US States?

Recently, the United States reissued a travel advisory for Belize urging its citizens to “exercise increased caution” due to a surge in violent crime, particularly gang-related violence. The advisory was updated on December 30, 2024, with serious safety risks, including armed robberies, home invasions, and sexual assaults, even in popular tourist areas.

When asked about this yesterday, Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa, defended the country’s safety record. According to Musa, he has brought up these concerns in talks with the U.S. embassy, especially over the past two or three years. He says that with the decrease seen in the number of homicides each year, Belize’s homicide rate is now lower than that of around fifteen U.S. states.

“It could be argued that Belize should be issuing a travel advisory to those fifteen states… And it is something that I flag each year, and it certainly doesn’t make sense in my opinion why it is that these travel advisories are issued when in fact there is that downturn,” Musa said.

Musa added that the significant rise in overnight visitors in 2024 reflects the contrary, stating, “But no doubt I think travellers on their own have seen the beauty and charm of Belize. They don’t find it as a violent destination.”

This morning in the Open Your Eyes morning show, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, Anthony Mahler, stated that while the crime rate in Belize may be a factor that affects tourism, he said, “I like the trend that we’re seeing—the murders go down, major crimes go down.”

Just last week during the CompStat report, the Belize Police Department reported that eighty-nine murders were recorded, a slight increase from the eighty-seven in the previous year. According to the report, this reflects a sixteen percent decrease in major crime.

The Canadian government issued a similar advisory in December 2024.

Palestinian Liberation Organization Reps. to Visit Belize

Representatives of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) are expected to arrive in Belize this afternoon. They were invited by the Belize People’s Front (BPF). A statement from BPF Leader Nancy Marin says that the visit is “primarily aimed at signing a historic bipartisan agreement of mutual collaboration” between the PLO and the BPF.

Representing the PLO are Mohamed Salam, Commissioner of the PLO and Coordinator of the Anti-Apartheid Department, as well as Roboan Rodriguez, Coordinator of the Latin American Alliance for Palestine.

They are expected to discuss key areas of cooperation, solidarity, and shared values between the BPF and PLO.

Marin says that the delegation will pay Prime Minister John Briceño a courtesy call.

“They will also be hosted for lunch by Minister Kareem Musa and former Prime Minister Said Musa, in a spirit of camaraderie and mutual respect.”

They are scheduled to meet with Honorary Consul of Lebanon Sarkis Abou-Nehra to further regional ties.

“As part of the BPF’s ongoing commitment to the education of Belizean youth, the delegation will also make an introductory visit to the University of Belize.”

Haiti’s Displacement Crisis Surpasses One Million: UN Report

The number of displaced people in Haiti has surged threefold over the past year, surpassing one million amid escalating gang violence, according to the United Nations. Children make up more than half of the displaced population.

A report released by the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday revealed that 1,041,000 individuals, many of whom have been displaced multiple times, are struggling to survive. The crisis is driven by relentless gang violence, which claimed over 5,600 lives in 2024 and left thousands more injured or abducted. Armed gangs now control large parts of Port-au-Prince, while the police face accusations of violence against suspected gang members, compounding the nation’s long-standing political instability.

The IOM highlighted that 83 percent of displaced Haitians rely on already overburdened host communities, including friends, family, and acquaintances, for shelter. The remainder endure harsh conditions in makeshift sites, which have increased from 73 to 108 over the past year.

Further exacerbating the situation, 200,000 Haitians were deported back to the country in 2024, placing additional strain on its overstretched social services.

Efforts to address the crisis have seen limited success. Despite a Kenyan-led police support mission backed by the United States and the UN, violence continues to escalate.

Belize’s involvement in the Kenya-led mission to restore peace in Haiti has begun with the deployment of two Belize Defence Force (BDF) soldiers to Port-au-Prince. These soldiers are serving as staff officers in the CARICOM Joint Taskforce, led by Jamaica, and are gathering ground-level intelligence. Brigadier General Azariel Loria explained that their work will help inform the timing of a larger deployment, which is contingent on the procurement of necessary equipment. Countries like the Bahamas and Barbados are also contributing troops, coordinated by the Regional Security System (RSS). The BDF will proceed with its full deployment once conditions and logistics are deemed favourable.