2025-01-17 - Channel 5 Belize

Bernard Says Orange Walk East Ready for Elections

Belizeans across the country are eagerly awaiting Prime Minister John Briceno’s announcement of the 2025 elections. In previous interviews, Briceno hinted that the elections would be held in the first half of the year, sparking excitement among his supporters. The People’s United Party members are especially enthusiastic, having already kicked off their campaign. We spoke with Orange Walk East Area Representative Kevin Bernard, who expressed his readiness for the elections and confidence that his supporters are equally prepared. He shared more about the motivation behind this confidence as the election date approaches.

Kevin Bernard, Area Representative, Orange Walk East

“ Well, you know, I have been prepared from day one. I don’t rest. Every, every single day for me is a preparedness day. for us to be ready for whenever the Prime Minister calls the election. I’m one of those representatives that have constantly been on the ground, trying to ensure that I do as much as I can for my constituency. In fact, when I reviewed my manifesto that I proposed to my constituents the last term, we have accomplished nearly everything. And so it shows that we are committing, ensuring that we are committed to ensure that we can do the work. That’s what I believe it is. So, I am ready. Orange Walk is ready. And I’m very sure that once, whenever the Prime Minister calls the election, and when that day comes, we will be successful once again.”

Britney Gordon

“And for the party on a whole, do you think that there’s a possibility of a clean sweep?”

Kevin Bernard

“I will take a part of the words of the Prime Minister and say, you’ll never gloat your hand hard. We look at what we can, what we can win. It’s going to be a difficult one to get a clean sweep, but it’s not impossible either. The way the opposition is in such a disarray at this point in time, and among the work that this government has been doing. Across this country, whether it’s in health, in education, in land distribution, in making sure that our young people have access to jobs, the BPO’s, I mean, the opportunity, lower unemployment, which is record low, I mean, the poverty rate has gone down. So we are doing a lot to making sure that we are improving the lives of our Belizean people. And I think the Belizean people knows this at one point, you when you feel a budge about elections. You normally feel a budge when you want to vote out on government, but this time it’s a different feeling. People want election because they want to continue to support the government. They want to continue to support the People United Party because of the many work that has been done. I think we have done a wonderful job. There’s of course, there’s much more we could have done, but there’s a lot we are doing. And I want to continue to tell the Belizean people that we will continue under the leadership of John Briceño. We will continue to ensure that we could. Improve and build on plan Belize.”

BSR Area Rep. Confident Voters Will Give Him Another Term

Today in San Pedro, we caught up with Belize Rural South Area Representative Andre Perez to get his take on the upcoming 2025 general elections after a tumultuous term in office. Perez expressed confidence in securing a win, attributing his optimism to his ability to balance his ministerial duties with his role in the constituency, allowing him to connect effectively with voters.

Andre Perez, Area Rep., Belize Rural South

“I cannot say that I am going to win because I have no opponent or a weak opposition. As a political person, you never take anything for granted. I am confident of the work I have done. I am confident of the connection I have had with my electorate. That is important. I have understood well that once you are a minister that is one job. Once you are an area rep, that is one job and once you have learnt how keep those two in place and find your time and spend time with the electorate, you are bound to win. I am confident that I have done that work in engaging my people, having contact, my office opened to everyone, listening to their concerns. Many things that if you go being the scenes, while you deal with the ministry, having that face to face pays off. That is from experience. That is why getting into elections here I know I am going to win because I have done the work and I built the connections, not only here in San Pedro, but in Caye Caulker.”

San Pedro Town Council Floats $28 Million Bond

The San Pedro Town Council has launched a $28 million bond to boost the town’s infrastructure. Mayor Gualberto Nunez shared that they’ve already raised $8 million. While municipal bonds aren’t a new concept—there’s even legislation to support them—some critics argue that this bond was introduced quietly and that residents should have been better informed. We asked Mayor Nunez for his thoughts on the matter.

Wally Nunez, Mayor, San Pedro

“Since we took office we realize there was a lot of need for the island to improve infrastructurally and one of the things we started to look at was floating municipal bonds. It is nothing new. We have been open about it. It is not like some people say that we have been hiding it. Actually the San Pedro Sun took out an article on that a couple weeks ago. Some of the things they have been brining up are things that are being revised so we can float the bond. The budget and all we do as a municipality are exactly that. It is budgeted amount, not exact amount spent. So the municipality have been looking at raising municipal bonds to pay off road works, the bridge, and that is how most municipalities do. The value we are raising is twenty-eight million. At the moment we have raised a little over eight million.”

“No More Docks”: Minister Warns Waterfront Buyers

A heated confrontation over an illegal barricade has brought up broader concerns about the public spaces in Caye Caulker Village. On Wednesday, the village council drew a line between access to public beaches and streets, stating it cannot be compromised for private gain.

Are the real estate agencies misleading buyers? In an interview with the area representative for Belize Rural South, Andre Perez, he said, “We need to get to the root of the problem, and one is the real estate agencies.” Perez added, “When you sell a property to somebody, you cannot guarantee these things. We have people soliciting our offices saying, ‘Minister or mayor, can you help me? These people want a golf cart; they want this, that.”

Perez said that developers and real estate agents must clarify the realities of property ownership, particularly in sensitive areas like reserves. He pointed out that waterfront properties, while desirable, do not entitle buyers to build docks. “Buying a waterfront property does not guarantee you that you will be building a dock. In fact, we are making it clear: no more docks,” Perez said.

He added, “That goes not only for private individuals who want to close off their properties, but investors and business people, resorts, restaurants, everything.”

He also addressed the issue of beach reclamation, clarifying that while temporary usage might be allowed, it cannot result in permanent privatisation of public spaces.

This comes after Wednesday’s clash over an illegal barricade that escalated between Caye Caulker Chairlady Seleny Villanueva-Pott and resident Wendy Auxillou. The council was reportedly trying to remove wooden posts blocking a public road. Auxillou, responsible for the barricade, tried to stop the removal, but police intervened, reopening the road to the public.

Villanueva-Pott told News 5 that Auxillou had previously created a temporary fence in the area, which was removed last year but reappeared earlier this week. And once again, the barricades obstructed public access.

In an official statement, the Caye Caulker Village Council stated, “We agree unanimously, as does the law, that beach access must be available to all Belizeans and visitors. Furthermore, these areas are nationally owned areas that exist for the benefit of everyone in our community. For us this means visitors and locals alike.”

Belizean Activist Michael Reid Seeks Public Support

Known for his deep commitment to his community and his work with “Reid Between the Lines,” Michael Reid is now in urgent need of surgery to remove damaged prosthetics from both of his legs and undergo a hip replacement procedure.

Having already experienced multiple joint replacements, Reid’s situation has become more pressing. The prosthetics in his legs are severely damaged, and if not removed soon, they pose a serious risk of puncturing vital organs. Reid says that the left one has grown completely out of the socket and causes him a lot of pain and discomfort. The right side prosthesis is also in need of surgery, but the priority is the left one.

While the prosthetic removal can be done in Belize, Reid will need to travel abroad to Mexico for the hip replacement surgery. He is scheduled to leave next week to consult with doctors and determine if the surgery can move forward.

To cover the costs of these necessary procedures, Reid is reaching out to the public for support. Anyone who would like to contribute can donate to his Atlantic Bank account 211-553-371, under the name Michael Reid, or to his GoFundMe page.

He can also be reached directly at 615-6436 for more information.

Traffic Accident Claims Life of Guatemalan Woman

A tragic road traffic accident on Thursday night claimed the life of 50-year-old Maria Caal Xi, a Guatemalan national residing in Cotton Tree Village, Cayo. The incident occurred around 7:20 p.m. near the intersection of NEMO Drive and the George Price Highway, close to El Rancho Restaurant.

Roaring Creek Police arriving at the scene observed a grey 1999 Toyota pickup truck, driven by 70-year-old Manuel Juarez of Camalote Village. The vehicle sustained extensive damage. Trapped inside the pickup was the lifeless body of Caal Xi.

Juarez was travelling east from Belmopan toward Cotton Tree to drop off a worker. Upon reaching the entrance of NEMO Drive, he reportedly saw an oncoming vehicle speeding toward him and felt an impact on the right side of his truck before losing consciousness.

Approximately 30 feet away from the pickup, police discovered a heavily damaged grey 2025 Chevrolet Camaro.

Witnesses indicated that the car’s driver fled the scene by jumping over a roadside barrier and into nearby bushes.

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban

The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a nationwide ban on TikTok unless the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests ownership to a U.S.-based entity. The ruling, announced on Friday, aligns with congressional and Department of Justice concerns over TikTok’s potential threat to U.S. national security.

The U.S. Department of Justice welcomed the court’s decision.

Lawmakers who pushed for the ban argue that TikTok’s ownership by ByteDance poses significant risks. They claim the Chinese Communist Party could exploit the app to manipulate Americans and spread propaganda.

TikTok has resisted divestiture, stating in legal filings that selling to a non-Chinese company is “not commercially, technologically, or legally feasible.” The app’s potential removal has drawn backlash from creators, civil liberties groups, and First Amendment advocates, who argue the decision amounts to censorship and sets a troubling precedent.

This means TikTok, which is used by 170 million people in the US, will no longer be available for download in app stores starting on Sunday 19 January.

Belmopan Student Injured After Confrontation with Mental Health Patient

A video capturing an altercation between high school students and a male mental health patient has reportedly left one student seriously injured in Belmopan.

The video footage shows a group of students approaching the man, who already appeared to be agitated. One male student walked up to the man with what appeared to be a stick in his hand. The video shows the students inflicting a whip.

The man responds by striking back, injuring the student. The student is immediately heard saying, “bwai, man chop me mein!”

The man is seen walking away after the incident. The student was left with a wound on his back.

900+ Guatemalan Students Cross Border Daily for Belizean Education

More than 900 Guatemalan students cross the border every day to attend primary and high schools in the Cayo District. It’s nothing new. In fact, this has been occurring for decades. On Wednesday, Education Minister Francis Fonseca told reporters, “There has always been a steady flow of Guatemalan students who come into our education system mainly to learn English. And we have always, as a matter of policy for the government of Belize, regardless of which administration, welcomed them, and we’ve treated them with dignity and respect.”

Since being regularised in 2017, the number of Guatemalan students attending schools in Belize has increased by hundreds.

A recent bottleneck at the Belize-Guatemala border caused delays for the students. It raised concerns about the efficiency at the border. Fonseca said, “Anytime these issues arise, yes, we try to address them; we engage with the immigration authorities to try to work out whatever bottlenecks exist. So, yes, we are engaged on that issue, and whatever issues have arisen, we are trying to address them.”

And since the issue was reported, a lot of Belizeans are asking if these students benefit from free education paid by Belizean taxpayers. When asked, Fonseca said, “Belize has a long-standing policy of engaging with our neighbours. We have been a welcoming society. As you all know, we welcome citizens from all over Central America to our country. In terms of the Guatemalans, they have primary schools, and, as you know, they have very, very minimal fees. For the most part, primary education in Belize is free. So that policy remains in place. These are young students, young people who want to learn English and participate in the education system in Belize. And we don’t want to deny any young person an opportunity to get an education.”