2025-01-24 - Channel 5 Belize

Belizeans React to Newly Designed Banknotes

Belize’s newly designed banknotes are the hot topic of conversation across the country. The fresh designs were unveiled on Thursday, with plans to start distribution by mid-year. To gauge public opinion, News Five conducted an online poll, revealing some interesting responses. A total of seven thousand, one hundred and ninety users responded. Three thousand, seven hundred and ninety-three responders voted that they did not like the new design. Only six hundred and seventy-five voted in favor of the design. Two thousand and ninety-two persons agreed that it looks like the Mexican pesos. Three hundred and sixty-five people appreciated the enhanced security features, while two hundred and sixty-five people could hardly be bothered by the new currency design. The poll received one hundred and forty-two comments and twenty-five shares. We also hit the streets to get reactions from everyday Belizeans. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

On Thursday, the Central Bank of Belize rolled out its newly designed currency notes at a special event in Belize City. The unveiling was attended by a host of government officials and other distinguished guests, marking an exciting moment for the nation. The public has had mixed reactions to the new currency designs, which now feature the faces of the Right Honorable George Cadle Price and Philip Goldson, replacing Queen Elizabeth II as the prominent figure. These notes also come with advanced security features to combat counterfeiting. News Five hit the streets of the Old Capital to get the public’s take on the new look.

Paul Lopez

“Right now I think George Price deh pan ih belly the turn over, because right now deh nuh the think bout the small people. We discuss bout the port, the sugar, the police, but yo nuh hear nothing the talk bout the poor man. The poor man the tek a lick right now.”

Belize City Resident #1

“The money we have right now is Queen Elizabeth.”

Paul Lopez

“Well that has changed. Have you seen it?”

Belize City Resident #1

“No I have never seen it.”

Paul Lopez

“Well, let me show you, so this is the new twenty dollar bill. This is the new fifty dollar bill and this is the new hundred dollar bill. What do you think?”

Belize City Resident #1

“Well that is that nuh.”

Belize City Resident #2

“I just feel like ih look like the Mexican money, the pesos. Ih nuh look good.”

The new hundred-dollar banknote is a tribute to Belize’s stunning marine attractions and aquatic life, showcasing the Queen Triggerfish, the Hawksbill turtle, and the iconic Great Blue Hole as its background image. It also proudly features a portrait of the Right Honorable George Cadle Price. Meanwhile, the fifty-dollar note highlights Belize’s rich archaeological heritage with images of Lamanai, Xunantunich, and Caracol, along with a portrait of Philip Goldson.

Paul Lopez

“What do you think, do you like it?”

Belize City Resident #3

“Well actually yeah.”

Belize City Resident #4

“Ih look good to, ih look good.”

Paul Lopez

“So which do you prefer the queen face or we national heroes?”

Belize City Resident #4

“We national heroes because we celebrate independence to, so might as well we do we own thing to.”

Belize City Resident #5

“The queen face should remain on the money, because from when I was a little girl the queen face was on the money. So, why would they want to remove the queen off of it now.”

Paul Lopez

“Now if I come and give you a hundred dollars with George Price face on it would you take it?”

Belize City Resident #5

“Dah money, suh we wah tek it. But I still feel the queen face should remain on the money.”

Belize City Resident #6

“I would prefer the queen face still, because I think in the longer run the money might devalue.”

Addressing concerns about devaluation, Central Bank Governor Kareem Michael assured everyone during Thursday’s unveiling ceremony that the value of the new banknotes will remain unchanged.

Kareem Michael, Governor, Central Bank of Belize

“I would like to reemphasize that when we put the new series of notes into circulation there will be absolutely no change in its value. Today one U.S. dollar is equivalent to two Belizean dollar. This will not change. The value one Belize dollar after the new bank note is put into circulation will remain the same.”

The new banknotes are set to enter circulation between June and July this year. In addition to the one hundred and the fifty-dollar notes, the newly designed twenty-dollar note showcases Belize’s vibrant jungle life. The ten-dollar note celebrates the country’s diverse bird species, while the five-dollar note highlights historic buildings. The two-dollar note beautifully features Belize’s stunning waterfalls and rivers.

Iraqi, Tourist

“In Iraq we have the president Sadam Husein, but he is no more. They changed that. It use to be all Sadam Husein picture in all currency and they changed it. It is now like whatever is a part of the history of Iraq so they changed it. Nobody’s face.”

Paul Lopez

“And how did the people take to that?”

Iraqi Tourist

“They don’t care, they have to live with it and they take it.”

Paul Lopez

“Because it has the same value.”

Iraqi Tourist

“Exactly.”

Belize City Resident #7

“Ih the show we pan the money now, the Belizean people.”

Paul Lopez

“You feel ih more relatable now to see a black man on the money?”

Belize City Resident #7

“Yes man. People say the money ah devalue. I don’t understand it. It is just a picture.”

Belize City Resident #8

“It is what it is. I wah deh pan the side and sih how things wah play out. I think deh bally do deh homework. So I nuh think we wah face no consequences ah it.”

Paul Lopez for News Five.

Belize Emerges as Global Leader in Anti-Money Laundering

Belize is making waves on the global stage with its efforts to combat money laundering and terrorism. On Thursday, the Caribbean Financial Action Taskforce released Belize’s fourth Round Mutual Evaluation Report, highlighting the country’s impressive strides in fighting money laundering, terrorism financing, and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The report assessed Belize in two key areas: technical compliance and effectiveness. Out of the forty CFATF recommendations for technical compliance, Belize was fully compliant in thirty-eight. The country also achieved substantial effectiveness in five of the eleven immediate outcomes, moderate in five, and low in just one. We caught up with Leni Ysaguirre-McGann, the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, to discuss this remarkable achievement and what it means for Belize’s future.

Leni Ysaguirre-McGann, Director, F.I.U Belize

“Belize is a part of the international financial system. We want to operate in this financial system. It is important for our economic viability and our business viability that we are able to transact. And the reason why the FATF and these organizations are so effective at essentially pressuring countries, because it is a system of peer pressure, and they are quite effective in having countries abide and comply with these standards because failure to comply means you end up in some sort of review process or follow up process, grey listing or blacklisting. The intention is to put pressure on you to address any shortcomings. So, for us the goal was to avoid the blacklist and grey list and by avoiding it, means we don’t end up in an enhanced review process following our assessments. What would have happened had we not avoided those listings is that we would have ended up in a review process following our evaluation where they would then zone into the areas of deficiencies and put us on an action plan with specific timeline that we would have had to abide by. Now Belize has entered into what is called regular follow up process. This is essentially the gold standard. This is there we want to be. Our reporting periods are longer. We have two and a half years. In those two and a half years we provide updates on how we have been keeping our regime and how we have addressed deficiencies in our report.”

From CFATF Grey-List to Global Gold Standard

You might remember that back in 2011, Belize was grey listed in the third Round Mutual Evaluation Report. This was a big blow, causing the country to lose eighty-seven percent of its correspondent banking relationships. Fast forward to today, and Belize has hit the gold standard in these reviews. McGann points out that this doesn’t mean the country is completely free of these criminal activities, but it does show that the mechanisms in place are highly effective in combating them.

Leni Ysaguirre-McGann, Director, F.I.U Belize

“Given how we performed in our previous assessment in the third round ten years ago where we did get publicly listed or grey listed by the CFATF and shortly following those listings we would have noted Belize experienced loss of correspondence banking up to eighty-seven percent of our domestic banking correspondence relationships were severed with various institutions and we felt the consequences and we know what that feels like. So, it was a priority for our national agents, the government, to avoid that happening again because the country did take a while to recover and reestablish relationships. So, there is certainly a dramatic turnaround from where we were in the third round up to now. The point of the assessment is to assess the implementation of measures and the reason why we have these measures is premise on the idea that countries will have scourge of money laundering, and the threats associated with that that it has to address. No country is perfect, and the objective of the assessment is not that money laundering, or these threats will be eliminated. It is to ensure that there are appropriate measures within jurisdictions to address them to provide for national and domestic coordination, international cooperation and coordination, to ensure you are prioritizing things like asset recovery and forfeiture, so those are the mechanisms that it focuses on. It focuses on having mechanisms to apply targeted financial sanctions which are measures we take against persons who may be listed because of their involvement in terrorism financing or proliferation financing. So it is to ensure that the appropriate mechanisms are in place to respond to threats.”

Lee Mark Scoffs at Mediation Proposal

Amid the ongoing rift within the U.D.P, Lee Mark Chang, recently declared Deputy Leader under Panton’s leadership, took to Facebook today with a post clearly aimed at Mesop Standard Bearer, Moses “Shyne” Barrow. The brief post, almost scoffing at a request for mediation, simply stated, “that ship has sailed”. This came just four days after Chang announced his candidacy in the constituency under Tracy Taegar-Panton’s leadership, who is in a fierce battle with Barrow for party leadership. As the owner of Chon Saan Palace, Chang brings significant financial clout to his campaign, posing a formidable threat to Barrow’s candidacy in Mesop. Adding fuel to the fire, a Facebook post by Hot Off the Press, run by a Panton supporter, headlined “Shyne Barrow Seeks Peace After Stirring U.D.P. Conflict,” suggested that Barrow is now seeking peace after causing turmoil within the party. The post claims that Barrow’s legal team has reached out to Panton’s attorneys, signaling an interest in mediation. This comes after Panton indicated that Barrow had previously abandoned attempts at finding common ground. Barrow is expected to address this topic at a press conference on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the High Court of Belize has acknowledged receiving a letter dated January fifteenth regarding the Claimants’ request for Contempt Orders. These orders, filed on December sixth, 2024, are set to be heard alongside the Application for Court Orders with an Affidavit of Urgency submitted on January fifteenth. The court’s letter, sent on behalf of Justice Tawanda Hondora for Claim 661 of 2024, brought by Barrow against Panton, instructs the parties to coordinate their schedules and agree on a hearing date. Once the date is set, they are to inform the court so the necessary arrangements can be made for the hearing.

About-face: Omar Figueroa Supports Shyne Barrow Again

The power struggle within the United Democratic Party (U.D.P.) continues to unfold, with yet another shift in the Cayo North constituency. Doctor Omar Figueroa, who had previously thrown his support behind Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton following the October 20th Unity Convention, has now changed his stance. After a meeting with Mesop Area Representative Moses “Shyne” Barrow on Thursday night, Figueroa has decided to run for the U.D.P. under Barrow’s leadership. News Five’s Marion Ali has the full story in this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

On October twenty-eighth, UDP Cayo North Standard Bearer Dr. Omar Figueroa sent a letter to Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton and Mesop Area Representative Moses “Shyne” Barrow, announcing his decision to run for the UDP under Panton’s leadership. Although he missed the unity convention, Figueroa explained that this decision came after the Cayo North executive held several meetings to assess the situation within the UDP and conducted surveys to gauge the opinions of Cayo North voters. In his letter, Figueroa also praised the impressive show of unity that Panton managed to achieve at the convention, something the party hadn’t seen in years.

In the letter, Figueroa proposed holding a national leadership convention by December first, but that never came to pass. He also pointed out that given the turmoil within the UDP, the chances of organizing such a convention were slim, which indeed turned out to be the case. Between the October twenty-eighth letter and January twenty-third, Figueroa made an about-face, reverting to his original stance and once again throwing his support behind Barrow.

We couldn’t reach Figueroa for a comment, and Panton declined an interview until she could speak with him about the Thursday night meeting and decision, which she learned about from us. Alberto August, who maintains that he is the deputy chair of the UDP under Barrow, was present at the meeting. While he mentioned that Figueroa is the best person to discuss this latest development, August did share that Figueroa wants to run in the elections as a UDP candidate and sees Barrow as the UDP leader again. August explained that he, along with the UDP’s campaign manager and Barrow, met with Figueroa and his entire constituency committee, except for one member, on Thursday night in San Ignacio Town. This meeting took place after Figueroa’s committee decided to support Barrow as the UDP leader. More details will be provided at a press conference that Barrow will hold next Tuesday.

Figueroa’s change of heart came less than two weeks after another Panton supporter, Ivan Puerto, resigned as standard bearer for Corozal Bay. He had been front and center at the Panton-led Unity convention on October twentieth, celebrating the show of UDP solidarity. On the same day Figueroa penned his letter supporting Panton, Elodio Aragon Jr., the UDP’s standard bearer in Orange Walk East, also wrote to declare his allegiance to Panton. When we caught up with him today, he confirmed that Panton still had his full support. Marion Ali for News Five.

Osmond Martinez says New developments are Coming to PG

Earlier this week, Punta Gorda Town celebrated the grand opening of its very first USpace at the PG Public Library. This new hub is set to equip residents with the digital tools and training they need to thrive in today’s tech-driven world. Toledo East Area Representative, Doctor Osmond Martinez, shared that this is just the beginning of many exciting developments for the community. Late last year, the cabinet greenlit several key initiatives aimed at boosting tourism and sparking economic growth in the south. This includes major infrastructure upgrades and the development of a new marina in Punta Gorda. Doctor Martinez elaborated on these ambitious plans and their potential impact on the community.

Dr. Osmond Martinez, Area Representative, Toledo East

“Six out of ten children living in poverty. There is only one secret to get people out of poverty, and that is true education. So, and I am so grateful that under Plan Belize, which I was part of the Ministry of Economic Development when I was the CEO we led the medium-term development strategy, 2022 2026. So it’s the Plan Belize medium term development strategy. It’s well aligned and compatible with the sustainable development goals. You know I remember when we started back in 2020, the main objective was then health. Because it was about saving people’s life and saving the economy. But now there is a lot of investments going into education. And education is the only way to get people out of poverty. That’s how you will increase human capital. That’s how you will become innovative. That’s how we will start to attract investments. And let me tell you something young boys and girls, you know, a lot of opportunities are coming for Punta Gorda. The marina is in its med, as is today, we have the architect and engineers meeting at the Punta Gorda Town Council to start to finalize the building of the marina. We have the call center, which I understand that Monday they will start with some agents already. We have the tourism sector that we’re planning to boost. But there is a lot of more opportunities that are coming that we need to prepare our young people to be ready for it. And young people, please make use of it.”

Fonseca Recounts Said Musa’s Legacy in Education

The Ministry of Education is stepping up its game to support rural communities by boosting access to resources that help residents build their skills. This includes the digital connect sectors and USpaces popping up all over the country. Earlier this week, at the launch of one of these new hubs, Minister of Education Francis Fonseca took a moment to reflect on the ministry’s achievements. He also highlighted the pivotal role that former Education Minister and Prime Minister Said Musa played in revolutionizing education in Belize.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“We’re very, very honored to have with us our former Prime Minister, former leader of our country, the Right Honorable Said Musa, and of course joined by Mrs. Joan Musa but we’re very honored. Prime Minister, I didn’t know you- Yassir didn’t tell me you were going to be here. It was a great pleasant surprise to see you when I got here. You know, and always an honor and pleasure to have you in our presence. You know, Prime Minister Musa, I think will forever be remembered in terms of his legacy as the leader of this country, prime minister of this country. Really, as the education and culture prime minister. He really led transformation of our education system, even, you know, when he was minister of education, that started. But when he was prime minister, he gave his full support to the transformation of our education system. And of course, the cultural revolution that we saw between 1998 and 2008, with the birth of NICH being a prominent component of that legacy. So, when we talk about education and culture, we think immediately of Prime Minister Saïd Musa.”

Epworth Methodist Primary School Doing MORE for Education

It’s been over a year since the Ministry of Education kicked off its More campaign, urging everyone to go the extra mile to make education in Belize truly shine. Schools are being challenged to be more creative, digital, inclusive, healthy, and involved. Just this week, Minister of Education Francis Fonseca gave a special shoutout to Methodist Primary School in Dangriga for their amazing contributions to the More initiative. Students there have been getting creative in sewing, art, and music clubs, and they’re also making a real difference in their community through the school’s environmental club. Here’s more on their inspiring efforts.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“ You know my friends, were here in Dangriga. Before I came over here to the library. We stopped in at Epworth Methodist Primary School to recognize them and celebrate their success. They’ve been doing a lot of good work in the community. They’re a part of our, what we call the MORE campaign, right? We launched a MORE campaign at the Ministry of Education about a year ago. And the objective of that campaign was really to inspire and encourage and really, you know, get the message out our education community more involved in the work of our communities and our nation. So we wanted, the challenge was for everyone in education to do more and be more for education in Belize. And so we’re very, very proud to go over to Epworth Methodists and to acknowledge the work that they have been doing in their community in terms of education.”

NORCECA Volleyball Confederation President Visits Belize

The President of the North America, Central America, and the Caribbean Volleyball Federation is in town. Belize is playing host to the Central American Volleyball Federation’s general assembly, and he’s here to chair the event over the weekend. Today, he took some time to meet with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Tourism, and the Minister of Sports to push for more investment in Belize’s national volleyball team. We had the opportunity to chat with him about how those discussions went. Here’s what he had to say.

Cristobal Hoffiz, President, NORCECA Volleyball Federation

“I Am taking advantage of the visit; we already visit the minister of tourism. We visited the Prime Minister of Belize, and we are looking forward this afternoon to visit the minister of sports. We are requesting the government to provide more support to the Belize National Volleyball Federation. We are doing our part. We have provided in the past couple of years volleyball floors. You have seen here the surface. We have provided three and we are prepared to provide more. But we have one problem, we provide the floors and we don’t have the place to put the floors in order to be used for volleyball. This is why we are visiting the government, different agencies, and ministries, especially the prime minister. We explain to them the problem we are having. As you know, sport is the most significant and most important tool to fight drugs, dealers, crime. It would take the kids out of the street and bring them to a sport and create useful citizens in Belize. How do we achieve that? Explaining our work, providing the necessary tool and looking forward that the government also provides the other part. We cannot do everything. We can do most important part, provide the tools to develop the sports. I cannot come here and say let us build a venue on that piece of land. I don’t own land here. We need to create the know how to the government to let them know their responsibility is that we need their support to join ventures and make it happen.”

BVA President Weighs in On Need for More Volleyball Facilities

We also caught up with Allan Sharp, the President of the Belize Volleyball Association, to discuss how to tackle the shortage of volleyball training facilities nationwide. President Sharp mentioned that if he had access to the funds the government does, he would start by building covers over the existing facilities in primary school compounds across the country.

Allan Sharp, President, Belize Volleyball Association

“I have shared this with some of the ministers already and some powers that be. To me if it was my money and I am investing. I would turn first to government schools and schools in general. They already have outdoor courts. It is just a matter of covering them and managing the time. So many hours for basketball and volleyball. By having that also the school will take much better care of the facilities because it is their facility, they own it for them. There are teams for different sports that will pay to rent the space. So, they can get the income to maintain that facility. So, if it was my money putting out I would recommend we highly we start with schools, because they benefit all day from it. We want more sports in schools. We want to start at a younger age. So imagine like today in Belize City, which school can have P.E., which school can train? Only the few that have covered facilities. So, the rest cant. This is a determent and how many days per year it rains in Belize. So we need to have them covered and that is the quickest way to move forward. Once you have the covered facilities the demand will go higher. There is more demand right now to use courts, whether it be basketball, volleyball, table tennis, karate, they are all demanding use of facilities.”