Tamai assured that having multiple red boxes on the ballot paper shouldn’t be an issue, even for first-time voters. She explained that each candidate will have a unique number next to their name. So, once you find your candidate, just mark an X beside their name. It’s that simple.
Josephine Tamai
Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer
“One of the things that I try to advise on, and especially when it comes to voters, I know that traditionally people have been saying, well, in Belize, we actually vote by colors. And yes, that is true, but at the same time, every single candidate has a number assigned to them. So let’s say, for example, you have four candidates. You will see number one, two, three, four. And so, you could tell persons to say, okay, vote for number, whatever number on the ballot you want them to mark. The ballot also has their names, and so, it has a color as well. And what they can do is to mark one X.”
Last week, Prime Minister John Briceño hinted that Belize might be stepping away from the Hague Group. This coalition, formed on January thirty-first, 2025, aims to support the rulings of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. While P.M. Briceño didn’t confirm the withdrawal, he stressed Belize’s ongoing support for Palestine. Today, Eamon Courtenay, a top legal expert and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, was asked if this move could curry favor with the International Court of Justice in our border dispute.
Eamon Courtenay
Eamon Courtenay, Attorney at Law
“I don’t believe there will be any evidence before the ICJ as to who is in the Hague Group and who is not in the Hague Group. I don’t think membership or non-membership should give rise to any legal issue. If membership of a group like the Hague Group influences judges, then in my opinion they are not independent. So, I do not believe there will be any deleterious effect, whether or not we are a member of the Hague Group.”
Reporter
“Do you think that leaving the Hague Group would be advisable in light of the fact that the U.S. is staunchly pro-Israeli at this time?”
Eamon Courtenay
“I would say that every country in the world, particularly those in this side of the world, Belize is undergoing a review of its foreign policy in relation to changes not only in the U.S., but changes in the Europe as well. I know the Foreign Minister is actively looking at different aspects and issues, the position of Belize. He and I have spoken about it from time to time, so I know that the ministry is deeply looking at analyzing the position. All I will say, and I will say no more about this.”
The escalating trade war between the United States, Mexico, and Canada has sent ripples through the global economy, with significant implications for small importing countries like Belize. Initiated by the imposition of twenty-five percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods by the U.S., this conflict has prompted swift retaliatory measures from both neighboring countries. For Belize, which relies heavily on imports and maintains close economic ties with the U.S., the fallout from this trade war could lead to increased costs for goods, disrupted supply chains, and broader economic instability. As the situation unfolds, Belize and other small nations must navigate these challenges to mitigate the adverse effects on their economies. Earlier today, News Five sat down with economist, Doctor Leroy Almendarez, for his perspective on the trade dispute.
Leroy Almendarez
Dr. Leroy Almendarez, Economist
“Certain wars are triggered, others might just have been saying, “Well this is how my economy is working.” As you know, there has been an existing trade relationship between Canada, the US and Mexico, reconfigured at different times, NAFTA, and then it was changed in terms of its dimensions. But what has happened, I think that there’s another part to it. The President of the United States is saying, or President Trump is saying, “Mexico, you have a problem with your cartels and illegal immigration, so we want these people to, really, if you don’t do anything to stop them from coming across our border then we will do something for you to act. In the case of Canada, they are saying the same thing, you know, that drugs are coming into the United States. And so, he believes that if you levy these tariffs on goods from Canada, goods from Mexico, but goods from China, as well, but China is the… when it comes to that trade relationship between China and the United States, I mean, China holds the largest part of America’s debt. So that’s an issue in itself. So, when these tariffs were levied, if you look at it just as a one-way thing, what would basically happen is immediately, as soon as they are levied, you’ll have to mark up your prices. Prices of goods from Canada going into the United States, those prices will go up. But what Canada has done and if you listen to the outgoing Prime Minister, really, Trudeau, he decided to levy reciprocal taxes.” It’s the same thing with Mexico. Mexico has not responded in kind as yet, but more than likely the taxwill be reciprocal, meaning one for one. In the case of China, China will do the same thing.”
Higher import costs can contribute to inflation, reducing the purchasing power of Belizean consumers. This could particularly affect low-income households, worsening economic inequality.
Dr. Leroy Almendarez, Economist
“But for us, when it comes to inflation, we have to look at increasing our manufacturing capability, domestic production… but not only domestic production, but ensuring that whatever is put into our cost of production can make the price, without compromising quality, but the price is competitive. Because if the price is higher, we tend to see sometimes where they say products produced domestically at times when you’re trying to price it because of the cost of inputs, it doesn’t make you competitive. See, it doesn’t make you competitive. We have to look at other markets. We have to strengthen our relationship with Central America. We have to do intra-regional trade with CARICOM, we have the CARICOM Single Market & Economy. We have to take full advantage of that as well. And so, in terms of penetration in there, I mean, it’s duty-free trade and so we must take full advantage of that. We have SICA, but we also have SIECA, SIECA is the economic integration.”
On Monday, we reported on Herbin Bans, who was found dead along Old Well Road. Police said the forty-two-year-old Lord’s Bank resident tried to steal a motorcycle and escaped by swimming in nearby ponds. He was found floating in the water the next day. However, tonight, a family has come forward to clarify that Bans never tried to steal their motorcycle. Nalini Prado, the motorcycle’s owner, shares more details on the incident.
On the phone: Nalini Prado, Lord’s Bank Resident
“I live da di location. Weh happen I have, I may buy a new motorcycle and it have alarm. The alarm went off. So my husband get up and he gone outside fi check weh mi di happen. So we mi think somebody mi di thief the bike, but there was no one outside. So we gone inside back. Then we hear wa screaming. When we come outside again, we hear the screaming through the pond then. We never see nobody, but we hear the bawling, so I gone get the headlight, my husband’s headlight, and with a flash we see, that afterwards we see the person, way inna the pond, inside the pond water.”
Britney Gordon
“Was he still alive at that point?”
Nalini Prado
“He was alive. We call the police at the moment because we never know da who that person so we neva want risk fi come outside and say maybe they want trap to make somebody kill we or whatever you understand me.”
Britney Gordon
“So what happened when the police arrived? If you guys saw him, how come they did not find him?”
Nalini Prado
“When the police arrived, it looked like he saw the light from the truck and he hopped from the other pond to the other pond. So the police went and looked for him.”
Britney Gordon
“So if he was screaming for assistance or help, why is it that he ran from the police?
Nalini Prado
“I have no idea, ma’am. That’s the reason I don’t have no idea why he ran. But before he, before the police reached he hollered and said in Spanish that nobody no love ah and that they come to kill ah. That’s the way the man said before the police reached.”
Britney Gordon
“Do you think that he may have been drunk or injured?”
Nalini Prado
“He was really wasted. I have no idea who he was with but he is not somebody that goes back there at us.”
This morning, police shot a man named Edward Saldano inside the Michael Finnegan Market. Officers reportedly found a firearm in the market, and when they tried to approach Saldano, he ran. They shot him in the leg to stop him and took him to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment. Saldano is no stranger to trouble; he was wanted for escaping police custody back in November. Today, his run-in with the law ended with a gunshot wound. We spoke with his mother, Joyce Martinez, outside the hospital. She believes the police didn’t need to shoot her son.
Edward Saldano
Edward Saldano, Shooting Victim
“Deh handcuff me and shot up, deh bally done handcuff me and shot me.”
Joyce Martinez
Joyce Martinez, Mother of Shooting Victim
“I really nuh know what happen, all I know the other day a shooting happened and they say he did the shooting. That is what I hear. I asked him if he wanted to go in. He said, what will I go in for when every minute as I go in they hold me. I understand that, because every time I carry my son they hold him, or sometimes I pay a lawyer to carry him in. But when you reach there it is a different story. My daughter called me and said they are walking around market to f**king find a gun. How will you know if that is his gun?”
Paul Lopez
“So he was in the vicinity?”
Joyce Martinez
“Look like he was at some stall and he see them and run apparently and they shot him. Then they look around to see if he had anything on him and they find a gun. So if you find a gun now dah fuh you? Yo nuh get no justice out yah, nun at all. If you nuh got money, nothing work. I tired of the police and deh nonsense and some of them call themselves GI3. Deh dah nuh GI3 deh dah BI f**king 3, deh act like woman.”
Paul Lopez
“Is it your view that in their attempt to detain your son they should not have shot him.”
Joyce Martinez
“Of course, detain him but why you have to shot him?”
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams is conducting a two-day tour of irregular border crossings in northern Belize. According to the Belize Police Department, the commissioner is meeting with officers from the Northern Operations Unit to discuss challenges and explore ways to improve security and operational effectiveness.
It said, “With heightened cartel activity in neighbouring Chetumal, it is only prudent that we reassess our operational objectives to ensure no vulnerable areas are left exposed to potential spillover effects. We remain committed to targeting local Belizeans known to associate with cartels in an effort to disrupt their activities.”
Accompanying Commissioner Williams on the tour are ACP Alford Grinage, Commander of Operations; Sr. Supt. Christopher Noble, Northern Regional Commander; Supt. Aaron Gamboa, OC SPU; ASP Marciano Mejia, OC MIU; and Inspector Jamin Cassanova, OC HIT.
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has denied a special leave application filed by Jeremy Enriquez in his case against the Attorney General of Belize. The ruling, delivered on March 4, 2025, marks the latest development in a legal battle that also involves the Elections and Boundaries Commission as an interested party.
According to court documents, Enriquez sought special leave to appeal a decision from the Belize Court of Appeal, but the CCJ dismissed the application, stating it was “without merit.”
The court ruled that the matter would be handled on paper submissions, eliminating the need for an oral hearing before denying the application.
Enriquez is challenging the March 12th election, claiming the voters list is unconstitutional. His attorney, Anand Ramlogan, requested an urgent appeal, but the Court of Appeal must first decide if it qualifies for an expedited hearing. Frustrated with the delay, Ramlogan took the unprecedented step of appealing the case management orders to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
The two candidates were supposed to go head-to-head in a debate organised by the Citizens for Good Governance in Dangriga. However, the debate has been called off due to a disagreement over the venue. Dr. Louis Zabaneh of the People’s United Party and independent candidate Cyril Uruwei Garcia were set to debate.
Dr. Zabaneh had initially requested the debate a week prior. According to the statement, while the CFGG and Dr. Zabaneh had agreed on the Chiste Garcia Auditorium, a venue capable of accommodating over 2,000 people, the organisation later insisted on holding the debate at the Dangriga Town Hall, which only holds about 100 people.
Dr. Zabaneh argued that the smaller venue would restrict public access, particularly for students and residents from rural villages without internet access. The statement said that despite offering to sponsor the event, including transportation for attendees, CFGG rejected the offer and maintained their stance on the Town Hall. In response, Dr. Zabaneh withdrew his request for the debate.
In a press release issued today, Garcia questioned Zabaneh’s decision, accusing him of avoiding public scrutiny. Garcia dismissed this reasoning, pointing out that the debate was also set to be broadcast live on the internet, allowing Zabaneh’s supporters to watch remotely. He argued that declining to debate raises doubts about a candidate’s willingness to be accountable to voters.
“This election is not about comfort or convenience—it is about you, the people,” Garcia stated in his release. “When a candidate refuses to debate, it raises a serious question: does he already believe he has won? Does he think your vote doesn’t matter?”
“If a candidate will not stand before you now, how can you trust them to stand up for you after the election?” he asked.
The Ministry of Human Development, Families, and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs has partnered with Agape International Missions Belize (AIM) to expand care services for survivors of violence.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed.
The partnership is aimed at enhancing the ministry’s efforts to provide essential rehabilitative services and holistic care for individuals affected by trafficking.
The Chief Executive Officer, Adele Catzim, said, “This partnership will be instrumental in providing comprehensive support to individuals who are vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking.”
AIM is a global organisation committed to addressing human trafficking and exploitation while providing essential support services for survivors.
