Meanwhile, in Corozal, police are looking into the tragic murder of a woman in Concepcion Village. They suspect that thirty-six-year-old Wendy Mendez might have been caught in a domestic dispute, especially since she was gravely injured in a chopping incident back in 2022 that nearly took her life. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero shared that Mendez succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, following an attack on Friday, March ninth.
“On Sunday, the ninth of March 2025 a report was received that a female was found unconscious in Concepcion Village. She was taken for medical treatment. Thereafter, police visited and saw the victim. She later succumbed to her injuries on Friday. Several interviews are being conducted and we’re trying to determine what happened to her as she was at the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. She was identified as Wendy Mendez of Concepcion Village.”
Marion Ali
“Do police believe this was a domestic issue?”
A.C.P. Hilberto Romero
“Well, we have certain information that we are following up on and so, we should do some follow up today and the coming days to determine what happened to her.”
Reporter
“Would that information include a prior police report involving domestic violence?”
A.C.P. Hilberto Romero
“Yes, we have a report and that is being followed up likewise.”
What started as a joyous birthday celebration turned into a nightmare for one woman when the lit candle on her cake set her bed on fire, destroying all her belongings. The incident happened on Sunday morning in the room she occupies on the lower flat of her family home on Fairweather Street. Fortunately, the family of seven still has most of their home intact, except for two bedrooms that will need repairs. News Five’s Marion Ali has the full story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The thick smoke billowing from the residence on Fairweather Street just before eleven on Sunday morning had an unexpected origin, a birthday cake. Astajah Smith had lit a candle on her cake in her bedroom and turned around to snap some pictures. But things quickly took a turn for the worse, as her sister Rackiesha Gregory explained to News Five.
Voice of: Rackiesha Gregory
Voice of: Rackiesha Gregory, Sister of Fire Victim
“Ih mi done light the cake, but ih mi about for tek pictures and within a split second, by the time she turn fi reach fi her phone from wherever it was and she turn back, she realize the candle for some reason flip over pon the bed and the mattress start ketch fire.”
According to Gregory, when Astajah realized she couldn’t put out the rapidly spreading fire by herself, she quickly alerted her family upstairs. Within minutes, helpful neighbors jumped into action to assist.
Voice of: Rackiesha Gregory
“By the time we came downstairs, we saw the flames coming through the window, you hear the wires popping up, her electronics and stuff like that and we yell for help and fortunately the neighbors were with us. Everyone came out, they came out with buckets and hoses. We have the neighbor across the street, her son was right in the front here. Her son constantly called until he got the fire pump. And they came really quickly and that’s how the fire was contained.”
Firefighters were just minutes away, which made all the difference, according to Gladstone Bucknor, the Belize District’s Station Supervisor. Their quick response helped contain the situation before it got even worse.
Gladstone Bucknor
Gladstone Bucknor, Belize District Station Supervisor, National Fire Service
“Seeing that it’s right across the bridge, they responded very quickly. Bear in mind, it’s a wooden structure, two-story, and only one just a portion of the room got damaged downstairs, that’s really quick.”
Reporter
“ So it could have gotten worse?”
Gladstone Bucknor
“It could have gotten far worse than what it did. It’s a two-story wooden structure, only one room in that area, 16 by 10, got slightly damaged, not completely damaged. It all occurred due to the young lady’s birthday, Ms. Smith’s birthday, and she was having her birthday cake and the fan accidentally knocked down the cake with the candle on top.”
Although the family didn’t get to celebrate the birthday or enjoy the cake, they’re grateful that all seven of them, including two children, are safe and still have their home.
Voice of: Rackiesha Gregory
“It was supposed to be a birthday celebration, but we’re thankful that we’re all alive and no one was hurt. And, yes, it’s material stuff. But It’ll take a while to get it back, but we’re grateful that we’re all alive.”
Gregory says the family can always rebuild, but they will need a little help.
Voice of: Rackiesha Gregory
“By the grace of God, if we receive help and the family comes together and pull through. ’cause once we get materials, you know, we can go from there. ’cause my dad’s field of work is construction and my husband could always assist him.”
On Sunday, another fire broke out in Belize City, this time on Ebony Street. Unfortunately, no one was home to save the house, and by the time the fire truck arrived, it was completely gutted. Station Supervisor for the Belize District, Gladstone Bucknor, explained to reporters that there wasn’t much they could do, as they had just returned from putting out a bush fire.
Gladstone Bucknor
Gladstone Bucknor, Belize District Station Supervisor, National Fire Service
“A cement bungalow structure actually completely got destroyed with all the contents inside. As far as the investigation reveals, we understand that the person who owns it, Ms. Humes, is deceased and I think her daughter lives in the house now.”
Reporter
“Do you have any idea what caused the fire?”
Gladstone Bucknor
“The officers are out there, they’re still looking at that. At the time of the Ebony Street fire it was after 12 on Sunday afternoon.”
Meanwhile, Bucknor provided details about a fire that left a family in Hattieville homeless last Friday morning. He explained that their investigation revealed the blaze was caused by faulty electrical wiring in the house on Old Hattieville Road.
Gladstone Bucknor
Gladstone Bucknor, Belize District Station Supervisor, National Fire Service “It’s a wooden structure, with about a four-foot elevation off the ground, completely destroyed. We have one female and her two kids staying in the house. That one, the fire originated in the kids’ room and again, electrical faultiness has a lot of role in that one. We found beatings where the fan was plugged in. And we actually discovered that there’s only a 20-amp breaker that was filling a whole entire building. So it was overloaded.”
Last Wednesday, Shyne Barrow was ousted from his seat in the House of Representatives. Voters in Mesopotamia decided it was time for a change, electing Lee Mark Chang in a heated three-way race. But the drama isn’t over yet—there’s still a High Court case filed by Barrow and his former U.D.P. executives, set to be heard on March thirty-first. With Barrow losing his seat, he’s no longer eligible to lead the party, according to the United Democratic Party’s constitution. The big question now is: what impact will Justice Tawanda Hondora’s ruling have on Tracy Taegar-Panton’s leadership of the U.D.P.?
Tracy Taegar-Panton
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Leader of the Opposition
“Well, I don’t know what the court will decide and I can’t preempt the thinking and consideration of the judge on this matter, but I think it’s a paper case at this point. Shyne did not win his seat and the constitution of the party is very clear, you cannot be the leader of the party if you do not win your seat in an election. It is really unfortunate that Shyne keeps pulling at straws and not do the right and honorable thing and tender his resignation to the party. You know, people are exhausted by this desire of his to hold on to something that he can’t hold on to and to continue to create the kind of confusion that the party doesn’t need at this time. I have reached out to all my colleagues, all thirty-one, with the exception of the four who decided that they were leaving the party, because it’s time to reconcile, it’s time for us to heal and to rebuild, and the reconciliation and healing period has to be short. The rebuilding is going to take time. A lot of harm has been done to the party and I put that squarely on the shoulders of the former party leader, the former chairman and the former vice chairman of the United Democratic Party.”
Prime Minister John Briceño congratulated Tracy Panton today on her historic achievement as the first woman to be sworn in as Leader of the Opposition. PM Briceño praised her hard work and dedication, saying she truly deserves the role. When asked if he would miss Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow in the house, the prime minister opted to stay silent on the matter.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceno
“I congratulate her. She has worked hard to be where she is and she deserves it. I know it is a big deal being the first female leader of the opposition. But that position is not about being a make or female, it is about the competence that you ring to the table. She has a lot of hard work ahead of her in trying to heal the party and I wish her well.”
Reporter
“Do you feel like you will have to change your debate tactics so as to not come off mesogenic because she is a woman?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I don’t think she will be asking for any kind of special treatment. When she called me one of the things she brought up, and I agreed, we want to improve the level of discourse and debate in the National Assembly. If you look back at the past thirteen years, it is probably one of the worst times in the National Assembly. I have attempted to improve and we have improved considerably, but we have ways to go. The then leader of the opposition, sometimes it was difficult to work with him. But I believe the Leader of the Opposition, Honorable Tracy Panton will being a different approach to the work of the National Assembly and we can cooperate in matters of national interest while still protecting the interest of our party. But I do look forward to working with her.”
Before the recent general election, PM Briceño promised to complete the redistricting exercise during this term. Today, he reaffirmed that commitment, stating that his administration has until the end of 2026 to finish the process. However, he remains optimistic that it could be wrapped up by the end of this year.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I said that before the end of 2026, but I suspect, I am giving myself until the end of 2026 but I am aiming for the end of 2025.”
Reporter
“Do you have any idea how you planned to fix the malapportionment because in this report it is thirty-five percent when international standards is fifteen percent. Will some of the city constituencies be cut?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“That is exactly the reason why we will look at it again. We will look at the report that EBC, they will have to take a hard look and see what changes or what reconfiguration can be done to the recommendations they did.”
The Briceño administration’s next big task is gearing up for the budget debate. Prime Minister John Briceño mentioned that the budget is already partially prepared and should be finalized by early next month.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“That is one of the things that Mr. Coye is going to be working with us, even as a minister of state or in whatever form. He is going to be helping to reshape the budget. Obviously we will not be able to finish by the end of the month, but I don’t see what it should go beyond April. A lot of it has been done, but we need to make some tweaks here and there to present a budget that is workable.”
Reporter
“Are we looking over a billion again?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Of course it is over a billion, especially when it comes to expenses, it is difficult, especially the recurrent expenses. I think recurring expenses is already over a billion dollars and it is difficult to cut from that.”
One decision that’s drawing a lot of attention is the move to place the Ministry of Youth and Sports under the Ministry of Tourism. Anthony Mahler has been reappointed as the main minister, while Prime Minister John Briceño has brought in newcomer Devin Daly as the minister of state. When we spoke with Minister Mahler today, he promised significant improvements for sports within the first one hundred days.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Sports
“The Prime Minister in his infinite wisdom decided I could take up the role for youth and sports. If you look at the population, sixty-eight, seventy percent of the population is under thirty., which they play a crucial role. I am tired of hearing the youth is our future, the youth is now. They make up a huge part of our labor force, they are driving the economy forward and they should be given the recognition. The same thing with sports, there is nothing in this country or anywhere in the world that unites a people, no politics, no church, nothing. So, these things have a ways to go in terms of reaching a level they should be, but Minister Daly and I will work tirelessly to ensure that sports and youth get the right attention it needs.”
Paul Lopez
“How daunting of a task when you think about the work that needs to be done where sports is concerned, facilities, investing in the athletes, people have this notion that you have these backing and so the expectations will be high.”
Anthony Mahler
“I don’t know which backing you are talking, Mr. Daly and I have the will, and the focus and the drive to get it done. You will see mark improvement within the hundred days. I assure you of that, and the nation of that. We nuh come fuh play, we come fih work serious.”
Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. Back in 2023, Robotics was officially declared a sport in Belize. Over the weekend, eight robotic teams from across the country gathered inside the Belize High School Auditorium to compete in the National First Lego League Robotics Championship. This year’s theme was Submerge. Each team was tasked with him building robots that are programmed to complete a list of missions within the marine space. They were also required to identify an issue within the marine ecosystem and present an innovative solution to that problem.
Gustavo Carillo
Gustavo Carillo, Organizer, First Lego League Championship
“Right now we are trying to push this challenge in Belize, because everything is pushing towards technology and robotics and there is a lot of careers and fields that has to do with STEM. So engineering, mathematics, science and with this challenge these students can delve into the engineering and mathematics aspects, understanding how the project works, and do their research.”
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The competition was at its peak during the robotics games as the eight teams went head-to-head. Points were scored based on the number of missions accomplished within the allotted time, across three rounds.At the end of the day, the youngest team among the group, Titanic Tech, emerged as the third-place winners. They edged out one of the Belize High School’s AbissalX for the placement in the final round. The second-place trophy went to the Orange Walk Muffles College Bob Cats. They also received individual awards for Best Innovative Performance and Sportsmanship. The overall winners of the tournament were the Belize High School Atlantians. They brought down the defending champions, Itz’at STEAM Academy Robotics Team.
Ericson Che
Ericson Che, Atlantians, FLL Champions
“Right now after the late night we took and after all the trial and error, it fells really good.”
Karii Domingo
Karii Domingo, Atlantians, FLL Champions
“All the other teams did excellent, I talked to all of them. I was amazed with their robots. Yes we won but everyone here are winners, everyone that participated and put in the effort, we are all champions at the end of the day.”
And from the sport of robotics we move in some cycling. We are talking about the Westrac Belmopan Cycling Classic. On Sunday morning, riders lined up at the starting line in front of Westrac Belize City for a hundred-mile race under the sweltering heat of the day. The race was from Belize City to Belmopan and back. Here is how this one played out courtesy Ordonez Bike Shop and the Belize Cycling Federation.
At mile fourteen, before the race reached Hatieville, Derick Chavaria broke away from the main peloton and took the lead. Folks it was all Chavaria after this point. Heading into Saint Mathews Village, Derick Chavarria had created a fifty seconds gap between himself and the main group of cyclist. Fifty miles into the race, in the City of Belmopan, Chavaria had widened that gap to three minutes and thirty-seconds, giving him a significant lead. Here the main peloton of riders passed in front of the Belmopan Comprehensive School playing catchup with Derick Chavarria.
Folks, we fast forward this one to Burton Creek Bridge just outside of Belize City. Still, it was Derick Chavarria, all alone. At this point the gap between the main peloton had extended beyond seven minutes and there was no signs of catching up with Chavaria. Chavaria crossed the finish line in front of Westrac Belize all alone with a comfortable lead. Second and third place was a sprint to the finish between Gyven Gonzalez and James Alford. Gonzalez secured second and Alford secured third. We heard from the champion.
“The race gone not as planned. We had a different team tactics. I guess because of how the other teams ride we had to switch it up. I never really expect to run from all the way so far, but I guess nobody wanted to chase or follow, so I said just put the pressure on the crowd because if we could burn out the other teams, the domestics we could capitalize and Gyven could sit down until they catch me.”
Well folks that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
