2025-03-27 - Channel 5 Belize

BSCFA Wanted Sugar Industry Under Mai; B.S.I Welcomes the Change

Among the standout changes Prime Minister John Briceño made when he started his second term was taking charge of the sugar industry himself. Under the previous P.U.P. administration, this sector was managed by the Minister of Agriculture, Jose Abelardo Mai. Now, the PM has taken the reins and appointed Doctor Osmond Martinez as the Minister of State to handle the day-to-day operations. This move seems logical to some, given the recent challenges faced by the sugar industry. While A.S.R./B.S.I. views the PM’s decision positively, the BSCFA is not on board. They were so concerned that they sent a letter to the PM, expressing their dissatisfaction. The association claimed the decision was influenced by an emergency meeting with the ASR Group, a multinational corporation that owns the only sugar mill in northern Belize. They called the move ‘alarming,’ questioning how addressing ASR’s concerns could impact Cabinet portfolio assignments. Ironically, ASR Group officials have previously labeled any government support to farmers as political interference in the sugar industry. Today, we heard perspectives from both sides.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Committee of Management, B.S.C.F.A

“It entails a lot of economics within the sugar industry, but it’s not only the economics of it. It also entails the daily living of the farmers and their families. So there are many things that it entails within not only the economic side, but also the social side of it, the livelihood of everyone involved in the sugar industry. So we are not against Martinez having that position. What we are looking for is that anyone that is placed in charge within the sugar industry looks forward to transforming the sugar industry into something much better than it is or it was. The recent interview that the prime minister had on Open Your Eyes, I believe where he said that he had to travel to Miami to speak with the A.S.R. group of people. That is where some of the situation arises because we don’t know what compromise he went to give there.”

Marion Ali

“Have you as an association reached out to the Prime Minister to ask him for a meeting to discuss what came out of that meeting that he spoke about then?

Alfredo Ortega

“ We haven’t sent him a letter before because we didn’t know there would be changes in regards to the portfolio of sugar industry until recently when he announced that, so it took us by surprise. But yes, we are working towards that because even though we send that letter to him, we are saying that we would have preferred Mr. Mai to continue as the Minister of sugar. Nevertheless, we have to respect that decision that he put and yes, we are looking forward to inviting him and Dr. Osmond Martinez to have a meeting with them and to see what is their plan.”

Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, B.S.I.

“We see it very positive. It’s in a way a welcomed approach because for us, it highlights that at the highest level of government, they see the sugar industry as critical and for us, we take that positively that, you know, the Prime Minister is saying, look, we see as the government, the importance of the sugar industry and the need to try to improve. I think everybody in Belize knows that the industry is struggling. We are struggling because of climate change. We do have commercial issues that continue to bog down the industry, and so the Prime Minister is saying, well, look, we want to bring a lot more focus to this and try to see how we could try to move the industry forward. He has appointed a working group, which we are participating in that is being led by Dr. Marcelino Avila. And already that working group is coming up with some good ideas and suggestions, which we hope can be taken forward. So from that standpoint, we welcome it, and we look forward to working with the Prime Minister and Minister Martinez to see how we could try to move this industry forward.”

Milling Resumes at Tower Hill but Sugar Yields Remains Low

Earlier this month, the mill at Tower Hill finally resumed processing sugarcane after a two-week delay caused by relentless rains and mud-caked cane. Although the quality of the cane has improved somewhat, industry insiders are worried that there might not be enough time to match the output of previous years before the crop season ends in June. This shortfall could lead to significant revenue losses. News Five’s Marion Ali has the full story.

Marion Ali, Reporting

After a two-and-a-half-week break in milling operations at the Tower Hill factory, work finally resumed on March 4th, putting an end to a significant disruption in the sugarcane processing routine. The delay was largely due to bad weather. Now that milling is back on track, the quality of the cane being processed has improved a bit, according to B.S.I.’s Industrial Operations Manager, Stephen Usher. It’s almost back to what it was in recent years.

Stephen Usher, Industrial Operations Manager, B.S.I.

“We normally look for purities above 81. We were getting an average of the mid-seventies, which was low. The purity basically tells us how much sugar we can extract out of the cane, and also though, it basically is a guideline for extraction process. So, since the restart, we have seen improvements in cane quality purities. The mud percent cane coming in before that stop, we were averaging 10%. So, every ton of cane that we brought in, you know, 10% of that was mud. We are now back to normalcy where it’s three to 4%. To give you an example, we are normally closer to 48, 49,000 tons of cane for the week. Last week we did 46, 000 tons of cane.”

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman of the Committee of Management with the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, explained that the weather was just one of the factors slowing down the cane farmers’ production. Parasites were another major issue.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Committee of Management, B.S.C.F.A.

“One of the problems that we are facing right now that we’re seeing that has not improved the quality of the cane as we want it to be, is because of the pest infestation and the fusarium that was discovered last year in the month of October and November. Now that we are harvesting, we are seeing the problems that the fusarium has caused to many of those cane fields where the infestation has happened.”

Shawn Chavarria, B.S.I.’s Director of Finance, revealed that the mill has produced significantly less cane compared to the same period last crop. This shortfall is bound to lead to major revenue losses, as the industry will struggle to make up for the lost time.

Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, B.S.I.

“If you compare how much we’ve milled the date of 386,000 metric tons, last year at the same time, we had already milled 501,000 metric tons. There’s still ground for us to make up, but as Stephen mentioned, we’re seeing much lower mod levels, which is good for milling, but the quality still has quite a bit of room to catch up and we don’t think it’ll catch up. If the weather allows, we think we can get in all the cane, but we have to wait and see. And that’s why right now it is really important for the whole farming community and the mill to work together along with the support of S.C.P.C. to make sure that we are maximizing keen deliveries while the weather is good because we don’t know what the situation will be like come June.”

While the potential losses are expected to be quite significant, there’s no estimate yet of the exact amount. Ortega pointed out that the two districts are facing different challenges, which play a big role in this situation.

Alfredo Ortega

“Our farmers are spread up between Orange Walk and Corozal and we are in different areas, so the situation and the problems are different in different areas that we are experiencing. So based on the deliveries of cane, that is how we are seeing all the percentage of loss is coming on board in regards to quality. in regards to yields, in regards to growth, we are seeing those effects now. So at this point in time, we’re unable to give a number on what is the projected loss for this crop.”

The sugar crop is expected to close in June. Marion Ali for News Five.

BSCFA Official Says Fair Trade Agreement Blocks Them from Certain

In a recent interview, the PM mentioned that the B.S.C.F.A. is hesitant to sign the Fair Trade letter of enhancement. He pointed out that this reluctance is causing cane farmers in the association to miss out on potential benefits. Today, Ortega explained that there are valid reasons for not signing the letter. One major concern is that it restricts them from taking certain actions, like communicating with the government or voicing their concerns.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Committee of Management, B.S.C.F.A.

“I wouldn’t say it’s just a crazy refusal from our side, but in regards to what it entails, and we have sent this information to the Prime Minister. He’s not ignorant to it. We have sent to him all the information that we have gathered from Tate and Lyle on which they are forcing us to sign a letter of enhancement, where it is blocking us from many things that once we sign, we are unable to do, to which we say no. We cannot go in that way. We, as a certified organization, under the fair trade, the standard doesn’t speak for a letter of enhancement to be signed with Tate and Lyle. There are criteria in the standard that we comply with and we have not signed the letter of enhancement because of the points that it has that block us from not speaking to our leaders in government, that we should not do certain things, that we should not be speaking out whenever there issues that we are not happy with or we don’t agree. So that is why.”

LGBT Rep on P.C.C. Reacts to Draft Report

After over two years of hard work, the People’s Constitution has rolled out its third draft report, packed with one hundred and sixty-seven recommendations. This hundred-and-twenty-nine-page document, titled ‘Compilation of PCC Recommendations,’ is based on feedback from more than six thousand, six hundred and ninety public responses. The commission has now shared the document with stakeholders for a thirty-day consultation period. After that, the recommendations will be handed over to the prime minister, who is expected to present the report in parliament. Even in its draft stage, the recommendations are stirring up mixed reactions. Caleb Orozco, the main LGBT representative on the commission, shared his thoughts with News Five today on what the report brings to the table.

Caleb Orozco, LGBT Representative, P.C.C.

“I need to be fair in my acknowledgment that there is a lot of good things in the recommendation reports. One of the recommendations spoke about addressing the right to dignity, another one food security, another one protection of water. These are basic things people need. It also speaks to access to information, establishment of a national health institute and addressing the restructuring of retirement plans. These are things that affect people in the everyday context of their lives. But that has to be unpacked in the context of what they mean in practice. I don’t disagree with many of these things, including the acknowledgment of Maya self-determination. I support the need for self determination one hundred fifty percent because I know what it is to be marginalized as a group of people. With that said, about sixteen of the recommendation I have no problem because it reflects the social contract we have with out citizens. A citizen affected by unemployment, poverty, violence and the list goes on. The problem with the recommendation is that it has been corrupted in procedure and in process.”

PCC Rep. Say, “Draft Report is A Contradiction unto Itself”

As Orozco mentioned, there are several recommendations in the draft report that he finds satisfactory. However, he pointed out at least nine recommendations that he believes are not beneficial for Belize. Orozco argues that the report contradicts itself and the mandate of the PCC.

Caleb Orozco, LGBT Representative, P.C.C.

“Anthony Chanona’s chairmanship was tone deaf from begging to the end. A part of the problem with that tone deaf approach is that white national Christian ideology views permeate the thematic chair process, and it allowed it to undermine the commission’s legislative commitment to address the social, economic disparity among citizens and its responsibility for a comprehensive review. There are about nine of them in all, I have not completely reviewed the area of Senate and Parliament, but there are nine very bad areas I am concerned about. Forty-two and forty-three are interesting. Forty-two speaks of the inherent right of the religious sector to manage their own schools. That to me is a significant threat to the fundamental rights and freedom of young people. Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, forty-two, forty-three, not only undermines, are examples of where they make with one hand and say they give you with one hand. How will you tell me you have a right to education and healthcare and then at the same time create a system that undermines access to the very thing we have. The documents offer an aspirational opportunity to bring change while undermining that change. The document is a contradiction unto its own self and the mandate of the PCC.”

Shania Welch Out on Bail; Will Stand Trial for Child Pornography

After spending over five months on remand for child pornography and sexual assault of a ten-year-old, Shania Shahera Welch, a twenty-one-year-old student from Gales Point Manatee, is finally out on bail. Her case wrapped up in a preliminary inquiry last Monday, March seventeenth, at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court. The Director of Public Prosecutions herself handled the inquiry, which ended with Welch being committed to stand trial at the High Court’s April session. According to the ten-year-old victim’s report, Welch allegedly forced her to masturbate with a deodorant bottle and recorded the act. The Senior Magistrate ordered Welch to stand trial for making child pornography and sexual assault. During the inquiry, DPP Cheryl Lynn-Vidal presented several statements against Welch that the prosecution plans to use. Welch had been denied bail since her arraignment in early October 2024, spending over five months behind bars. She was granted bail today for eight thousand dollars, with conditions: she must not interfere with the victim, stay two hundred yards away from her, and report to the police station weekly. The allegations date back to December 31, 2020, and January 1, 2022, when Welch reportedly made a video of the child engaging in explicit sexual activity. The police prosecutor objected to bail, fearing Welch might interfere with the victim. Despite this, Welch was granted bail after having no objections. The case began when members of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit responded to reports of an explicit video involving a minor circulating in southern Belize. The victim identified Welch as the woman in the video during an interview conducted with her mother and a social worker.

Elroy Williams is Sentenced for Attempted Murder

A very emotional and hurt Elroy Williams couldn’t lift his head after hearing he must serve prison time for attempted murder. Despite having only two years, seven months, and eleven days left behind bars, Williams, who had been separated from his wife, visited her in 2018 and ended up beating her new boyfriend with a two-by-four board. The boyfriend now suffers from chronic pain and severe headaches, conditions he must live with for the rest of his life. Williams had hoped for time being served or probation, but Justice Pilgrim ruled otherwise. Williams, a father, left court in tears, disappointed that he wouldn’t be returning to his family. Justice Pilgrim initially sentenced him to eight years, but after considering the use of a weapon and other factors, it increased to nine years. However, four years were deducted for mitigating factors, including Williams’ participation in rehabilitation programs and his genuine remorse. His sentence was further reduced for his early guilty plea and pretrial detention, leaving him with two years, seven months, and eleven days to serve. The incident occurred on January thirtieth, 2018, in Lords Bank Village. Michael Jones, thirty-three, was at his girlfriend’s house when Williams arrived. After a confrontation, Williams returned later with a two-by-four and attacked Jones, leaving him unconscious. Jones suffered severe injuries and has been dealing with the aftermath ever since. Williams admitted to causing the injuries but claimed he didn’t intend to harm Jones and even called an ambulance for him.

Families of Three Deceased Tourists Issue Release

The families of the three young women who tragically passed away in their suite at the Royal Kahal Resort in San Pedro have spoken out following the lab test results. Twenty-three-year-old Kaoutar Naqqad, twenty-four-year-old Imane Mallah, and twenty-six-year-old Wafae El Arar were found dead on February twenty-second in their resort suite. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the families shared that officials from the U.S. Embassy in Belize informed them that their loved ones died from acute carbon monoxide poisoning, likely due to a faulty instant water heater. From the beginning, the families strongly opposed the idea that their loved ones had died from a drug overdose. They are urging Belizean authorities to continue their investigation to ensure that others who may have been affected at the same hotel are informed about what happened. In their statement, the families expressed their heartbreak over the loss of these three bright lights in their world. They were relieved by the thorough and independent investigation results and are awaiting a separate review by authorities in Massachusetts. The families had always believed the deaths were suspicious and raised concerns about initial media reports. They hope the official findings will make law enforcement more cautious in future investigations. The families are calling on Belizean authorities to continue their investigative work to provide a full accounting of what happened and how the investigation was handled by officials and hotel management. During a press briefing on Wednesday, Director of the National Forensic Science Service, Gian Cho, elaborated on the findings of the toxicology report.

Gian Cho, Director, National Forensics Science Service

“The family has already received the toxicology results through the Embassy, and we have provided a copy of the report to them as well because the way the sample collection for toxicology works, you really only get one go at collecting samples from the autopsy. And the autopsy was conducted in Belize. So, we do have a small amount of samples retained if the family member would want to request those samples for their independent testing, which we have already communicated through the embassy. But because we have used one of the ISO accredited labs in the U.S. that a lot of the medical examiner’s offices in the US use as well, the toxicology reports that we just shared with them would conceivably be what they would’ve obtained through their U.S. Medical Examiner process.”

Mayor Wagner Addresses OMG Café Confrontation

Mayor Bernard Wagner has addressed the criticisms that the Belize City Council is trying to oppress small businesses. The backlash came after traffic and police officers were sent to remove a business banner belonging to OMG Café, which is located on the first floor of the City Hall building. The owners went live on Facebook during the removal, and the video quickly went viral, with many comments accusing the council of unfair treatment. Today, Mayor Wagner clarified the situation and explained the agreement the council has with businesses that use their space.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“Belize City Council is the council that has been the greatest supporter of small businesses. So, when I hear those comments, it is nonsense. We have created the sort of platform that has driven small business. We were the leaders in entrepreneurship, in developing entrepreneurship in Belize City. Just the mere fact that we have this super sale where we don’t charge any of those vendors, just a small fee to get a small space. But we create all the marketing in of that event. We created all the entertainment for that event. Sow e are glad when small businesses are able to thrive in the city, local economic development is one of our pillars at City Hall. So, that is nonsense. We continue to push for entrepreneurship, but you must have some measure of control in your spaces. I don’t think it is anything ridiculous we are asking from our vendors. The vendors signed a lease agreement, and the agreement states that we don’t want any kind of advertisement that does not meet up to the standard of the City Hall. So, I have been telling those vendors in the lower flat that we will create some kind of marketing mechanism, a really professional standard directory where it will be lit up at night and shows who all the vendors in that facility. But it takes time and you have to be patient in all you do. There is no need for this big commotion being created that we can sit around a table and come to a conclusion.”

Reporter

“The sign is still there.”

Bernard Wagner

“So, they are not complying with our request and that is not nice.”

1.1 Million Dollars for Conservation Projects in Belize

The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future is pouring over a million dollars into conservation projects across Belize. This fund provides long-term support for initiatives that protect our marine life and biodiversity. Today, News Five’s Britney Gordon was in San Ignacio to meet the eight lucky recipients of this award. Here’s the story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Today, more than one million dollars was spread across eight conservation projects in Belize, thanks to the generous support of the Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future. This fund is all about creating transparent and inclusive financing to boost Belize’s marine and coastal resources. Leandra Cho-Ricketts, the Executive Director, shared how these grants align with the fund’s vision for a vibrant and resilient blue economy in Belize.

Leandra Cho-Ricketts, Executive Director, Belize Fund

“This is our third award ceremony and every year we have a call for proposals. And after the end of that call, we award grants, right? So this year we awarded eight grants. Four were regular grants as we call them, which are range from small through medium, large. So that’s between fifty thousand up to eight hundred thousand. And then we had a new category this year. So for the first time we’re offered community grants. So these are smaller, these are up to seventy-five thousand. We awarded four, and as the name suggests, they were awarded to all community based entities.”

The Belize Fund channels its Blue Bond Funding through two key programs. The Government Strategic Allocation (GSA) is backing the government with over five million to bolster Belize’s conservation efforts. Meanwhile, the Grant Awards Program (GAP) offers funding to non-government partners who share the Belize Fund’s mission. The Director of Blue Economy in the Ministry of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management emphasized the ministry’s dedication to using these resources to hit the fund’s conservation milestones.

Felicia Cruz, Director, Ministry of Blue Economy & Disaster Risk Management

“Partnerships are very much important to us and. At the ministerial level, we know that we can do so much more together than a loan. And that really is the ambition for blue economic development in Belize. Strategic alliances that will help our society and our communities prosper. That will help the environment to ensure its viability and its health. It’s safeguarded and of course to ensure that our communities benefit economically from these initiatives, which we’re very much proud of today.”

There are four thematic areas prioritized by the Belize Fund: protection for biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, climate resilience and blue business innovation. Hector Martinez received a seventy-five thousand dollar grant on behalf of the Shark Fishers Association. These funds will be used to ensure compliance with international Shark fishing standards and data collection.

Hector Martinez, Grant Recipient

“We set cameras at different locations on the reef three. Three sites on the main reef and three three als. And we are gonna compare that video footage to previous footage collected over the past years. And like I said, the idea is to monitor the abundance of sharks. And we also work strictly with the shark fishers who actually fish sharks, like not lobster fishers, conch fishers, but actually shark fishers. And the benefit of that is that days that we are doing research is days that they’re not fishing sharks. Whether nothing else works, we are reducing the shark fishing pressure.”

Cho-Ricketts highlights that the Belize Fund guarantees transparency by meticulously following up on every project.

Leandra Cho-Ricketts

“We have a very excellent team that’s tracking project performance. We have a whole monitoring and evaluation system and a team that does that touches base with grantees and tracks their progress. But in the case of the community grants, we provide the fiduciary management, so we don’t actually give them the money. We will disperse or not disperse, procure services that they need to allow them to do the work.”

Jeavon Blancaneaux from Creative Imageries Motion Art Studio was awarded a generous grant of seventy-four thousand, nine hundred and sixty dollars to empower women and youth through animation. Blancaneaux is excited to create an animated film that showcases Belize’s vibrant marine life.

Jeavon Blancaneaux, Grant Recipient

“It will bring the orange economy, we’re talking about the creative sector, bring it to the forefront employing young people, employing women. But we also hope to create awareness through this means in a creative way. So we want to teach about the marine world. We want to teach about protecting the marine world, but we also want it to be in a creative, enter entertaining way so that our Belizean people can actually appreciate what we have in our marine space.”

Other projects funded include lagoon protection, plastic sustainability and Barrier Reef conservation programs.

Leandra Cho-Ricketts

“For the community grants they needed to just meet one of the four. But we were looking for projects that particularly involved fishers, so we gravitated toward fisher proposals. We wanted to ensure we could engage youth. So of course we were looking for projects like that, but projects that really looked at bringing hands-on capacities and empowering those community groups to do actions on the ground themselves.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.