Reports coming out of Belmopan are that two children were shot earlier this afternoon. The incident happened at the Market Day Plaza. Police remain on the scene.
Witnesses say that a gunman pulled out his firearm and began shooting at a family. Belmopan-based PLUS TV is reporting that the wife attempted to flee, but the gunman pursued her, ultimately shooting her. The gunman then targeted the two children who were with their mother. He chased after them and fired shots at them. It remains uncertain whether the two children survived the attack.
During his appearance on Open Your Eyes this morning, Prime Minister John Briceño, expressed condolences to the families of Stephanie Lindo and Oswald Garbutt. The couple was found dead in their residence on Freetown Road in Belize City on Saturday morning. Lindo was allegedly shot and killed by her husband Garbutt, proprietor of Blue Steel Sounds. Garbutt then reportedly turned the gun on himself.
PM Briceño said, “My heart reached out…this terrible tragedy on Saturday with Stephani Lindo and her husband. Still at a loss. I know Bill Lindo very well and I know that he is hurting beyond words, he and his family. We reached out to both families. I still don’t know what really transpired. It is tragic.”
PM Briceño described Lindo as “full of life.” She was the City Administrator.
Prime Minister John Briceño today welcomed Sohui Cho, Country Director at the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in El Salvador. In a Facebook post, the PM said that he reiterated “our invitation for the agency to establish a permanent office in the country.”
PM Briceño expressed gratitude to the Government of Korea for the grant funding provided to assist the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). “SIB is critical as accurate data gathering informs development policies and external investors interested in doing business with Belize”, he said.
(L-R) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francis Fonseca, Prime Minister John Briceño, KOICA Director Sohui Cho, SIB Director-General Diana Castillo-Trejo.
Most recently, an agreement was signed for Belize to benefit from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of Korea.
According to its website, “Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has been continuously extending ODA (Official Development Assistance) for water in various sectors, including health, rural development, energy, and climate change response. In particular, in the water sector, linkages with other issues such as gender, governance, and ICT have become more important. Therefore, KOICA has contributed to the sustainable development of developing countries by establishing the Water Mid-Term Strategy (2021-2025) for solving global water problems more efficiently.”
The regional commitment to fight hunger and malnutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean has made significant progress thanks to the update of the Food Security, Nutrition and Hunger Eradication Plan of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) for the period 2024-2030, known as the CELAC FNS Plan. This update was approved and ratified during the VIII Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC, held on March 1 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
This commitment evidence Latin America and the Caribbean’s significant contribution to accelerating the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals, aimed at achieving societies free of hunger, poverty, and inequality in the region.
Our latest estimates show that, in 2022, 6.5 percent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean suffered from hunger; this represented 2.4 million fewer people than in 2021. But the situation remains critical; hunger continues to affect 43.2 million people in the region.
FAO in Jamaica, Bahamas and Belize/FAO
Likewise, limited access to resources and services, poverty, the aftermath of the pandemic, and conflicts as well as climate-related disasters, among other factors, are affecting the ecosystems on which food production and the livelihoods of farming communities depend and threaten efforts to ensure food security, nutrition and the sustainability of agrifood systems.
In this scenario, the CELAC FNS Plan 2024-2030 is a concrete initiative, reflected in a unanimous response from more than thirty countries, which, at a ministerial level, agreed to update this document to address the challenge of hunger and food insecurity in the region.
The new plan -developed in coordination with the Pro-Tempore Presidency, currently led by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the thirty-three CELAC countries, included broad participation and analysis with technical assistance from FAO, ECLAC, IICA, and ALADI- has become a benchmark for other regions of the world. Its implementation represents a milestone example of the consensus and political commitment of Latin America and the Caribbean.
This plan, structured into four pillars, includes a conceptual basis to guide the countries concerning legal frameworks, sustainable production, access to healthy diets, and agrifood systems resilient to climate change.
2024 could represent a decisive year for Latin America and the Caribbean to make progress in combating hunger and malnutrition and achieving more resilient and sustainable production systems. During 2023, we have consolidated a deep process of alliances, consensus, and dialogue that will soon be part of the FAO Regional Conference.
We are in the final stretch of preparation for our Regional Conference to be held in March in Georgetown, Guyana, where we will facilitate exchanges and discussions that will be essential to guide FAO’s technical cooperation in the design and implementation of plans and projects tailored to the needs of the countries, and in line with the priorities defined by governments at the highest political level.
In this regard, the reflections and resolutions arising from the updating and subsequent approval of the new CELAC FNS Plan also represent a significant contribution to the FAO Regional Conference.
The preparation of the Regional Conference includes an extensive consultation process involving different stakeholders, such as the private sector, academia, civil society, and parliamentary groups; and of course, the participation of government officials from the thirty-three FAO Member Countries; as well as the presence of Heads of State and Ministers of Agriculture and other sectors committed to the search for more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.
We hope that the results of the Conference, translated into FAO’s mandate, will be consolidated as a tangible response. The success of these efforts will depend on the collaboration of all to make the hope of a world without hunger a reality.
By Mario Lubetkin, FAO Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean for Latin America and the Caribbean
The Belize Police Department is cautioning the public about the increasing prevalence of online scams across the country. A press release from the department says, “There have been numerous reports from citizens who have fallen victim to online scams carried out on social media apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp.”
“Common modes utilized to conduct these online scams are the advertisement of the sale of items or employment opportunities.”
While the Police Department acknowledges the importance of legitimate business transactions conducted through these platforms, they urge citizens to remain vigilant for common red flags that may signal the onset of fraudulent activity.
These warning signs include instances where the other party refuses to provide proper identification, banking information is directed to a third party, shipments are not handled through registered courier services, items or services are priced significantly below market value, or there is a persistent eagerness to accept a lower price than advertised.
The public is advised to exercise caution and only engage in financial transactions with individuals they are familiar with, as they risk unknowingly becoming involved in online scams.
Haiti’s unelected Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, has submitted his resignation amid escalating violence and looting across the country. The 74-year-old leader, who took office following the assassination of the previous president in 2021, announced his decision after an emergency meeting of regional nations, where Caribbean states called for a swift transition of power.
People fleeing violence/Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters
Henry, who has been leading Haiti without being elected, appealed for calm in a video address, stating that his government would resign immediately upon the installation of a transitional council.
However, Henry is currently stranded in Puerto Rico due to security threats from armed gangs, leaving the country in a state of chaos.
The gangs, led by Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, intensified violence and unrest in Henry’s absence, demanding his resignation and warning of civil war if he did not step down.
Haitian gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier/Associated Press
The situation in Haiti has deteriorated significantly, with widespread violence, looting, and concerns about food shortages. Regional leaders, including those from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), convened an emergency summit to discuss a political transition framework. Meanwhile, the United States has urged for an expedited transition amidst the ongoing turmoil.
Protesters in Port-au-Prince, Haiti/ Odelyn Joseph/AP
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that the United States Department of Defense is ramping up its financial aid to the Haitian population. The total contribution will now reach $300 million, with an extra $33 million designated to bolster food security efforts.
Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francis Fonseca, said, “Belize is closely monitoring the escalating political and security turmoil in Haiti. Fully involved in urgent CARICOM talks, Belize is actively exploring strategies to aid the initiation of a transition towards reinstating political stability and security.”
