Important Note: This Internet version of 7 News is a verbatum
transcript of our evening television news script. Many interviews on our newscast
are conducted in Creole. In the interest of clarity for our foreign readers,
we attempt to paraphrase the Creole quotes in English
The Prime Minister headed to New York today for the United Nations General Assembly. Cordel Hyde is acting Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and we caught him for an interview at 5:30 p.m. after he gave the keynote address at a Central Bank event.
Hyde-who we rarely catch for interviews-is known to be candid in his public pronouncements and grounded in his public statements.
And so he was about the crushing cost of living currently facing regular Belizeans. He said his colleagues have to think about giving up their big allowances:
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "It's a discussion that has to intensify. We've not relented from this discussion. We've not stopped talking about it, but I think we have to intensify our actions."
"I think when you look at it, we have subsidized the bus transportation all over this country. I think that's a very positive thing that has to deal with the cost of living challenges that our people are dealing with. We have to do more. We have to be activists."
"I think cabinet and ministers, the representatives, ministers of state really have to - It has reached a point. And the Africans say that the best time to plant a cheese 20 years ago, they say the next best time is now."
"I think we as a government have to tighten our own belts, have to make some sacrifices, have to look at our own allowances too, because we can't be living one way and have the people live in another way."
"I think that we have to really do something in that regard so people understand. Because if we don't do anything, then it will only allow people to continue to say that we are disconnected and we're out of touch. And we don't want that to happen. We don't want that stain to be on us."
"I think we have to really, really put some dent in our allowances to show people that we are living in the same space and we want and we understand what is happening out here."
We also asked Hyde about his colleague Julius Espat. On September 3rd, Espat told us that he felt that apart from he and Hyde, others in his party had lost touch with the party's social justice roots.
The Prime Minister had a hysterical reaction to that and publicly scolded Espat last week.
Well, today Hyde said the PUP can't bury its head in the sand as a Government and has to face the reality that they aren't a sleek machine:
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "We can't bury our heads in the sand as a people and as a government, um, and particularly as a government."
"I think that we have to face the reality, and the reality is that we're not the sleek running machine that we were as a party a year and a half ago, um, when we were winning elections by record margins, margins, unconscionable margins that you'll probably never, ever hear again in the history of, um, of us."
"But we have some, we have some issues. We have to, um, look inside ourselves and try to renew ourselves, try to rejuvenate ourselves, try to refresh ourselves, try to recalibrate and get ourselves back on track."
"Um, and remember where we came from. Remember from whence we came. When we started to win, it was after thirteen years of losing, after thirteen years of having the hardest time to get people to run for our party because we were such in a, in, in a losing state."
"And then now we fast-forward to now and we feel like, "Oh, everything is great because we are in such a winning streak, and now everybody wants to run for us." Um, but we need to look internally. We need to find a way to solve our problems."
"I think we have the talent, we have the capability to figure it out, to, um, to work together, to sit together, to try to solve our problems together, um, because the nation requires that we do that."
"We do not want to go back to our losing ways, and we do not want to, um... The country demands so much from us, and they expect us to be at our very best. And I think that no matter how it is said, no matter how you frame it, which individual frame it, something's off, something doesn't feel right, and, uh, we have to figure out what that is and get that corrected, um, so that we can get back on track."
"And that involves, um, us having some real soul, soul-searching, having some serious conversations around the table. Uh, we were able to do it in the past."
"We have to be able to do it now because too many people depend on us to get it right."
And Hyde questioned whether his party's own Cabinet is sufficiently in touch with social justice realities.
Now, despite the fact that the Prime Minister said last week, quote, "The People's United Party is based on social justice, and the time that we move from that, then we cannot be the People's United Party," Hyde asks: are these discussions happening in Cabinet? He says power can make you removed from society:
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "And power does that to you. I think power gets you, um, in kind of a cocoon somewhere. Like, it gets you-- you, you get carried away."
"Um, I've seen that for the longest possible time, and I think we in power have to tame our darker impulses. We have to understand that power is-- it's temporary, it's fleeting even. It doesn't last forever. Um, this can quickly change. Um, it may be that it's changing already. We don't know. But we can't wait until that message is sent to us in black and white."
"We have to act before it does. And I think that we have to be far more humble, um, listen more, fear the people. Fear the people. You can't go wrong fearing the people 'cause when you fear the people, then you'll do right by the people."
"But the minute you get carried away with your power and you think that you're so great, and you think that you're God's gift to the world, and you-- Uh, some of the people help you too, you know. They, they, they fluff you up. They blow you up. They make you feel like all is well, and, um, and all is not well."
"All cannot be well if we are experiencing the kinda crisis that we're experiencing with the cost of living, um, the challenges that's happening all over the world. This is Belize. This is-- It's gonna happen here, and it's gonna happen here on a greater scale, uh, in many instances, and we have to just be, um... We have to be real. We have to get back to what we were before."
"We have to get back on track. We have to stay humble. We have to listen. We have to be more loving. We have to be what we were when we started to win, how we started to win, and if we intend to continue winning."
And we also asked the Deputy Prime Minister about the municipal convention held at the end of August. As we told you, he stood like a guard at the entrance of the ITVET, personally greeting every delegate, hoping to gain some favor for Allan Pollard. He put it all on the line, and then his candidate lost-and by a fair margin. So why did he put it all out there? He felt he needed to stand up for Pollard:
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "Well, I'm one of those who felt that there shouldn't have been a convention. Uh, but I'm also one of those that, um, relish, um, challenges against tall odds, um, perhaps a little bit too much."
"Um, but in this particular situation, um, I didn't have a choice. My conscience would not have allowed me to not get in the fray, to not try to stand up for this young man. Like I, you know, like I've just seen how many times they've done things to this young man and, um, it's just not been fair. Like, like what is his crime? What is his sin? I just felt like I had to."
"Um, and you know, James Baldwin said that, um, everything, everything will not change or cannot change, um, when it is faced, but nothing changes until it is faced."
"And I, and I just feel like there comes a time when you kind of have to stand up. You kind of have to say enough is enough. Um, and so we, um, we stood up for him. We stood up for him."
"Um, we knew the odds. We knew everything that was coming. We knew all the standard bearers that were lined up and all the resources that were coming and the stories and the energy and we..."
Reporter "You knew the resources were coming, or were you shocked when it came?"
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "Well. You da problems, Marisol. You da problems. Um, we knew the resources were coming."
"Um, We, we, we, we, we couldn't quantify the resources, but we knew resources were coming."
But has Hyde lost some political footing-especially as a leader in the PUP-after siding with Pollard? We asked him:
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "I had no choice. As I said, um, all my life, all my political life I have gone against the odds. We've taken on the party many times before, and many times before we've been victorious."
"Um, but you can't win them all. Um, the odds were stacked against us."
"Um, the 341 people who voted for Alan, voted for Alan on the strength of his story, his narrative, his sacrifice, um, his journey. Um, they voted for him from pure love. Like he gave them love and they gave him back love. And so I think he should be proud of his 341, um, because they stood strong with him against all odds."
"And, um, you know, with a couple changes here and a couple changes there, we could have been, we could have been, we could be having a totally different conversation, you know?
"And ultimately, um, you know, we, we have to live with the cons- we have to live with the results. Um, I'm not the one to decide whether, um, that has reduced my power or not. I never looked at titles, never looked at power really. I just always try to work hard to ensure that we win because I know the price of not winning."
"I know what winning your constituency means and the party loses. And so I've always tried to work hard to ensure that the party can win."
"Um, and I've done what everybody asked of me, and I've done it to the best of my ability. Um, but you know, that, that convention has gone and I don't wanna lament it too much."
Even though Hyde hoped Pollard would be the next mayoral aspirant, will he still support Eluide Miller in the elections? And will Lake I-which is the city's largest constituency-come out to vote for him? Here's what he said:
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "We've always, we've always worked hard. Um, we've always done what has been asked of us, and, um, that has meant working hard for us to try to win."
"Um, that's what we helped so magnificently to do in 2018. We did that again in 2021 and 2024. Um, our people will work hard. Our people will support, um, the party slate."
Reporter "What about the voters, though? Because I think some people are hurt, like really hurt. Um, do you expect the voters will come out and vote in favor of."
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "Oh, so that's gonna take some healing. That's not gonna happen overnight, you know. To think that, um, a bruising convention just took place, and you are going to, uh, have everybody hug up and be kumbaya and all that in the shortest possible time. That's, that doesn't really work like that. It'll take some time. It'll take some healing. It'll take a lot of work. It'll take a lot of, um, magnanimous behavior on the part of all those persons who, - they're gonna have to reach out. They're gonna have to, um, help in the process."
"Um, but ultimately, I, I think those folks, a lot of our folks will ultimately vote for the party."
And as you heard Hyde say earlier, he foresaw the resources that were coming from the opposing team. The municipal convention-which appeared more like an actual election-is reported to have cost millions of dollars to organize and mobilize, which raised questions once again about campaign financing. But Hyde says he supports legislation and enforcement to regulate it:
Reporter "Do you support public campaign finance legislation?"
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "Absolutely. Absolutely. Um, uh, that time, that time was 20 years ago. Um, but that time has to be now, because that is, I think, the single biggest problem we have in electoral politics in this country, um, campaign financing."
"If we continue to have elections that cost as much as it costs, not only does it mean that the everyday man and woman's child cannot run, cannot afford to be a candidate. What it means is that the everyday man and woman will continue to be disenfranchised, continue to be isolated, continue to be exiled because when you go for these elections and you spend the kind of money that you spend, there has to be some source for those finances."
"And when you win, those sources, those campaign sources want to be paid in ways that are exponentially greater than was invested. And so our people have to understand that."
"Like, that law has to come. It should have come 20 years ago. It has to come now."
"But when the law comes, we have to follow it, and that requires all of us to follow it because, um, elections cannot continue to be as unconscionably expensive as it is right now because we will continue to have the problems that we're having."
"We absolutely have to have campaign financing."
We should note that Miller's camp maintains they only spent a few thousand dollars on election day and that the pre-convention spending did not amount to millions of dollars.
A final investigation report into allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and inappropriate conduct at the Belmopan Town Council has uncovered evidence supporting a recurring pattern of improper behavior toward female employees by one senior staffer who allegedly told his victims he could get them fired because he had the "Mayor's ear."
According to the report, which was completed in August, the investigative team found "substantial support" for a pattern of unwanted personal attention, invitations, requests for physical affection, and representations of authority that employees felt were intimidating.
Statements provided by multiple staff members showed a pattern regarding this senior employee's interactions with female employees.
The investigation established that concerns regarding the respondent had reached council management prior to the formal inquiry. So, were they trying to sweep it under the rug? Records reviewed by investigators did not show what documented inquiries, protective measures, or formal actions-if any-were taken by leadership in response to those earlier complaints.
The report notes that an employee had previously complained directly to a senior official. And the response? The senior official was alleged to have said that the employee under accusation, quote, "looked after the Mayor's best interest" and requested that the matter be "swept under the rug."
While that may raise a sharp eyebrow, investigators noted that no independent evidence could confirm that the remark was made.
The report concluded that the findings warrant a formal administrative determination, immediate protective and governance measures, and a documented review into how management handled earlier complaints.
We did reach out to the Mayor of Belmopan, Pablo Cawich, for comment, but he referred our newsroom to a Public Relations officer, who said he's unavailable today.
Eight days ago, the PM responded to NTUCB's 11-point list of demands by rejecting the core demands.
The NTUCB met today to consider its response, but it is also making the media rounds to let its displeasure be known.
This morning on XTV's WUB, the NTUCB called the PM's response disrespectful and dismissive:
Mose Hyde, Host "What adjective do you have for the response that was given by the Prime Minister?"
Ella Waight, President, NTUCB "I think I'd actually use the word 'disrespect' to response, because we did not come up with these demands overnight. These have been areas or issues that we have been discussing with the Prime Minister for years. Some of these legislative changes have been discussed with the Prime Minister for years-they're not overnight demands. And some of them that were hot topics at that time, which was the removal of the BTL Chairman and some of the board members, is what the citizens of this country were calling for. And for the response that we got, I personally feel disrespected."
Dean Flowers, President, PSU "The response, Brother Mose, I wouldn't necessarily classify it as disrespectful-I would simply classify it as dismissive. Dismissive because that has been the modus operandi, the mantra, the manner in which the Prime Minister of Belize, Honorable John Briceño, has treated with labor. And I think that anybody in labor that expected differently clearly has been living under a rock or has not been paying attention to the issues affecting labor in this country."
Ella Waight: "We must be heard, like how Brother Dean said. We must be taken seriously when it comes to those 11 demands. They are not... again, I repeat, these demands are not outrageous, and they are not something we brought to the table overnight."
Last week, you heard the alarming prices that market vendors were paying for vegetables, forcing them to raise the cost for consumers and driving up the price of food.
As we reported, there's a huge spread between the acquisition cost of potatoes in Chetumal and the final price that the Marketing Board is seeking to vendors.
Well today, we went back to the market and learned that while the price of some vegetables has gone down, others have increased again:
Annie Aguilar, Market Vendor "The potatoes, it went down like $10 per sack, so it's still a little bit pricey for the consumers, but the next thing is that the onion went up. So it's just that it's fluctuating, but we still have a high price, so we still need the Government to try to help us in reducing the prices of the vegetables."
Courtney Menzies: "Did anything else change after the previous story?"
Annie Aguilar: "Not as yet. Everything else stayed the same-the only thing, like I mentioned, was the potatoes. But other than that, we're still waiting."
Courtney Menzies: "And what's the quality of the potatoes you got this time?"
Annie Aguilar: "It's very good today. If you can see, it's very... now the quality is much better, so it's even fresher, or better. It's very hard for people right now-they're only buying one single potato or two because they can't afford to pay the prices we are giving to them."
Courtney Menzies: "How much did the onions go up by?"
Annie Aguilar: "By $15 to $20."
Courtney Menzies: "So how much do you pay for that now?"
Last week Thursday, a multi-agency GOB team led by DOE went out to Mile 6.5 on the George Price Highway where a large tract of private land had been clear-cut.
The clear-cutting goes right up to the water's edge, where mangroves may have been removed.
When we caught up with DOE's Chief Environmental Officer, Anthony Mai, today, he shared that it was only three acres that were clear-cut-not seven-and that the property did not include many mangroves:
Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer, DOE "So yes, the DOE, the Lands Department, and the Forest Department officers went out, and we found that, in fact, it was about 3-something acres that was cleared. The department has suggested that the Lands Department take lead in relation to the response. We have requested to the Lands Department that, to some degree, to us, one of the concerns is the possible erosion... that it can cause because of this issue. And so, it is to ensure that, again, you have proper mitigation in place to ensure that erosion doesn't happen-so something maybe like a seawall needs to be put in place so that that area does not wash away. But it is a small development; it is a small land clearing. The Lands Department has jurisdiction over the 66-feet reserve, as you know, and to some degree, the Forest Department has jurisdiction in relation to mangrove clearance. I was informed that, again, vegetation was cleared and that much of it was not mangrove, basically."
We note that the estate dates back to the 1960s when there was no allotment for a river reserve, so the true boundary of the property is the river.
Earlier in the news, you heard the Deputy PM lament the cost of living and explain what he believes the Government needs to do to ease the burden on the people.
But while that is one issue at the forefront of his mind, today was more about celebrating Belize's dollar and the 50th anniversary of the peg. It was five decades ago when Belize made the historic decision to fix our dollar to the U.S. dollar at 2:1. This has led to exchange rate and economic stability, along with trade and investment confidence.
At the celebratory event held this evening by the Central Bank of Belize, DPM Hyde explained the significance of this anniversary:
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "This is a, a special event. I, I wish that more Belizeans could have been in here to ha- to hear all the rich discussion around the Belize peg, you know."
"Um, something we've taken for granted all these years, these 50 years. In fact, for younger Belizeans, they probably were not aware of how long we have the peg."
"Um, I'm an older man, and I was not aware myself because we've come to take it for granted. Um, but it offers some very special challenges to us as Belizeans, as a people."
"Um, but I think one of the things that, um, the fact that we've kept this peg this long, and we've been able to survive with it and, and flourish under it for so long, um, says something about the Belizean ingenuity that's built inside of us."
"And, and all the strengths, and all the creative ways, and all the sacrifices, and, and discipline, um, that we've exercised in the face of external challenges that could have, um, sent us in a very dark space."
"But somehow we've always been able to survive and always been able to, um, be resilient, and I think it says something about our character, and it's particularly, um, fitting in this, the 45th anniversary of our independence."
Reporter "I know you all are in a very celebratory mood, but the NTUCB senator has said that effectively in the streets, our dollar has in fact devalued."
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "Well, um, that's a big challenge that we have. The cost of living is, is, is a real challenge for all countries, for all peoples all over this world, I believe."
"Um, that is no consolation for the everyday man and woman, but it's a reality we have to grapple with, and as a government, we have to deal with, um, forcefully."
"I think that we've not done enough where cost of living challenges are concerned for the everyday man and woman, and, uh, we have to be seen to be doing that."
"I think one of the ways we have to be far more activist is as it relates to the, the wicked grocers and retailers who are, who insist on gouging, um, everyday people and who insist on taking advantage of our people."
"Um, I think we have to be really activist. We have to hold these people to account. We have to make examples of them. We have to lock them down or lock them up."
"We have to do what we have to do to make sure that they are honest in the, in the, um, in the prices that they give our people."
Hyde was the keynote speaker at the event, which was followed by a panel discussion featuring Senator Christopher Coye, Stephen Duncan, Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, and Financial Secretary Joseph Waight.
Even though his time as interim Minister of Home Affairs is coming to an end and the Prime Minister has still not indicated who will take the portfolio next or if the Area Representative for Cayo South will keep it, Julius Espat is keeping his promise and the roof of the Raccoon Street Police Station is being rehabilitated.
When we visited today, we saw a crew working on the roof.
A video circulating from the September 21st Carnival celebrations in Orange Walk depicting a young boy engaged in overtly sexual dancing with adults has ignited a fierce national debate.
Over two days, official statements were issued by church leaders and government bodies addressing the situation. Yesterday, the National Evangelical Association of Belize (NEAB) issued a scathing critique describing the video as showing an abusive sexual situation involving a child. NEAB emphasized that this marks the second time in three years a minor has been included in simulated sexual acts during public Carnival events. The association issued a stark ultimatum saying, quote, "Carnival must clean up, or shut down!"
Today, the Ministry of Constitution and Religious Affairs aligned itself with religious leaders, unequivocally condemning the behavior. The Ministry affirmed that protecting children remains a shared moral and national duty. While acknowledging that national and cultural celebrations are essential expressions of Belizean identity, the Ministry insisted that children should never be placed in situations where inappropriate sexual behavior is encouraged, normalized, or presented as entertainment.
And this evening, the Office of the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children released a statement expressing deep concern over the video. The Special Envoy emphasized that public celebrations must remain safe spaces where children can participate with dignity, reminding the public that adults hold the primary responsibility to respect appropriate boundaries.
Belize's Climate Ready Campaign is a national public education and awareness initiative focused on enabling the public and community to understand and partake in discussions involving climate change and Belize's national climate response.
Today, a launch was held to introduce the campaign's objectives, the key areas they will focus on, and what those planned outreach activities will look like for the Ministry of Sustainable Development and UNDP Belize.
Here's how it went:
Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer, DOE "So today we were here to launch the climate change campaign. Again, this is very important for Belize, because as you know, climate change is a very technical field, and what this campaign hopes to do is to take the technical discussions related to climate change and to bring it down to a level where it is easily understandable to everyone within the country. As you know, climate change is somewhat of an environmental phenomenon that impacts all major sectors-so it impacts agricultural development and the availability of water. Again, it impacts erosion, and they say, to some degree, the issue we are experiencing in relation to sargassum washing up on our shorelines. And so it is a cross-sectoral issue, and so it is important that all the sectors understand the actions in relation to climate change and how we manage climate change in Belize. But importantly, in regards to this campaign, is that it is not only the technical people who should understand climate change-it is also the everyday household individual, the general public."
Edalmi Pinelo, Chief Climate Change Officer, Department of Climate Change "To educate our community on what the department is doing, also to educate them on the opportunity of the act-what the Climate Change and Carbon Market Initiative Act is about, because it is very complicated when it comes to explaining what we do as an office. It is a very technical department, so we take the opportunity through this campaign to reduce the jargon, the acronyms, the terminologies that are very technical in order for the communities to understand, and also see the opportunity and be part of the process when it comes to the readiness stage of carbon markets."
"We have not been connected to our communities. Our job as a department is to fulfill when it comes to meeting policies, develop our own international reporting, but we have not disseminated that information that we do everyday to our communities. So trying to connect back to the communities, allow them to know the opportunities, and also allow them to know where we stand and how we are addressing our climate crisis."
The ceremony was held last week Thursday, and here's more on how those funds will be utilized:
Diana Locke, Head of Office, IOM Belize "The project, 'Effective and Sustainable Management of Belize's Southern and Western Borders,' under the Multi-Annual Indicative Programme, carry to two areas. Cooperation between the Government of Belize and the European Union, implemented by IOM, is supporting many areas for improvements in bringing Belize's border management efforts to a higher level. Some of the highlights you have been hearing and will continue to learn more about in the coming months are the MIDAS upgrades and training of immigration officers on the use of the new features of the system, as well as refresher training for those that have already been using it to do so more effectively. We are developing a MIDAS SOP for proper and effective use of the system. There will be new interagency SOPs-and upgrading of interagency SOPs-those will be for Customs, I think it is BAHA, and the Immigration Department. And soon to be, we will be having a release of the Border Management Strategy for Belize, the first ever.
"Today's handing-over represents the first batch of equipment, with additional procurement on the way to strengthen the operational capacity of border management entities across Belize."
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director, FCD "Cattle ranching, illegal logging, and poaching are the primary threats to the Chiquibul ecosystem. The project will assist in providing the necessary gear and equipment to the FCD ranger units, including the uniforms, the smart devices, drones, GoPro, wildlife cameras, laptops. It will provide medical support for the ranger units and train them in areas of leadership, patrol skills, and use of drones. The project will also improve the status of five conservation posts with field supplies, with water tanks, with chainsaws in terms of cleaning up the area, weed eaters, mattresses, bed frames, stoves, water pumps, a solar system, and communication systems."
Maya Choc, Executive Director, SATIIM "This project will strengthen community monitoring and patrols, and bring together Indigenous knowledge and scientific approach to better understand and protect the Sarstoon Temash region. We will also work with our communities to strengthen the protection of other conservation areas, document areas where there are incursions, and develop a framework that strengthens collaboration between communities and Government in conservation."
Each organization will be awarded approximately a third of a million Belize dollars.
If the price of fuel wasn't already high enough, now the fuel haulers want an increase in their cut. In a formal proposal submitted to Prime Minister and Minister of Finance John Briceño in June, petroleum transport operators across Belize are calling for an average freight rate increase of four cents per gallon to salvage what they describe as a collapsing business model.
According to the proposal, standard freight rates have remained unchanged since November 5, 2008-nearly two decades ago. When those rates were set, diesel sold at $5.77 per gallon at the pump. Today, with diesel prices climbing to $16.00 per gallon, haulers say rising operational expenses-including tires, spare parts, lubricants, mechanical services, and strict safety compliance-have completely wiped out profit margins and pushed operators into financial loss. The haulers noted that despite these mounting pressures, they have exercised restraint by refraining from taking industrial action or requesting direct government subsidies.
The petition reflects a broad coalition within the industry, bearing signatures and corporate seals representing over 80% of contract haulers and 90% of all petroleum products transported nationwide.
The Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance have not yet issued a public response to the haulers' proposal.
WhatsApp groups-we're all a part of at least one, whether we like it or not. Nothing to it really, but last week in Geneva when they were presenting before the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, senior police officers twice mentioned the media WhatsApp group that they maintain, holding this up as some paragon of transparency.
Of course it is not that, but still it's worth hearing how lavishly they described this group:
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "And I would also like to highlight a very important point that my colleague made, is that the Belize Police Department, and I think this may be a unique thing, we have a WhatsApp group with members of the mainstream media which we are in constant communication with."
"And one of the things that is consistently communicated via that means is missing person. "
"And this not only includes the regularly established mainstream media as in broadcast, but also those media houses that have become popular with the advent of social media, which presents a much further reach in terms of showcasing or displaying missing persons."
"So that presents an opportunity for members of the public to come forward to say if they have seen that person in police custody or anything, and that information is in the public domain so that transparency occurs."
Later on in the session, ASP Smith spoke about, quote, "the very robust nature of our media… within our nation, it provides an adequate added level of transparency… and the media is the third power and we are cognizant of that. We are also aware that there is this additional layer of supervision, so to speak, and we are guided by that." End quote.
That's the kind of praise we would never hear in Belize-but offered to the UN as a palliative for a country with an enforced disappearance problem.
Oftentimes, that same ASP Smith would seem to come off as having a problem with the press. We asked her about the position taken at home and the position presented abroad:
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "As I stated, and genuinely so in that investigation, and as I have said to you guys in many occasions when we meet here on these instances, that I do recognize the role of the media and the importance that it plays. And certainly, it provides an added level of transparency, and I love the fact-and that is a fact that I highlighted before the committee-that should there be an instance where police did something that was untoward or out of order, by the 6 o'clock news you may see those very persons, you know, inside these media houses giving their report. So that is an added level of transparency or supervision, so to speak, when it comes to all public officials, because the role that we play... with great power comes great responsibility."
Jaleeza Roberts: "You know, every now and again, like with you saying that, you know, sometimes police, you know, maybe even you when we irritate you a little bit, you get a little hostile with the media."
ASP Stacy Smith: "I have gotten hostile? I have never gotten hostile!"
"From the nature or the tone of the question that you're asking, it would want to appear that there's an appearance on the media's part-on my lovely friends at Channel 7's part-to paint me as a person who does not recognizes the importance of the media, and that would be most unfortunate. You guys would know that I come here on every occasion, and when I speak, I speak with truth. I try to be as accurate in my representation because, as I stated then and I will reaffirm now, I recognize the role and importance of the media."
The Belize Coast Guard Cadet program is expanding in Independence Village as 20 cadets were proudly paraded there for Monday's Independence Day parade. We spoke via phone with the coordinator who explained the difference it's making:
Belize has taken another major step at the International Court of Justice in the ongoing legal proceedings over the Sapodilla Cayes.
On Monday, September 21st, Belize officially submitted its written observations to the ICJ in response to Guatemala's statement regarding sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes.
The submission-consisting of two volumes, including written observations and supporting annexes-was filed at the ICJ Registry within the extended deadline set by the Court.
Representing Belize during the filing in The Hague were Mariana Verde, Chief Operations Officer for the Office of Belize's Agent to the ICJ under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, alongside legal team member Catherine Drummond.
The Republic of Honduras, which is also a party to the proceedings, submitted its own written observations on Guatemala's statement on the same day.
The tripartite case-formally titled Belize v. Honduras, with Guatemala intervening-continues as the World Court reviews the latest filings from all three nations.
Email
Print
"It's a discussion that has to intensify. We've not relented from this discussion. We've not stopped talking about it, but I think we have to intensify our actions."
And we also asked the Deputy Prime Minister about the municipal convention held at the end of August. As we told you, he stood like a guard at the entrance of the ITVET, personally greeting every delegate, hoping to gain some favor for Allan Pollard. He put it all on the line, and then his candidate lost-and by a fair margin. So why did he put it all out there? He felt he needed to stand up for Pollard:
A final investigation report into allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and inappropriate conduct at the Belmopan Town Council has uncovered evidence supporting a recurring pattern of improper behavior toward female employees by one senior staffer who allegedly told his victims he could get them fired because he had the "Mayor's ear."
Eight days ago, the PM responded to NTUCB's 11-point list of demands by rejecting the core demands.
"I think I'd actually use the word 'disrespect' to response, because we did not come up with these demands overnight. These have been areas or issues that we have been discussing with the Prime Minister for years. Some of these legislative changes have been discussed with the Prime Minister for years-they're not overnight demands. And some of them that were hot topics at that time, which was the removal of the BTL Chairman and some of the board members, is what the citizens of this country were calling for. And for the response that we got, I personally feel disrespected."
Last week, you heard the alarming prices that market vendors were paying for vegetables, forcing them to raise the cost for consumers and driving up the price of food.
Annie Aguilar: 
Last week Thursday, a multi-agency GOB team led by DOE went out to Mile 6.5 on the George Price Highway where a large tract of private land had been clear-cut.
Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer, DOE
Even though his time as interim Minister of Home Affairs is coming to an end and the Prime Minister has still not indicated who will take the portfolio next or if the Area Representative for Cayo South will keep it, Julius Espat is keeping his promise and the roof of the Raccoon Street Police Station is being rehabilitated.
A video circulating from the September 21st Carnival celebrations in Orange Walk depicting a young boy engaged in overtly sexual dancing with adults has ignited a fierce national debate.
Belize's Climate Ready Campaign is a national public education and awareness initiative focused on enabling the public and community to understand and partake in discussions involving climate change and Belize's national climate response.
Edalmi Pinelo, Chief Climate Change Officer, Department of Climate Change
Diana Locke, Head of Office, IOM Belize
"Cattle ranching, illegal logging, and poaching are the primary threats to the Chiquibul ecosystem. The project will assist in providing the necessary gear and equipment to the FCD ranger units, including the uniforms, the smart devices, drones, GoPro, wildlife cameras, laptops. It will provide medical support for the ranger units and train them in areas of leadership, patrol skills, and use of drones. The project will also improve the status of five conservation posts with field supplies, with water tanks, with chainsaws in terms of cleaning up the area, weed eaters, mattresses, bed frames, stoves, water pumps, a solar system, and communication systems."
Christina Garcia, Executive Director, Ya'axché Conservation Trust
Maya Choc, Executive Director, SATIIM
If the price of fuel wasn't already high enough, now the fuel haulers want an increase in their cut. In a formal proposal submitted to Prime Minister and Minister of Finance John Briceño in June, petroleum transport operators across Belize are calling for an average freight rate increase of four cents per gallon to salvage what they describe as a collapsing business model.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer