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
It's been a long time coming-and an ordeal rife with difficulties. After five years, the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact has finally been launched.
But it wasn't easy to get here, especially with a change in U.S. administrations, a reallocation of funds, and bills rushed through parliament to meet a looming deadline.
But the Government kept negotiating, fine-tuning, and compromising, and finally, the work begins.
Courtney Menzies was at the ceremony today and has this story:
Today saw the start of the five-year implementation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact. It's the $125 million U.S. dollar grant that we've been hearing about since 2021 when Belize was first selected as an eligible country. In 2024, Belize and the U.S. officially signed the grant agreement.
Now, two years later, the compact has been launched, and both the education and energy sectors are expected to see major investments.
John Briceno, Prime Minister "Through the education project, MCA-Belize and MCC will provide additional resources, technical expertise, and investment to strengthen secondary education and technical and vocational training. Our goal must be to ensure that Belizeans leave the education system with strong literacy and numeracy skills, critical thinking abilities, technical competencies, and the confidence to adapt to a changing world of work."
"And very important to note that with this compact on energy, we're going to put a more modern and a bigger pipeline submarine cable that will join Belize to the island of San Pedro or Ambergris Caye onto Caye Caulker, and probably to the Four Seasons that they're going to be using a lot next door in the near future. So this new transmission to connect the mainland to Belize City is a new part of the investment that we're doing, and it benefits not only Ambergris Caye but beyond-and it's going to make it possible to grow the tourism industry, which is critical to the growth of our country."
Andre Bauer, U.S. Ambassador to Belize "This commitment runs in both directions: the Government of Belize investing $55 million of its own resources towards these goals is a clear sign of confidence of this partnership and in Belize's own future. That shared investment is the foundation of a relationship built on mutual respect, not dependency. Through this compact, we'll transform secondary education so that a new generation of Belizeans gain 21st-century skills-skills employers need."
"Over the next five years, the Belize Compact will deliver real benefits to Belizeans nationwide: classrooms, power grids, and, more importantly, even in paychecks, where people really feel so much of your hard work."
When the compact was first negotiated, 80% of the funds were allocated to education and 20% to energy. But after President Trump took office, and the compact was on shaky ground and had to be renegotiated, $20 million from the education sector was reallocated to energy. We asked the acting Vice President of MCC's Operations about that decision:
Jason Small, Acting Vice President of Compact Operations, MCC "As you know, MCC works in partnership with its country partners around the world, and we have a highly selective process that we work with in selecting our partners who show commitment to the principles that undergird MCC's founding statute-and that's commitment to good governance, to investing in people, to pursuing economic growth and economic freedom. And this is a partnership where we continue to have discussions around what is the best investment at the time that will achieve the objectives for which we have jointly agreed to. And as we began to work together on these projects, particularly on the energy project, it was clear that there were critical needs in the energy sector. You heard about today the project with the submarine cable, which I've come to learn more while I'm here is even more urgent and overdue, and so as priorities increase, we have discussions and we come to an agreement to make some adjustments to the compact that will allow us in partnership with the Government to work on and complete that project within five years."
But many speculate that Belize has had to bend-even bow-to the U.S. for this compact to go through. For example, giving residence to a convicted terrorist and becoming a safe third country.
However, both the Prime Minister and the U.S. Ambassador emphasized that this compact does not depend on favors:
John Briceno, Prime Minister "I believe that as a country, we have to be proud that we were selected for a compact. Many countries would wish they would have been selected. And as I said earlier, it's a grant-the only strings attached that we're able to meet the goals that we set, that there's going to be accountability, that we continue to live up to the ideals of a free society, of democracy, freedom of speech, protecting the media, ensuring we're able to meet the goals that we've set and the issue of governance that we have been committed to in Plan Belize and Plan Belize 2.0. So that's the only strings attached."
Andre Bauer, U.S. Ambassador to Belize "I would say this is not a tit-for-tat-there are no strings attached. This is a demonstration of a long-term relationship the United States has had with Belize. Before Belize was even Belize, we were working with this country; we believed in this country. But what you're seeing now is a reprioritization of the Trump administration. They have decided to reprioritize funds heavily in the Western Hemisphere, and this is one of our best partners in the Western Hemisphere. We import more than any other country to this country, we have more tourists come to this country than any other country, and we consider this a major friend in the Western Hemisphere. And a safer Belize is a safer America."
And the timer on the clock has started ticking-following the launch, the compact moves from the planning stage to the implementation period-with only five years to complete it.
The Belize Compact is one of the largest grant investments in the country's history.
Tonight, Belize welcomes a legendary icon to its highest order of state honors: national heroine Madam Gwen Lizarraga.
The historic Swing Bridge was the backdrop scene for the Tribute to Belizean Patriots ceremony last night, which featured awards, medals, and honors of distinction to 25 outstanding Belizeans. Jomarie Lanza reports:
If the faithful viewer managed to stumble through the fog of AI slop that was served up in the first section of last night's Tribute to Belizean Patriots, they would have found genuine pride, uncommon valor, and outstanding patriotism engendered in the diverse list of awardees.
A total of 25 Belizeans were recognized and awarded for their contributions, work, and sacrifice in the improvement of Belize and its people.
Foremost among them last night, the men and women of the Belize Independence Secretariat. They paved the road to Independence and all received the Order of Belize:
John Briceno, Prime Minister "We went through a process then that then Premier Price called internationalization. In 1971, he asked Assad Shoman, a young graduate of law and international relations, to form the Belize Independence Secretariat in the Premier's office, and assigned it to Robert Leslie, a young public officer. This two-man team acted as a think tank and as the executive arm of the international campaign for independence."
"Resolution 35/20 of 1980 demanded that Belize become independent in 1981 with all its territory and called on the UK to continue to ensure the security and territorial integrity of Belize-is the only country ever to receive such an endorsement. We are reminded that the International Court of Justice is also a relevant organ of the United Nations, and so we won independence that Belizeans wanted and deserved. It was not easy. Both Carl Lindbergh Rogers and Assad Shoman have already been granted the Order of Belize. They make it a group of eight of our greatest generation of Belizean nationals. The six new awardees are posthumously Vernon Harrison, Harry Courtenay, Alexander 'Sandy' Hunter; Said Musa, the person that Mr. Price passed the baton to as the leader of the People's United Party after being elected by a convention; Florencio Marin, Ambassador Robert Leslie, Shirley Harvey-now known as Mrs. Shirley McSweeney. I ask you to join me in a standing ovation for all of these great Belizean patriots."
And former politician and activist Gwendolyn Lizarraga was more than a patriot, she was a heroine-the first Belizean woman to receive that highest and most prestigious honor awarded by the Government of Belize:
Narrator "Madam Liz died in 1975, but her story did not end there. Her legacy lives in schools, communities, institutions, and in generations of Belizean women who have entered spaces that once seemed closed to them. She showed that leadership did not belong to one gender, and that nation-building was never the work of men alone, and that one woman determined enough to challenge what was once considered normal could widen the possibilities of an entire country-not simply because she was the first woman to walk through so many doors, but because she held them open for those who came after her."
Master of Ceremonies "Today, Madam Liz is being granted the award of National Hero for her contributions to national development, political leadership, and women's empowerment. Posthumously accepting the award is her grandson, Mr. Victor Lizarraga. A round of applause for Madam Liz."
For his bravery and self-sacrifice, on April 17, 2025, when a Tropic Air plane was hijacked, Captain Howell Grange commandeered the aircraft and managed to bring his passengers safely to the ground. Grange was recognized for his life-saving efforts and was bestowed the Medal of Valor by the Governor General:
Francis Usher, CEO - DEFENCE "I think for Captain Grange, it started off like any other day. He went through his pre-flight checklist, his start-up, his run-up. He took off, and then things became very adverse-things became different for him. The fact that Captain Grange was able to, despite all the adversity, despite everything going wrong, despite the threat on his life, despite being attacked physically, despite his passengers being attacked, he was able to keep a level head and come up with a plan. I think that is what really separates what happened that day and makes it so heroic. On the fly, he was able to switch to talking Spanish, flying into clouds to disorient the hijacker. He flew over water so the guy wouldn't know. Captain Grange was even crafty enough to take off that moving map display so that the hijacker would not know exactly where they were. He was able to land that aircraft in a manner in which that everyone was able to survive. And that's what makes it so special for me, that the first act of valor or the Medal of Valor award that Belize has ever given should go to an act like that, to a man like Captain Grange."
Master of Ceremonies "Tonight we honor Captain Howell Grange for his bravery. Another round of applause."
The night also saw Orders of Distinction conferred on Dr. Adrian Coye and U.S. soldier Chief Warrant Officer Wade Furniss.
And there were 15 Meritorious Service Awards given to outstanding Belizeans in the fields of Community Development, Conservation and Education, Cultural Preservation, Healthcare, and Agriculture.
Later in the news, Jules Vasquez will have a full breakdown and takedown of the AI shorts included in the presentation.
A man was shot in Belize City today. Thirty-two-year-old construction worker Tevin Montero was at his home on Complex Avenue at 2:30 this afternoon when he came under fire.
He was rushed to the hospital, where police found him suffering from multiple apparent gunshot injuries to his right shoulder, left thigh, left arm, right elbow, and stomach.
Initial investigations indicate that Montero was sitting on the veranda listening to music when a gunman wearing a black helmet that concealed his face barged into his yard and opened fire. He fled on a motorcycle heading toward Mahogany Street.
Police are investigating the shooting as attempted murder.
Tonight, a police officer is missing, and police are asking the public to help locate 24-year-old Kenyon Barrow.
He has not been seen since Saturday, September 12, but Barrow's mother, 47-year-old business owner Therese Robinson, told police that she had not seen or heard from her son since August 8.
Barrow, who is originally from Neal's Penn Road in Belize City, is attached to the Orange Walk Police Station and resides at the San Lorenzo Housing Site in Orange Walk District. Police say he stopped reporting for duty on July 30.
Barrow had also been staying at a residence on West San Martin Street in Trial Farm Village belonging to his partner.
She was in the United States and, on Friday, September 11, contacted Barrow to ask him to pick her up from the PGIA.
Police say Barrow confirmed that he would pick her up, but he failed to show up and subsequently stopped answering his phone. The following morning, she reviewed footage from her home security cameras and found a clip recorded shortly after midnight. The footage showed Barrow exiting the front door of the elevated concrete house alone. The footage is currently the last known recorded sighting of him.
Anyone with information that could assist in locating Kenyon Barrow is asked to contact the nearest police station or Crime Stoppers Belize at 922. Information can also be submitted anonymously through the P3 Tips app.
It's the national referral hospital, and when the KHMH first opened its doors 31 years ago, it was only serving a population of a little over 200,000.
That number has now doubled, but the hospital itself has seen little expansion.
For its anniversary, the hospital is showing off two new rooms with specialized services.
Courtney Menzies was there and has this story:
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital celebrated its 31st birthday on the 15th with a week of activities. To end it, today saw the opening of two brand-new spaces: an extension to the dialysis unit and a brand-new physiotherapy room.
Noel Avila, who has been a physical therapist there for the past decade, explained that they had been bouncing around the hospital since 2020.
Noel Avila, Physical Therapist, KHMH "For physio, it's always space that is needed. We had a physio a couple years ago, and when COVID started, they took away the physio that we had and turned that into the COVID ICU, and so we were around the hospital-we went into the chapel one time."
"So this was in the planning for some time-I think, I would say, like 10 years. Now we have the space, so the plan now is to get some equipment. The equipment you see here right now is just equipment that we have had through the years, so the only thing that is new right now is just the building."
"We provide mostly rehabilitation for people who suffer from injuries, any sort of ailments, whether it's from disease or trauma. And we rehabilitate people. So that's what we do at physio."
And for the dialysis unit, they currently have eight machines, but they're hoping with this new space, they can get up to 15. It's important that their space was extended, since they serve every patient in renal failure.
Michelle Casimiro, Unit Manager, Hemodialysis Unit, KHMH "It's well overdue. With the space that we have been in, we have been in there for 15 years, so September 22nd will be our 16th year here at KHMH. KHMH is the national referral hospital-we serve the whole country, so every patient that is affected by kidney failure, some sort of renal insufficiency, we have to see those patients, so the space was necessary."
"I believe the institution is looking into our donors-hopefully, we can get donors to support us in getting ten extra machines or even 15, along with the chair and necessary equipment."
"We serve 21 patients for the Government-that means the Government pays two sessions for these people for the week. In addition, we have patients that are from other units that are sick, have an affected catheter, or they're not feeling well and they're hospitalized-we have to serve them, we have to give them treatment here, so we leave the extra spaces for them, so our service is in high demand."
And at the end of the ceremony, PM John Briceño-who was a special guest-planted two trees right outside the hospital's doors.
Today was National Service Day-and the security forces performed their duty by engaging in what might be called a marathon of patriotism.
It's a 45-mile relay to commemorate 45 years of Independence. Jaleeza Roberts reports:
Today, members of the security forces combined for a run from Cotton Tree Village to Belize City to commemorate their first annual "Belize at 45 Run." We spoke to the Commander, who also got his mile or two in:
Gregory Soberanis, Commander, BCG "This run says to us, as members of the security forces, that we must never forget those who have gone before us, those who have sacrificed, those who were committed to a cause that was greater than themselves. And so, it is with that in mind that we came out today and we did this 45-mile run in honoring and commemorating our 45th Independence."
"We have about 60 participants out here today-60 warriors, guardians of our democracy, guardians of our independence, guardians of our freedom, liberty, and guardians of justice for the nation of Belize."
"The torch symbolizes our liberty. And we want Belize to know that as members of the security forces, we stand ready to defend the liberties. And that torch must always be kept lit in our hearts, in our lives, on a day-to-day basis-that Belize is free, Belize is sovereign, and Belize remains democratic."
And that is the Belize they envision. But while we saw everyone running, the women were challenging the men too:
Lt. Commander Jasmine Bellini, Commander for Training and Doctrine "So for the 45-mile run, we didn't have that much female. We did have maximum from Training and Doctrine, and we have some participation from the 1st Fleet. The majority of our females are out at sea, but the ones that are here were able to participate. And within the Belize Defence Force and the Belize Police Department, we did see that they had some females out here, so I think it's good. It's not easy running in the sun. It's not really running for so far, but I think it's good. So it shows that people are coming out, and it's not just one gender expecting to be out on the road."
This run is expected to become an annual event, and they're hoping it gets bigger.
About 125 immigration officers from across Belize have completed specialized training on the Migration Information and Data Analysis System, or MIDAS, aimed at strengthening border management operations and standardizing procedures at the country's ports of entry. The training covered traveler registration, entry and exit processing, data protection, secondary inspections, and exceptional cases. Here's a look:
Idelki Familia, Programme Officer - IOM "Uh, well, the Regional, uh, Integration and Border Management Project, as I mentioned, is, uh, European Union, uh, funded project being implemented by IOM."
"Uh, the key objective of this, uh, project is to, um, support the government of Belize, to support Belize to... And strengthen border management, uh, in general."
"Uh, there are some key initiative that we are implementing in that regard. Uh, for example, we are providing support with the software upgrade, um, of the, uh, Belize Border Management System, MIDAS."
"This is actually why we are here today, because we are conducting a series of trainings where we are expecting that 125 immigration officers are going to be trained on how to properly use the system and how to properly collect information, um, that is going to actually benefit, uh, all."
"Okay. So for example, we were at the airport on Saturday conducting a MIDAS performance assessment. There we will have, uh, this, this specific visit has different, uh, objective."
"The first one is actually to, to get a specific feedback. So what are the needs of the immigration officer so we can actually tailor the training, uh, to meet those needs."
"Also, it is important for us to follow up as this project ac- is actually providing support with the software equipment."
"We will actually, uh, ensure that they have the appropriate equipment, that equipment is actually functionally, uh, correctly."
"But also we are going to be looking at processes because something is very something, an important initiative that we are also implementing through this project is that we, uh, we have actually, in coordination with the BMIS, we have developed a specific SOPs, standard operational procedures on the use of the Border Management System, MIDAS."
"So looking at these processes, how they actually, immigration officers are actually functioning right now also fits to the SOPs, to things, to see actually what are the things that have to be improved."
With Independence celebrations, Orange Walk and Corozal carnivals, and parties right through the Independence Day long weekend, health officials are urging everyone to drink responsibly.
Staff from the National Drug Abuse Control Council hit Albert Street this morning, handing out awareness flyers to passersby.
An NDACC outreach caseworker explains why they took their message straight to the streets:
Arian Yearwood, Outreach Caseworker, NDACC "So today we are doing our traditional-if I may say-our traditional driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol campaign. Basically, what we do is we stand at the corner of King Street and Albert Street, as well, and we give out pamphlets as well as bumper stickers spreading awareness and letting drivers know: this is a long weekend, considering it is the Independence of Belize, and we know that a lot of celebrations will be happening. So we are just spreading awareness and reminding drivers to be safe this weekend, because as much as you want to have fun, we would also like for you to be safe."
"It is very often that we hear that there are a lot of accidents that happen, especially around the time of celebrations, so this is... especially here at NDACC, considering we promote the prevention of drug use and alcohol use, it is very important that we spread awareness and just educate the public about the safety measures when it comes to being safe over the weekend. Even though you want to have fun, we are not saying not to drink or not to do drugs, but we are just saying to be careful when it comes to the amount of intake, and just to be safe, for not just yourself, but for everyone around you."
The next big thing in Belizean music might be right around the corner. What is it? Well, imagine a sample of Mr. Peters' boom drum, ding-a-ling, and jawbone dancing between an EDM dance rhythm.
It may sound like musical whiplash, but the Belize Sound Syndicate calls it "Boom and Chill."
They say it's the future sound of Belize, and they're having DJ showcases tonight and tomorrow to introduce this new sound.
Jomarie Lanza found out more from members of the Belize Sound Syndicate:
The musical movement called the Belize Sound Syndicate is currently on a tour titled "Rising Rhythms: The Future Sounds of Belize." The showcase features 20 DJs, producers, sound engineers, and musicians who will be playing sets at Banquitas House of Culture in Orange Walk tonight and the House of Culture in Belize City on Saturday.
Three members stopped by our studio this morning to tell us about the music they're showcasing:
Deron Thompson, Belize Sound Syndicate "So this tour we are doing is called Rising Rhythms. You know, it is presented by NICH and the Belize Music Project. The main thing is a lot of times you hear Belize is not original when it comes to music, but what we are doing is creating two genres of music, derived from Belizean music, of course. One is the X-Punta, which is a cross of electronic music merged with Punta, and 'Boom and Chill,' which is a more modern dancehall, you could say. And it has the drum samples from Mr. Peters, it has the drum samples, you know, and literally modernizing that older stuff, so yeah, that is the majority of that."
"Some of the sound that you will hear in all of the tracks that we will be playing, you will hear the ding-a-ling from Mr. Peters' records, you hear the boom drum from his records as well, too. And actually, that same boom drum that they recorded is still in Belize right now being used by his grandson-I think the second generation Boom & Chime Band is the name."
And it's more than just DJ sets-these music creators are shaping what they hope is a new Belizean aesthetic built on the fusion of traditional sounds with modern EDM rhythms and ambient soundscapes, along with an enviable collection of samples.
Seth Cambranes "Flayed Lotus," Belizean Producer "Honestly, it feels very... it is a very cathartic experience because I tried before being on this project, before I tried sampling Belizean music before, but it was very hard to find any at all. So while working with the archive and getting the samples, it felt a lot closer to home."
"So when I finally heard songs, records from the professionals, I was actually surprised. I was like, 'That came from Belize?' And it was amazing listening to all of it."
Jules Vasquez: "Do you feel that you all have created something new in terms of... so when you think about Belizean music, you think about Punta or you think about Brukdown or all these traditional forms of Belizean music, but people will say, 'How is this Belizean music?'"
Seth Cambranes: "I think in terms of our sound selection and keeping, sticking to the core rhythms, because a lot of our music is very rhythm-based, not so much melodically-unless you are counting the accordion in the Boom & Chime, Brukdown music-but once we are sticking to the original rhythms that are wildly different from, let's say, for example, dancehall, it is a completely different swing, a completely different type of groove, and that is what we adhere to."
Kristopher Arnold, Belizean Producer & Engineer "Honestly, I feel as if the X-Punta should have worked like a long time before, but it has just been experienced right now, because, one, the tempo that you have with the Punta and EDM music, they all work together so good. And then with the rhythms and stuff, all of this just works so good all together-like he is the X-Punta God, so he would be able to tell you more about it. Like I said, adding the electronic elements to the Punta elements and stuff, it just works so perfectly with each other."
Jules Vasquez: "Do you think people will accept... people who listen to Punta will accept what you are doing?"
Kristopher Arnold: "I do agree that people will accept it now and in the future, because I love Punta, I love Garifuna music. I am Creole, but I still grow up around the Garifuna music, so if I think I like it, I think most people would like it. And the other thing that we are trying to do is getting an appeal to the youths, and I feel us turning it into electronic music is going to appeal more to the youths, because it is not going to be like the regular, smegular Garifuna music that we have-it is more cultural. We are not deviating from the culture, but we are adding towards it to be more appealing to the youths, like I said."
They'll be at the Banquitas House of Culture tonight and the Belize City House of Culture tomorrow.
The Prime Minister's State of the Nation Address on Tuesday made more news for those times when the PM improvised than when he stayed on script.
In one of those improvisations, he explained something we didn't know anything about: he said televisions have secret cooling fans, and that's what's driving up your electricity rates.
So where are those fans? Well, Jaleeza Roberts went looking:
And in another lighter look at the news, Jules Vasquez takes an AI dive with a review of the video presentations at last night's Tribute to Belizean Patriots. As you'll see, it's a dive that quickly turned into a tailspin:
Perhaps we should have known from the pirate ship proclamation that we were in for a night of-let's say-augmented reality.
But even the most jaded consumer of AI slop would have cringed at the wanton display, the avalanche of AI absurdity that was presented last night at the nation's evening of highest honors, the Tribute to Belizean Patriots.
In the AI film made to visualize the international campaign for independence, things started on a bad note at the UN building, where the winds are blowing the flags in two directions at once.
Inside, the voting display board reads like some Cold War-era Russian dystopia-maybe a flight wall listing the 10 worst places on Earth to visit.
Assad Shoman's shuttle diplomacy is certainly slowed by his cryptic passport-no better than George Price's one, which strangely carries the seal of the United States.
And on this grand mission of internationalization, Shoman's airline carrier of choice-try and read "eia veskkcks nainiea" or something like that.
Eventually, to sign on a document-we hope they knew what they were signing, because it's gibberish to us!
Maybe it came off these mysterious backwards typewriters-their sturdy carriages magically moved by a single sheet of paper.
But they had to type fast; after all, the pre-independence map already shows half of Belize as part of Guatemala.
Best then to have Harry Courtenay-he takes off his 007 glasses, and they turn into a pen while magically also remaining on his face.
And yes, the independence toast looked like a scene out of the Great Gatsby mansion in New York-somehow the Union Jack, which went down at midnight, was still aloft.
And while we may quibble about the AI renderings making Price rather short and squat beside Prince Michael of Kent, what sticks out is high statecraft reduced to low state-sanctioned slop-history fabricated by fools.
But there was more.
The most important award of the night was historic: Gwen Lizarraga became Belize's first national heroine.
Sure, the sepia-soaked AI creation capturing her early days may have had Madam Liz sewing away not on a Singer sewing machine, but on a "smctee"-and yes, this tablecloth magically also set the table; and yes, maybe two hands are not better than one when they're sawing logwood; and yes, Madam Liz was the first woman to be elected a member of the Belize Legislative Assembly, but this looked more like the British House of Commons; and no, she was not a member of the "LEGIGIT" union-but trumping all that, AI misspelled Belize's first national heroine's name and dubbed her "Gwendolne Lizarraza"-in a still frame that may live in infamy.
If it was a theater of the absurd, we would have called it sublime. While to err is human, we now know that to really foul things up-it takes a bot.
So, Belize at 45, through the eyes of AI, it's not looking good.
And finally today, ACC students paraded through downtown Belize City as a dry run for Monday's uniform parade. They were joined by their school drum corps and the Police Uprising Drum Corps.
We leave you with that-and you can tune in to Channel 7 on the night of the 20th and on the 21st for all the September festivities.
Do tune in and have a great Independence Day weekend-I'll see you back here on Tuesday.
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It's been a long time coming-and an ordeal rife with difficulties. After five years, the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact has finally been launched.
John Briceno, Prime Minister
Andre Bauer, U.S. Ambassador to Belize
Jason Small, Acting Vice President of Compact Operations, MCC
However, both the Prime Minister and the U.S. Ambassador emphasized that this compact does not depend on favors:
"I would say this is not a tit-for-tat-there are no strings attached. This is a demonstration of a long-term relationship the United States has had with Belize. Before Belize was even Belize, we were working with this country; we believed in this country. But what you're seeing now is a reprioritization of the Trump administration. They have decided to reprioritize funds heavily in the Western Hemisphere, and this is one of our best partners in the Western Hemisphere. We import more than any other country to this country, we have more tourists come to this country than any other country, and we consider this a major friend in the Western Hemisphere. And a safer Belize is a safer America."
Tonight, Belize welcomes a legendary icon to its highest order of state honors: national heroine Madam Gwen Lizarraga.
"We went through a process then that then Premier Price called internationalization. In 1971, he asked Assad Shoman, a young graduate of law and international relations, to form the Belize Independence Secretariat in the Premier's office, and assigned it to Robert Leslie, a young public officer. This two-man team acted as a think tank and as the executive arm of the international campaign for independence."
Francis Usher, CEO - DEFENCE
A man was shot in Belize City today. Thirty-two-year-old construction worker Tevin Montero was at his home on Complex Avenue at 2:30 this afternoon when he came under fire.
Tonight, a police officer is missing, and police are asking the public to help locate 24-year-old Kenyon Barrow.
It's the national referral hospital, and when the KHMH first opened its doors 31 years ago, it was only serving a population of a little over 200,000.
"For physio, it's always space that is needed. We had a physio a couple years ago, and when COVID started, they took away the physio that we had and turned that into the COVID ICU, and so we were around the hospital-we went into the chapel one time."
"It's well overdue. With the space that we have been in, we have been in there for 15 years, so September 22nd will be our 16th year here at KHMH. KHMH is the national referral hospital-we serve the whole country, so every patient that is affected by kidney failure, some sort of renal insufficiency, we have to see those patients, so the space was necessary."
Today was National Service Day-and the security forces performed their duty by engaging in what might be called a marathon of patriotism.
"We have about 60 participants out here today-60 warriors, guardians of our democracy, guardians of our independence, guardians of our freedom, liberty, and guardians of justice for the nation of Belize."
Lt. Commander Jasmine Bellini, Commander for Training and Doctrine
About 125 immigration officers from across Belize have completed specialized training on the Migration Information and Data Analysis System, or MIDAS, aimed at strengthening border management operations and standardizing procedures at the country's ports of entry. The training covered traveler registration, entry and exit processing, data protection, secondary inspections, and exceptional cases. Here's a look:
"This is actually why we are here today, because we are conducting a series of trainings where we are expecting that 125 immigration officers are going to be trained on how to properly use the system and how to properly collect information, um, that is going to actually benefit, uh, all."
With Independence celebrations, Orange Walk and Corozal carnivals, and parties right through the Independence Day long weekend, health officials are urging everyone to drink responsibly.
"So today we are doing our traditional-if I may say-our traditional driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol campaign. Basically, what we do is we stand at the corner of King Street and Albert Street, as well, and we give out pamphlets as well as bumper stickers spreading awareness and letting drivers know: this is a long weekend, considering it is the Independence of Belize, and we know that a lot of celebrations will be happening. So we are just spreading awareness and reminding drivers to be safe this weekend, because as much as you want to have fun, we would also like for you to be safe."
The next big thing in Belizean music might be right around the corner. What is it? Well, imagine a sample of Mr. Peters' boom drum, ding-a-ling, and jawbone dancing between an EDM dance rhythm.
Deron Thompson, Belize Sound Syndicate
"Honestly, it feels very... it is a very cathartic experience because I tried before being on this project, before I tried sampling Belizean music before, but it was very hard to find any at all. So while working with the archive and getting the samples, it felt a lot closer to home."
"Honestly, I feel as if the X-Punta should have worked like a long time before, but it has just been experienced right now, because, one, the tempo that you have with the Punta and EDM music, they all work together so good. And then with the rhythms and stuff, all of this just works so good all together-like he is the X-Punta God, so he would be able to tell you more about it. Like I said, adding the electronic elements to the Punta elements and stuff, it just works so perfectly with each other."
And in another lighter look at the news, Jules Vasquez takes an AI dive with a review of the video presentations at last night's Tribute to Belizean Patriots. As you'll see, it's a dive that quickly turned into a tailspin:
