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The State of the Nation address-a September tradition instituted by former Prime Minister Said Musa in 1999-was created to move away from the Throne Speech formerly delivered by the Governor General to mark the opening of a new session of Parliament.
The UDP under Dean Barrow abandoned it-but the PUP under John Briceno picked up where Musa left off.
And while the past may seem perfect, the present is tense, and Belizeans were curious about how the PM would address the recent spike in electricity rates, load-shedding, surging fuel prices, and a crippling cost of living.
Courtney Menzies was at the event in Belmopan today and has this report:
This year's State of the Nation Address was delivered in front of the Sir Edney Cain Building in Belmopan. While the sounds of UB's choir and steel pan band fanned out over a warm morning, ministers and other officials exited the building and took their seats in front under the tent. The Prime Minister and his wife came out last, and the PM conducted the customary inspection of the guard, made different today by the background music: Kool & The Gang's "Celebration":
That set the tone for the naturalization of 45 migrants who became naturalized Belizeans today.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration "Our Ministry chose to present 45 nationality certificates on the 45th anniversary of Independence because that number carries a powerful meaning. Each year of our Independence represents a chapter in the life of Belize, and these certificates we present today represent another life joining our national story."
These nationality certificates were handed over by the PM before he took the stage to give his address, which lasted about 35 minutes. In that speech, he mentioned that Cabinet approved an investment of $20 million to support the acquisition of brand-new electric buses for the National Bus Company. He then tackled another pressing issue: the cost of electricity.
John Briceno, Prime Minister "I will admit there has been a slight increase, but more importantly, what the technical people explained to us-and I know nobody wants to hear this because your bill still went up-that the heat in your house is trapped and your fridge is working, so it has to take this hot air to cool it and it uses more electricity. Your television, once you have it off, it still has a light and it has fans that have to be working, and every electronic gadget that you may have, once you are not using it, they have fans that have to keep it cool.
"So our Cabinet decided under the guidance of Minister Chebat to act very quickly. Our Cabinet has also acted to remove GST on light bills for all 100,000 residential customers of BEL. Furthermore, the PUC has approved an expansion to the number of BEL customers who will benefit from the lower social rate of electricity."
The PM then announced ways that he says his Government is putting more money into the pockets of Belizeans, including a raise in the minimum wage.
John Briceno: "GST-free shopping days prior to the new school year provided an estimated sum of over a million dollars in relief for families across the country. And lest you forget, the Christmas GST tax-free weekends save Belizeans an additional $5 million.
"And the almost 50,000 wage earners whose minimum pay was raised to $5 per hour just recently can look forward to another 20 percent adjustment to $6 per hour in the near future. One last example of the dramatic steps we have taken to ease the cost of living pressures: all public sector employees, including teachers, police and Coast Guard officers, soldiers, and public servants-almost 16,000 professionals-will have received by the close of this fiscal year a salary adjustment of 8 percent; the total value of this salary increase is $112 million per year."
He then spoke about big projects on the horizon:
John Briceno: "In the near term, and apart from the historic investments of our capital budget, Belizeans will benefit from the MCC Compact, in partnership with the United States of America, which will deliver energy and education-targeted spending valued at some $250 million. I thank the Opposition and the Social Partners for their support of this ambitious program. Next year will also see the start of the largest infrastructure project in Belize's history-the redevelopment of the Port of Belize, in Belize City. Representing a potential investment of over $800 million, the project includes the deepening and widening of the marine access to Belize City, building brand-new cargo facilities, and finally, erecting a modern cruise tourism gateway."
PM Briceno then addressed the incident on the Sarstoon River last week Thursday:
John Briceno: "On the Tenth of September, 53 Belizeans stood on the Sarstoon River-waters that are ours by treaty, by law, and by right-and they did not flinch. Twelve vessels could not make them turn back or break their spirit, even when they could not complete their passage. That is who we are. We are a small nation, but we will not submit. Sarstoon Island is Belizean soil. The mid-channel of that river has marked our border since 1859, and no show of force will rewrite what law and history have already settled. We placed our trust in the International Court of Justice because we are a country that believes in the rule of law-and we will not be provoked into abandoning that path."
The PM ended his address by highlighting the rapidly changing world of geopolitics, artificial intelligence, and migration, but referred to Belize as a lighthouse in the midst of the maelstrom.
In an improvised part of his speech, the Prime Minister also announced that the Ministry of Tourism was working on a direct flight from Europe-more on that from the Minister of Tourism later in the news.
And after the ceremony, we spoke to the PM about what the state of the nation looks like for everyday Belizeans. While he insists that his administration understands the plight of the people, he conceded that although the country faces issues in areas like electricity, residents should count their blessings.
John Briceno, Prime Minister "For the common man, I think generally it is good. We recognize the challenges, and I've been saying it all the time. We recognize the challenges every day that our people are going through. But I've said it over and over, it is something that is beyond our control. Most of the things we have, we import. Even in the cane fields, you have to import fertilizer, pesticides, all of that, because all of that is human-based. The prices have gone up dramatically, but I think what's important is that whenever we can step in, we do. For instance, electricity: what we've done, if you look at all the things we've done-a little bit here, a little bit there, another one here-when you add it, then it adds up to the pocket of our citizens. The National Health Insurance, we are about to roll it out here in the Cayo District, and with electricity, we hear the cries, and so what can we do? BEL is in a quandary because the price of diesel goes up, and when that goes up, the price of electricity goes up, the price of CFE goes up, the price of diesel generation in Belize goes up, and somebody has to pay. And as much as we would want to pay it, we have to try to spread this with everyone. So what do we do as a Government? We have removed the GST from 100,000 consumers to be able to provide some kind of help. Working with the PUC, we're increasing the number of people that can apply under the social rate, so we're finding ways as best as we possibly can. So for anyone to accuse us today that we don't know or we don't care, I challenge you.
"Mexico, here in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras-they have declared an emergency because they're on the verge of having people starving because they don't have food. We're nowhere close to that, so we need to count our blessings. As much as we are going through a hard time, we are better off than most in our region."
And zeroing in on electricity, the PM toured BEL's facilities last week. He explained that multiple projects are in the works to fill the gaps when CFE is unable to provide energy. He hopes one of those projects will come on stream at the end of the year or early next year.
However, Briceño also explained that while they had been tackling the capacity issue a year ago, the Government had to step back from their initial plans or Belize might have lost the MCC grant. Here's how he explained it:
"Under that, we expect that we're probably going to get about 14 MW of solar by December, January-and don't hold me to that because things change, but that's the plan.
"And they believe that by June of 2028, we are going to have two or three more companies, and one of them will be bringing in at least 15 MW of solar battery power."
And as the PM mentioned, the cost of power increases in direct proportion to the price of diesel.
Right now in Belize, it stands at a record $15.60 per gallon. We asked the PM if Belizeans can expect relief soon:
John Briceno, Prime Minister "We're doing our best, and quite likely-I've not been to the Financial Secretary to discuss it, as you know already, we have already been cutting the tax. And as much as I don't like to admit it, but successive governments have depended on the excise tax on the importation of fuel because it's easy to control-it's a million gallons coming in, so you can collect it. We have been cutting, and so far when the prices went down, we made a slight adjustment. I think we've lost-don't quote me on it, but somewhere around $40-plus million. So I have to sit down with Financial Secretary hopefully today or tomorrow to see what relief we can do. But if it is any comfort, in California there are places where the diesel is being sold for more than 15 dollars Belize; in Miami right now, the price is over 13 dollars Belize per gallon. And just imagine when we import one gallon of diesel, they're importing one million, so they have this huge volume for which they can depend on. So we're doing our best, we're trying to do our best. And as much as we want and could do without the tax and still continue all these social programs that I mentioned today from education and health and infrastructure development, I would happily get rid of it. But we need it, so we have to walk this fine line in trying to make sure that we continue to have financial sustainability in the Government and also provide the relief that we want to give our Belizean citizens."
As you heard in his address, PM Briceño spoke on the recent incident on the Sarstoon during the BTV's annual trip. He explained that he is glad the tension did not escalate since the BTV made discretion the better part of valor and decided against circling the island.
He added that the Government has been putting in diplomatic work to prepare for the ICJ's judgment:
John Briceno, Prime Minister "As you all know, Wil and I, we're personal friends. I want to thank Wil to be able to... for better minds to prevail, because as much as we know the Sarstoon-the middle channel belongs to us-we can't provoke them. Because what if they were going to fire at a boat, what are we to do? Our BDF is going to fire back and then it is going to be a massacre, and then what? And then you all are going to be holding us responsible for allowing a massacre to happen. So I want to thank them, because what we did, we stood right there facing these 12 boats, both civilian and military boats, and did not flinch. They stayed there and stared them in the eye and said, 'This is ours and we are not going to move.' So we are very grateful that they have taken that stance, but at the same time, we're very grateful that we allowed calmer heads to prevail and to make sure that we sent the message clear that the Sarstoon River, the mid-channel belongs to us, and we're not going to cede not a single inch. The Foreign Minister has already written a very strong note of protest to the Friends of Belize, to the OAS, and to Guatemala, and at the same time, our agents are working along with Ambassador Assad Shoman and Senator Courtenay, and I think it's still Michael Peyrefitte representing the Opposition, preparing a very strong letter of rebuke about the behavior of the Guatemalans in Belizean territorial waters, and we're sending it off to the ICJ."
Reporter: "Would you advise them to return to the area?"
John Briceno: "I think we've made the point, and if they decide to go back again, of course we're going to be there with them. But sometimes it's best to just leave things. We've made the point and we continue, and every citizen of this country continues to say the Sarstoon, the mid-channel, belongs to Belize."
But will that ICJ judgment put an end to the aggression once and for all? We asked the PM:
Courtney Menzies: "If the ICJ rules in our favor, do you believe that the Guatemalan Armed Forces will respect that decision?"
John Briceno: "I expect them to. It will not be easy because there are hardliners like in every country, but the Government will... the Government has been very clear: we want a juridical solution to this problem, and that gives them a save-face mechanism to be able to say, 'We were fighting, but ICJ says Belize is independent.' But also, we've been doing a lot of diplomatic work with the Friends of Belize: U.S., Canada, U.K., European countries like Germany, and Japan. All these countries, talking to them and preparing them for the ruling from the ICJ, that we are going to need their help to help us to be able to clean the demarcation. Our border is already pegged out, it's marked, but because of the constant aggression of Guatemala, we decided, 'Let's see if we could amicably resolve it between ourselves.'"
And to add insult to injury, many Belizeans were offended by the recent billboards spotted near Sandhill and Hattieville that encourage drivers to visit Guatemala. Many who saw them found the ads in bad taste given the current territorial dispute.
Briceño explained that it's not that deep and is really only for tourism purposes:
John Briceno, Prime Minister "I think it's a bit misleading, but from what I'm told, basically it is a tourist billboard whereby they are welcoming Belizeans to go and visit Guatemala. We don't usually go to visit Guatemala, we go to Mexico, so I think it's more from a touristic aspect. Maybe the billboard owners should ask them to reword it to remove that kind of fear or phobia, as if Guatemala is saying, 'Well, Belize, we're welcoming them to be a part of Guatemala.' Oh no, we would never be a part of Guatemala."
The billboards have reportedly since been taken down.
And with the tension on the Sarstoon, the State of the Nation Address, and everything else happening this month, the audit of the Ministry of Defence has taken a backseat. Next week marks three months since Minister Oscar Mira went on leave.
The PM previously stated that an interim audit would be completed by then. But after the three months' leave is up, will Mira return to Home Affairs, or will the PM make Julius Espat the minister going forward? We asked him:
Courtney Menzies: "Any update on Minister Mira's leave? Will he return or will Mr. Espat-who has said he would take on the job-will you be giving it to him?"
John Briceno: "Well, I think you're asking something that it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister, and when that time comes, I will let you know."
She was a retired nurse at the time, but the love for the profession got her back into the work, only for a life-threatening attack to end her career in nursing.
Augustina Elijio was the former Deputy Director of Health Services, working on a contract as a psychiatric nurse practitioner in 2019 when a mental patient at the Port Loyola Clinic tried to kill her.
That same patient then murdered his cellmate two days later.
And that man, Colin Francis, was yesterday sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment for those crimes.
But how does Nurse Elijio feel about the sentence? And how did surviving the attack scar her forever?
Today, for the first time, we heard the story of survival from this veteran healthcare professional. Jomarie Lanza has this report:
When Colin Francis was sentenced yesterday to 16 years for the manslaughter of Nestor Vasquez Jr. and 10 years for the attempted murder of Nurse Augustina Elijio, Justice Nigel Pilgrim also included in his ruling that a psychiatric assessment found that Francis had diminished responsibility due to acute psychosis arising from schizophrenia. Francis is now left to serve nine years out of the 16-year sentence, having spent the last seven years on remand.
Brother of the deceased, Jules Vasquez, pointed to a failing system that led to the death of his sibling and the injuries sustained by Nurse Elijio.
After almost a decade, Nurse Elijio shared her story with us today-a traumatic recollection of June 4, 2019, the day that changed everything for her, which ultimately ended her career as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner:
Augustina Elijio, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner"So we were winding down, we had patients there. And what had transpired is that this patient who inflicted those wounds to me, he came in in a very agitated state, you know, he was pacing and he wanted a certain drug, a certain medication. He was there earlier, so it was a concern like, why come back in the evening? So he started pacing, started becoming agitated, and before I know it, I was inflicted. I saw him fondling in his pockets, but I didn't think this person would be coming up with a knife. You know, sometimes it's good to follow intuition, but I said no, and before I knew it, I was stabbed multiple times. I was grounded-I was grounded. A very scary episode. I could hear a lot of screaming, my other colleagues, they were screaming. What had also happened is that he inflicted those wounds so fast that I could imagine... I could remember the first one being placed in my chest, another one in my stomach, the other one in the lateral side of my chest, in my side."
Nurse Elijio sustained severe damage to her torso and was rushed in for emergency surgery, but the complications that followed after, she describes, took both a physical and psychological toll:
Augustina Elijio: "I later found out that he had lacerated my liver. The man also cut my diaphragm-that is the muscle sheet for you to breathe, you know-and some other organs in my abdomen, hence the reason one of the surgeries they did was an exploratory surgery. They opened me up to find out what all got affected, so that surgery, I must thank God, it went well until after I was discharged. In coming home, I had to get another emergency admission one week after coming home; I had some hematoma. Hematoma are namely the accumulation of blood in the sites just outside of your blood vessels, you know-those were some dark black blood clots. So I started bleeding in my sleep, you know, from my stomach, from my breasts, from my side. All the sites were bleeding profusely, so I was rushed back to emergency.
"It was a rough ride. It was a rough ride, you know, carrying those wounds, hurting, feeling anxious. Anxiety is a weird thing. What used to happen to me with my sleepless nights was that I used to get some odd smells like citrus oil, you know, in your sleep, like you can't breathe good, the fan is directly in my face, yet you are not breathing. So it gave quite a bit of ugly, ugly symptoms: sleeplessness, hopelessness, you know, you feel fatigued, you feel frightened. You get the flashbacks. Every now and then, I feel like this man is coming back to kill me, and I would jump out of my bed, and to this day, seven years later, I still get those flashbacks, still there.
"So the impact is great and it continues. And I am sure, I am certain this has nowhere to go. I continue to grieve. I grieve that incident, that I had... the image that I look at, when I look at my breast, when I look at my abdomen from those stab wounds, or even when I feel them, it feels ugly, you know. I have to live with that, so I am still grieving those things."
Years later, Nurse Elijio says she also had to absorb the cost of those long-term complications, ranging from high blood pressure to glucose complications, physical therapy, and medications not covered under NHI. And despite all she has endured, she says the incident never changed the love that she had for her practice and the 40 years in which she served in her profession:
Augustina Elijio: "So I have had three different episodes, not to say that deterred me from doing what I like. I am in this country as a nurse because I like doing nursing, I like caring for my patients, and I never chose to leave like a lot of my colleagues-I stayed here. And it gives some satisfaction, but also there is some fears that goes along with it, especially when you are not... you feel like you are not protected. I heard Jules saying yesterday that the system needs to be fixed, and indeed the system needs to be fixed. And it needs to be fixed in some multilayers; there is a whole litany of things that needs to be fixed."
And when it boils down to the outcome of the trial and what has been called the lenient sentencing of Francis, Nurse Elijio is torn between two perspectives of the case: how she feels as a human being who survived a vicious attempt on her life, and a nurse who sees a patient in need of help:
Augustina Elijio: "The answer for that is two-pronged for me. As a person, a human being, I, Augustina Elijio, I was hurt, I was stabbed, I saw death in front of my face. You know, my children would have been without a mother today, and the human aspect of you would just say, you know, that person needs to pay, to punish for what I went through. That is what the human aspect of me would say, even though I empathize with the family-they go through their own challenges in caring for their loved one-but that is how I feel as a human being. But when you look at the professional aspect of it, then I have to see it differently: someone who was vulnerable, someone who was probably hallucinating, someone who was probably delusional, and as a result was having these aggressive episodes. That person needs a lot of help. He needs his medication, his therapy, his family support.
"When you look at the term justice in a legal framework, it qualifies fairness, what is good, what's supposed to happen for a punishment as a wrongdoing. That is what justice say, you know. I wouldn't want to see that patient in a prison facility for punishment.
"So the sentencing is neither here nor there for me.
"I was never compensated. I was taken to our national referral hospital, Karl Heusner, where the Social Security Board covered my treatment-the cost of my treatment, my medication, and all that-that was as far as it had gone for me. I was hoping though, in looking at this whole scenario, I was in an environment where my safety, my protection was not adequate. So if I have to look at that, and if I have to look at that at a legal angle, that is tort: they didn't protect me, I was not protected, you know. So it is hard, but as I said, the only addressing as it covers my care was the costing at the hospital for my surgery, my medication, and those types of things."
With 40 years working in the health sector at every level, Nurse Elijio says she recognized the need for mental health services in her own community, especially after the Port Loyola Clinic was shut down in January last year.
She spoke about the importance of having those compound services available within the community that relied heavily on the clinic when they had nowhere else to go:
Augustina Elijio, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner "We need to have a facility... like from yesterday, I know the facility was in shambles, it was affected with molds and all of that. But when it comes to Port Loyola, if we have to look at again our health profile, Port Loyola is one of the largest, if not the largest constituency in Belize City. We also... we are poor by nature-the Port, the Southside, the labeling we get. So there is an urgent need for that facility. And as you rightly said, the comprehensive care for these persons who would have challenges... you might say, 'Go to Port, go to Matron Roberts,' but sometimes these persons might not have a $2, a $3 to go on the bus to get over there, and they might also not like it because it is not what they are used to, being in a clinic that is not like home to them.
"We need our home-based clinic, and I would beg, I would implore, I would beseech that we get this facility in this neighborhood ASAP, and with some modernness to it."
Turning now to crime news: police have uncovered new leads tonight as investigators work to determine the cause of death for 21-year-old Delisha Estrada and 31-year-old Michael Williams.
We do not know exactly what caused their deaths, but we do know that the couple's domestic troubles were well known to police. Jaleeza Roberts gives a full report:
This was the scene of the family of 21-year-old Delisha Estrada and 31-year-old Michael Williams waiting for answers after the young couple and parents of a toddler were found dead inside their home in the Hillview area of Santa Elena yesterday morning. Their bodies were already partly decomposed after one of the family members went to check on them and was met with a foul smell, which alerted them to call police:
ACP Hilberto Romero, HNCIB "Yesterday morning around 9:30 a.m., police were called to a house in the Hillview area of Santa Elena. Police forcibly opened the house, and upon entering, they discovered the partly decomposed body of two persons-they were identified as Delisha Estrada and Michael Williams. Information is that both persons were last seen on Saturday, and thereafter they had not been seen. When they did not pick up their child, families became concerned; they checked the house, and that was when the bodies were discovered. The doctor visited the scene and made an analysis. At this time, we're awaiting the post-mortem examinations to determine the cause of death."
Reporter: "Was it usual that they would leave the child?"
ACP Hilberto Romero: "Yes, they would leave the child with family members and then go back for the child so that the child could go to school on Monday."
But this time around, something was different and they never went back for their child, which raised alarms. SI/SE Mayor Earl Trapp was present at the scene as he was making arrangements for their burial. He knew them both personally:
Earl Trapp, SI/SE Mayor "I knew them as very highly respectful people. I knew them as highly motivated, highly enthusiastic in what they have always been doing, you know. And I think they were really motivated and looking deep into the future. So it's really a shock that this happened.
"As a matter of fact, the young lady, she writes songs. She said she had a song ready for my elections campaign, so again I feel bad because I told her at the end of October then we will talk about it and see how we can get together. But she was very much into artist type, and then like I said, she was doing well, she was going to the Ignatius Adult School. This is the vegetable business that they had, but I think they were highly motivated and looking forward to a big future for them and their kid."
But he never got that election song, nor did they get to see the future they were planning together. One line of inquiry, however, is already raising difficult questions. ACP Romero confirmed that police had received several reports of domestic violence made by Estrada against Williams:
ACP Hilberto Romero, HNCIB "We are carrying out a full investigation to determine the facts, but at this time we will await the post-mortem results to determine the cause of death."
Jaleeza Roberts: "Is this a case of murder-suicide?"
ACP Hilberto Romero: "We cannot fully state at this time until the conclusion of the post-mortem."
Reporter: "So because of the state of decomposition, you could not determine if there were injuries?"
ACP Hilberto Romero: "That is correct."
Jaleeza Roberts: "Are you all aware of any reports of domestic violence between them?"
ACP Hilberto Romero: "Yes, we have several reports made of domestic violence made by the female."
Reporter: "Was anything unusual seen in the surroundings?"
ACP Hilberto Romero: "Some items were found in the house; we are reviewing those items and thereafter tests will be done, and we will have a more comprehensive report when those are done."
Reporter: "There was no sign of a break-in, though?"
ACP Hilberto Romero: "No, there is no sign of break-in; the house was locked from inside."
Reporter: "Did you mention any weapon being recovered?"
ACP Hilberto Romero: "No weapon was recovered."
For now, only the autopsy may be able to fill in the many blanks in this narrative that right now has more questions than answers. Jaleeza Roberts, 7 News.
Their child is left in the custody of family members.
She was accused of extorting a Jamaican national out of $3,000 USD at the PGIA, and was placed on interdiction after she was charged with one count of extortion against 27-year-old Janhoi Shaun-Dhee Richards.
But now those charges have been dismissed against Immigration Officer Monique Escalante, who appeared in court today after the DPP entered a nolle prosequi motion due to a hearsay statement which was ruled inadmissible.
Ultimately, the case fell apart because all efforts to make contact with the complainant were unsuccessful. And so Justice Nigel Pilgrim upheld a no-case submission from the defense. Escalante had been out on bail since March of 2024.
That's when Escalante and two unnamed immigration officers allegedly ordered Richards into an airport bathroom, directing him to put all his cash inside his passport so they would allow him to enter Belize. When he stated he had no cash, they allegedly took him to an ATM, where he allegedly withdrew and handed over $3,000 USD.
And now looking at the price of onions, tonight the Belize Marketing and Development Corporation says higher vegetable prices are being driven by factors including fluctuations in the Mexican peso, reduced production, increased demand, and climate conditions affecting agricultural supply. BMDC also says the condition of vegetables shown in recent social media posts does not necessarily reflect its weekly supply, but is rather a reflection of how the produce is being stored. We spoke with Administrator Valentin Carrillo, and this is what he said:
Valentin Carrillo, Administrator, Belize Marketing & Development Corporation "I'm concerned as well, as we have noticed that this year, we noticed that there's an increase in prices for the commodities that we usually sell to our customers. This has been because of various reasons. One, and basically the biggest one, is the exchange rate. Last year, $1 was $8.50 pesos. This year, we're reaching $7.80, $7.90 pesos per dollar. So that is a huge increase when acquiring our products. Let's say the Mexican peso is very strong right now-this affects our acquisition cost. The other reason is the demand, the climate change that we have. It's affecting our farmers, it's affecting Mexicans also. So it's this demand, that in Mexico there's high demand for these products, and so this affects the amount available and the prices. So the prices vary because of the agricultural imports-just like our farmers are facing, they are facing also."
"Some of our products, the yellow onion, come from Holland. The Mexican is the closest neighbor when it comes to white, and the cauliflower, the broccoli, the carrots, everything, because they are close by. These products, their shelf life is very short, so we can't go far. In fact, right now, El Salvador is asking for onions. If you follow these trends, El Salvador is asking for onion. Other countries are asking for the same, if they can get onions at suitable prices. Sometimes they reach out to us, and unfortunately, we are in the same situation as they are."
Jomarie Lanza: "But one of the complaints is that it's high pricing, but low quality. Is there any form of quality control that is being looked into?"
Valentin Carrillo: "Now, that is the other point. We import every two days-every week, two times per week. Our quality, you can come and see. We import Mondays and Thursdays for the same reason, because of the shelf life of these products. So that will guarantee the freshness of our products, and we invite anyone can see when we're importing, to show you guys or to show the public in general, the quality that we bring in. We need to note that some of our products need refrigeration systems throughout the line. The temperatures right now out there is about 37 to 38 degrees Celsius, and these commodities usually are stored between eight degrees Celsius. So imagine that impact that will have."
BMDC is encouraging consumers to contact them directly with concerns about the quality or condition of products purchased.
Prime Minister Briceño has formally responded to the National Trade Union Congress of Belize and their long list of demands made in late August.
In the official Cabinet response, the Prime Minister firmly rejected calls for the immediate removal of BTL Chairman Markhelm Lizarraga and three fellow board members. Briceño stated there is no legal basis under Belizean company law to dismiss the board, pointing to record-high profits in the last financial year. The Government also turned down union proposals to restructure the Public Utilities Commission, arguing that the regulator's statutory independence prohibits direct stakeholder appointments.
On economic policy, Cabinet refused to halt the passage of the Revenue Authority Bill. Prime Minister Briceño warned that withdrawing the legislation would jeopardize Belize's financial outlook, noting that a leading credit rating agency recently criticized the country for delaying tax reforms.
Despite rejecting these core demands, Cabinet offered compromise on good governance initiatives. Draft Whistleblower Protection legislation has been submitted to social partners ahead of a review meeting scheduled for October 22nd, while initial Campaign Finance legislation is slated for Cabinet review by December 8th. A bipartisan committee is also finalizing recommendations to fill the long-vacant Ombudsman post.
The administration also reaffirmed its commitment to increase the University of Belize's subvention incrementally toward a target of $15 million.
Prime Minister Briceño concluded that while Cabinet cannot agree to all 11 union demands, the Government remains committed to dialogue with organized labor moving forward.
Three of Belize's major trade unions are making a unified push for BTL's small shareholders to claim their seat at the table. The Belize National Teachers' Union, the Public Service Union, and the Belize Communication Workers' Union have issued a joint call urging those small shareholders to turn out in person for Belize Telemedia Limited's Twentieth Annual General Meeting.
Union leaders warn that when small shareholders stay home, critical corporate decisions fall into an increasingly small circle of hands.
The joint appeal comes amidst sharp criticism over the handling of proxy votes. The unions are raising serious concerns about a conflict of interest involving incumbent director Eric Eusey. While Eusey is actively running for re-election as the Publicly Elected Director, BTL's official notice names him as the designated proxy holder for absent shareholders. Union representatives argue that a candidate in a contested election should not collect the proxies deciding that race.
With the deadline for virtual registration and proxy submissions having passed at 10:00 a.m. this morning, union leaders emphasize that attending in person on Thursday morning is now the only way small shareholders can guarantee their vote counts.
Earlier in the news, you heard what the Briceño administration is promising for the year ahead.
Well, today we spoke with the Minister of Tourism, who explained another venture they're looking at: sports tourism.
He says that, coupled with new flights-one of which may be a direct flight from Europe-this area could float the tourism sector during the low months:
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Youth, Sports & Tourism "If you look at tourism on a whole globally, it's about 12 to 13 trillion dollars in revenues; if you look at sports globally, it's like 2.5 trillion, but sports tourism is about a trillion dollars. So what we want to do is to continue to push forward in terms of continuing to improve our facilities whereby we can host more and more events here in Belize. I think we can carve out a niche that can help boost tourism, especially in the softer months, especially if we have more indoor facilities."
Reporter: "You mentioned some down months in terms of arrival numbers; tell us about your hope for rebound."
Anthony Mahler: "I think we're going to be okay heading into the last quarter of the year, especially with the new flights we're doing. We have six new flights coming in, and hopefully we can announce the European one that the PM said. So I think good things are going to happen for the latter part of this year, but the first five months we were up and the last three months, very soft-especially, I believe, August."
Today marked the opening of the art exhibition "LOOK AT ME. I AM BELIZE @45" at the Bliss, featuring art from emerging and seasoned artists.
The Director at the Institute of Creative Arts says that each of these pieces represents a special part of Belize:
Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Arts, NICH "We are so honored, honestly. We put out the call, we had the response of 50 artists, and it was everything we hoped it would be, plus more. We really had hoped that we would get a response from the older, more established artists, as well as young, emerging artists. We were also really hopeful that we would get different mediums. Yes, we wanted the paintings and the sculptures, but we wanted to see the digital art, the animation, the graphic design, the textiles, and we got that as well. So, we cannot thank Saidy Moore enough-she really, when she came on board, she just ran with the exhibit. Honestly, she was behind these artists. Saidy put in hours and hours of work to bring this to life, and we hope that this will be something we can repeat again. I don't know if next year, but definitely, maybe every other year, it will become part of our Independence Celebrations, because it really gives us the opportunity to see Belize through the eyes of diverse artists."
Reporter: "How do you feel all the art pieces that are here, both digital and physical, really embody Belize at 45?"
Kim Vasquez: "It's really looking... it's really interesting to see that, you know, when you ask artists to tell us, 'How do you see Belize at 45?', that some of them look to cultural heritage, some of them look to the natural beauty of Belize, some of them look to the history, and that's interesting. That one is powerful to me, because I think one of them said that, you know, we can't really see ourselves in the present or in the future if we don't really reflect on the past. And so, that was really interesting to me, the way many of them also chose their own cultural backgrounds and their own family background, as well as a few of them, to really bring forward that vision for Belize at 45. But there are a couple that are more open to interpretation, like this beautiful one from Yolanda Hoy behind me, that when you look at them, it says Belize, but at the same time, it does it in a really subtle way, and you have to really sit there and say, 'This is Belize,' you know, but what is it saying to me?"
One artist, Leonel Flores, contributed a painting reflecting the culture he grew up in:
Leonel Flores, Curator of "Abuelita" "I mean, that's me, that's my family, my culture, my story, so I grew up in a kitchen like that. So, I mean, I have had that most of my childhood growing up in a kitchen like that. And my grandmother, my mom, we grew up in that environment. So, I mean, it's something that for a lot of people, probably even nowadays, it's a daily, you know, basis thing. But it's a good way for me to immortalize a memory, you know. So, it's something that's slowly probably getting lost. So, I mean, it's my history, my life."
Reporter: "What are you hoping is the lasting impression that it leaves persons when they see this piece?"
Leonel Flores: "Like I said, you know, some of them might get memories from their childhood. So, a lot of people don't live in the country anymore. So, I had a lot of messages from people abroad asking me, you know, the way they felt when they saw it. And also just artistically, you know, some people kind of appreciate the art itself without having, you know, been in that situation. So, I mean, I want it to speak for itself."
The exhibit will be open until October 12 and everyone is welcome to visit.
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The State of the Nation address-a September tradition instituted by former Prime Minister Said Musa in 1999-was created to move away from the Throne Speech formerly delivered by the Governor General to mark the opening of a new session of Parliament.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration
"So our Cabinet decided under the guidance of Minister Chebat to act very quickly. Our Cabinet has also acted to remove GST on light bills for all 100,000 residential customers of BEL. Furthermore, the PUC has approved an expansion to the number of BEL customers who will benefit from the lower social rate of electricity."
"For the common man, I think generally it is good. We recognize the challenges, and I've been saying it all the time. We recognize the challenges every day that our people are going through. But I've said it over and over, it is something that is beyond our control. Most of the things we have, we import. Even in the cane fields, you have to import fertilizer, pesticides, all of that, because all of that is human-based. The prices have gone up dramatically, but I think what's important is that whenever we can step in, we do. For instance, electricity: what we've done, if you look at all the things we've done-a little bit here, a little bit there, another one here-when you add it, then it adds up to the pocket of our citizens. The National Health Insurance, we are about to roll it out here in the Cayo District, and with electricity, we hear the cries, and so what can we do? BEL is in a quandary because the price of diesel goes up, and when that goes up, the price of electricity goes up, the price of CFE goes up, the price of diesel generation in Belize goes up, and somebody has to pay. And as much as we would want to pay it, we have to try to spread this with everyone. So what do we do as a Government? We have removed the GST from 100,000 consumers to be able to provide some kind of help. Working with the PUC, we're increasing the number of people that can apply under the social rate, so we're finding ways as best as we possibly can. So for anyone to accuse us today that we don't know or we don't care, I challenge you.
And zeroing in on electricity, the PM toured BEL's facilities last week. He explained that multiple projects are in the works to fill the gaps when CFE is unable to provide energy. He hopes one of those projects will come on stream at the end of the year or early next year.
As you heard in his address, PM Briceño spoke on the recent incident on the Sarstoon during the BTV's annual trip. He explained that he is glad the tension did not escalate since the BTV made discretion the better part of valor and decided against circling the island.
And to add insult to injury, many Belizeans were offended by the recent billboards spotted near Sandhill and Hattieville that encourage drivers to visit Guatemala. Many who saw them found the ads in bad taste given the current territorial dispute.
And with the tension on the Sarstoon, the State of the Nation Address, and everything else happening this month, the audit of the Ministry of Defence has taken a backseat. Next week marks three months since Minister Oscar Mira went on leave.
She was a retired nurse at the time, but the love for the profession got her back into the work, only for a life-threatening attack to end her career in nursing.
Augustina Elijio, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
"So we were winding down, we had patients there. And what had transpired is that this patient who inflicted those wounds to me, he came in in a very agitated state, you know, he was pacing and he wanted a certain drug, a certain medication. He was there earlier, so it was a concern like, why come back in the evening? So he started pacing, started becoming agitated, and before I know it, I was inflicted. I saw him fondling in his pockets, but I didn't think this person would be coming up with a knife. You know, sometimes it's good to follow intuition, but I said no, and before I knew it, I was stabbed multiple times. I was grounded-I was grounded. A very scary episode. I could hear a lot of screaming, my other colleagues, they were screaming. What had also happened is that he inflicted those wounds so fast that I could imagine... I could remember the first one being placed in my chest, another one in my stomach, the other one in the lateral side of my chest, in my side."
With 40 years working in the health sector at every level, Nurse Elijio says she recognized the need for mental health services in her own community, especially after the Port Loyola Clinic was shut down in January last year.
Turning now to crime news: police have uncovered new leads tonight as investigators work to determine the cause of death for 21-year-old Delisha Estrada and 31-year-old Michael Williams.
"Yesterday morning around 9:30 a.m., police were called to a house in the Hillview area of Santa Elena. Police forcibly opened the house, and upon entering, they discovered the partly decomposed body of two persons-they were identified as Delisha Estrada and Michael Williams. Information is that both persons were last seen on Saturday, and thereafter they had not been seen. When they did not pick up their child, families became concerned; they checked the house, and that was when the bodies were discovered. The doctor visited the scene and made an analysis. At this time, we're awaiting the post-mortem examinations to determine the cause of death."
"I knew them as very highly respectful people. I knew them as highly motivated, highly enthusiastic in what they have always been doing, you know. And I think they were really motivated and looking deep into the future. So it's really a shock that this happened.
She was accused of extorting a Jamaican national out of $3,000 USD at the PGIA, and was placed on interdiction after she was charged with one count of extortion against 27-year-old Janhoi Shaun-Dhee Richards.
And now looking at the price of onions, tonight the Belize Marketing and Development Corporation says higher vegetable prices are being driven by factors including fluctuations in the Mexican peso, reduced production, increased demand, and climate conditions affecting agricultural supply. BMDC also says the condition of vegetables shown in recent social media posts does not necessarily reflect its weekly supply, but is rather a reflection of how the produce is being stored. We spoke with Administrator Valentin Carrillo, and this is what he said:
"Some of our products, the yellow onion, come from Holland. The Mexican is the closest neighbor when it comes to white, and the cauliflower, the broccoli, the carrots, everything, because they are close by. These products, their shelf life is very short, so we can't go far. In fact, right now, El Salvador is asking for onions. If you follow these trends, El Salvador is asking for onion. Other countries are asking for the same, if they can get onions at suitable prices. Sometimes they reach out to us, and unfortunately, we are in the same situation as they are."
Prime Minister Briceño has formally responded to the National Trade Union Congress of Belize and their long list of demands made in late August.
Three of Belize's major trade unions are making a unified push for BTL's small shareholders to claim their seat at the table. The Belize National Teachers' Union, the Public Service Union, and the Belize Communication Workers' Union have issued a joint call urging those small shareholders to turn out in person for Belize Telemedia Limited's Twentieth Annual General Meeting.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Youth, Sports & Tourism
Today marked the opening of the art exhibition "LOOK AT ME. I AM BELIZE @45" at the Bliss, featuring art from emerging and seasoned artists.
"We are so honored, honestly. We put out the call, we had the response of 50 artists, and it was everything we hoped it would be, plus more. We really had hoped that we would get a response from the older, more established artists, as well as young, emerging artists. We were also really hopeful that we would get different mediums. Yes, we wanted the paintings and the sculptures, but we wanted to see the digital art, the animation, the graphic design, the textiles, and we got that as well. So, we cannot thank Saidy Moore enough-she really, when she came on board, she just ran with the exhibit. Honestly, she was behind these artists. Saidy put in hours and hours of work to bring this to life, and we hope that this will be something we can repeat again. I don't know if next year, but definitely, maybe every other year, it will become part of our Independence Celebrations, because it really gives us the opportunity to see Belize through the eyes of diverse artists."
Leonel Flores, Curator of "Abuelita"