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
Yesterday, the Council of Churches struck a nerve in Carnival culture when it sent out a release calling for more modest Carnival outfits. Now, that's like asking the Pharisees to host Jouvert-not very likely.
Today, the Minister of Culture and Chairman of the September Celebrations Commission, Francis Fonseca, defended Carnival culture-and said he disagrees with the churches:
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science & Technology "Yeah, well, the Council of Churches, they have a specific mandate and a specific role to play. They see themselves as, I imagine, guardians of morality, so they... I don't, you know, in any way want to diminish their role. I would say that I think that the Carnival Association-and I certainly know that the National Celebrations Committee-we are always sensitive to these issues and we always have a discussion about how can we make the Carnival more safe, how can we make it more appealing to the wider public. So all of those issues are always under discussion.
"You know, Carnival has its own vibe and its own energy and its own, you know, aura, and we have to find balance in everything. But the Council of Churches has its role; the Carnival Association and the National Celebrations Commission will continue to evaluate everything."
Jomarie Lanza: "But is it that you agree or you don't agree with them? Because if you notice, the sections are separate-the kids are completely different from the adults. Their issue is with the adults and the way that the adults dress."
Francis Fonseca: "No, I respectfully don't agree with them. I don't agree with them, but as I said, my role as Chairman of the National Celebrations Commission is to respect the voices of other people and hear what their concerns are. So I am saying that their concerns will be shared with the Commission so that it can form a part of the discussion going into the next Carnival. I personally don't agree with them in terms of their assessment of the Carnival, but I have a duty to take their concerns, as the Council of Churches-a very important institution in our country-to take into account what they are saying, and we will look at it."
And while Fonseca has yet to meet with the churches about Carnival, as Foreign Minister he did meet with the new U.S. Ambassador to Belize, Andre Bauer, yesterday. He welcomed Bauer to Belize, but did they talk about the future of the Cuban medical brigade? We asked:
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science & Technology "Yeah, we had a very good initial meeting. I think there are many, many areas of mutual interest that we can work together on. You know, as you know, the U.S. has been a good friend and ally of Belize. They are our largest trading partner; the largest number of tourists that we have in Belize come from the United States of America, so they are very important to us as a friend and partner. So our first meeting was, I think, very good. I shared some of our priorities and the Ambassador shared with me some of their priorities, and most of those I think are mutual, so it was a good meeting."
Jomarie Lanza: "Did he bring any message about the Cuban medical brigade?"
Francis Fonseca: "No, no, we did not discuss that in this first meeting."
But Foreign Affairs has concerns more pressing than the Cuban doctors right now. That's the Belize Territorial Volunteers' annual Sarstoon trip on September 10th.
Earlier this week, the CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with LOVE TV, warned against what he called "recklessness":
Oscar Arnold, CEO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs "But the month of September seems to be that sweet spot where there is an uptick in the showing of patriotism. Some people show it in differing ways, but we are of the opinion that however that is done, that individuals should be responsible. We don't expect anyone to be reckless, and we hope that no lives are put into jeopardy.
"We know and we understand, and so at the Ministry level, the level of the Belize Defence Force and the Coast Guard, discussions have already been made. I believe both foreign ministers spoke of this as well, and the commitment is there that if there is any small flare-up, to ensure that the communication lines are open-that the communication in place to ensure that we don't have any escalation of whatever small disturbance may take place."
Well, that allusion to danger made the Territorial Volunteers bristle. They issued a statement today, quote, "expressing deep disappointment and concern regarding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' recent public statements discouraging citizens against border expeditions and framing visits to our southern border as unsafe."
They point out in the release that they have led annual peaceful expeditions to the Sarstoon River for 15 years and, quote, "Not a single participant has ever been injured or placed in harm's way."
Today we asked the Foreign Minister about it:
Jomarie Lanza: "The Belize Territorial Volunteers has put out a statement expressing, quote, 'deep disappointment and concern regarding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' recent public statements discouraging citizens against border expeditions and framing visits to our southern border as unsafe.' End quote. What would you say in response?"
Francis Fonseca: "Yeah, I think every year the Government has a duty and obligation to make sure that we are making it very clear to individuals who travel, who want to traverse the Sarstoon River, the reality of the situation. So we have a duty and an obligation to our citizens, you know. The Territorial Volunteers have their agenda, and that is fine-they have been doing it for many, many years. But we have a larger duty and obligation to the citizens of this country, and so we want to make sure that people who may not understand the risk or the challenges, that they are aware. If they then choose to go, that is fine. And of course, as always, we provide support-the Government through the BDF, the Coast Guard-we do provide support to anyone who is traversing that area. The reality is that we are pursuing a peaceful resolution to the unfounded Guatemalan claim before the ICJ, and until that claim is finalized and we get a judgment from the court, we will continue to have these challenges. So there is always a cautionary message that is sent out."
But Fonseca conceded that he does not expect that official caution to affect the excursion:
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science & Technology "No, I don't think so, I don't think so. They have made it clear that they will go, and we will provide whatever protection we can and security arrangements as always, as we always do for all citizens. But as I said, we have a responsibility to make sure that people understand the risk involved in participating in that type of trip."
And, indeed, the Territorial Volunteers are proceeding without a hitch. This afternoon, they met with senior officers from the BDF and Belize Coast Guard to coordinate security and operational logistics ahead of the annual expedition to the Sarstoon River on Thursday, September 10.
The meeting brought together Lieutenant Colonel Justo Veliz Jr., Commanding Officer of the BDF's 1st Infantry Battalion, and Lieutenant Juan Bulum, Sector South Commander of the Belize Coast Guard, to discuss measures aimed at ensuring a safe and orderly excursion. According to the leader of the BTV, Wil Maheia, the trip is expected to be productive and safe:
Anyone wishing to go on the Sarstoon Excursion can contact BTV at 610-0978 for more details.
Police are investigating the latest murder in the city. It happened in front of an apartment building in King's Park late last night, leaving the neighborhood stunned and scared. Jomarie Lanza reports:
The report of automatic gunfire at the corner of 7th and F Street last night at 11:00 sent a shock through the Kings Park neighborhood. When the gunfire subsided, one man lay dead and another severely injured.
The murder victim was identified as 33-year-old Barry Johnson.
According to a police report, Johnson had just arrived at the location along with the other man that was injured, and they both exited a white Ford van when they came under fire.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "What has been established so far in the course of the ongoing investigation is that Mr. Johnson was talking to two persons who were seated inside a van which was parked on the street when two male persons approached and fired several shots, fatally wounding Johnson and injuring another person. No motive has been established so far in the course of this ongoing investigation; however, police have retrieved footage from the Crime Fusion Center, which is proving helpful to the ongoing investigation."
And while his family would only tell us via message that the murder is not gang-related, police would not comment on the use of an automatic weapon, but did say that Johnson did have some criminal history:
ASP Stacy Smith: "As it relates to Mr. Johnson, he is known to police, having been convicted in the past for drug trafficking.
"As I stated, no motive has been established. It is a pretty young investigation; as more information is learned and it becomes necessary to be shared, that will be done."
Police are not releasing the name of the shooting victim who survived because he is a witness.
There was a fatal accident in the North early this morning when a van and a tractor collided on the Remate road.
ASP Smith told us more:
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "Police have issued a notice of intended prosecution in connection with an ongoing investigation into a traffic accident which resulted in the death of 50-year-old David Chan and the injury of Wilder Cuello and Nelita Chan. The investigation commenced at around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 8 September, when officers in Corozal were advised of a traffic accident on Remate Road on the outskirts of Yo Chen Village. The investigating officers reported that on the scene, they observed an extensively damaged trailer and tractor, as well as an extensively damaged van. Initial investigation has indicated that the tractor was towing a trailer which was being driven by David Chan when the van collided into the trailer, resulting in the fatal injury of Mr. Chan and the injury of Nelita Chan, who was on the tractor."
And a grisly accident on Caracol Road last week claimed the life of a Bulridge employee.
Mauricio Solis was flung from a logging truck to his death when the vehicle could not make it up a hill. The truck overturned and crushed him.
ASP Smith told us about the freak accident:
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "The Belize Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Mauricio Solis, which occurred shortly before midday on Thursday, 3 September, on the Chiquibul Road in the vicinity of Guacamayo Bridge. Initial investigation reveals that Solis was a passenger on a dump truck which was towing a trailer that was carrying a grader that was passing through to the bed of that trailer. While the driver was attempting to ascend a hill, the truck reportedly experienced mechanical difficulties, causing it to roll backwards. The driver subsequently lost control of the vehicle, which overturned. During the incident, Solis was flung from the truck and became pinned underneath it; he sustained severe injuries and was subsequently pronounced dead. Police processed the scene and have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. A file is currently being compiled, and upon completion, it will be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for directives therefrom."
In a release issued by Bulridge, the company explains that Solis was a passenger in the work truck which belonged to a private contractor that was hired to work in the area. Their release further details: "Mauricio was a valued member of the Bulridge family, and his passing has left a deep void among his family, colleagues, and friends."
Belama Phase 5 is one of those communities whose boundaries were pushed out by squatters. They say that they have been living on the land since 2019, and their application for title has been in process since then.
But now they say title for those lands has been given to others, creating tension and conflict in the Phase 5 area.
Today, one of those squatters made her case in a Facebook video:
Voice of Belama Land Complainant "So we sent out three letters on behalf of all the people with our signature and names, asking for help and for answers. The letters got sent out to Mr. Francis Fonseca, Mr. Albert, and Mr. Cordel Hyde. While we are trying to get answers, people are coming to intimidate us and tell us they are the new owners, and they are claiming ownership. They have the title and that we have no rights and that we need to leave from here. What makes this situation concerning is that the new owners received titles for the land while our applications were in process. Now no one wants to be held responsible for this.
"Let me make this clear: we are not trespassing. These lots were given to us by Francis Fonseca in 2019. These lots had no owners at that time. We did the right thing and placed in our applications. However, with this specific lot here, this house, this person is getting intimidated constantly by this lady that works for the Government. This lady has her nice house, her own land, a whole different community, and she is coming to intimidate her and tell her, 'Miss, you have to leave from here. I have the title, I have the papers, you have to leave.' The person here, she has been clearing this land for 7 years; she has been doing all of this. These people, this community, they worked on this-nobody else did."
And when we asked Area Rep Fonseca today about the dispute, he explained that it's an entire mix-up that stems back to the previous administration.
He explained how one person could have acquired title for the land another person had already applied for:
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science & Technology "Yeah, Belama, as you know, is an ongoing nightmare. It is a land... we have been working very, very hard to sort out that land mess for many, many years. The problem really is that we gave a title to people-many, many people-way back, as far back as 2007. Then government changed and they did not honor those titles; they completely disregarded them, issued new titles. So you have a complete mess that dates back...
"...back now, I think almost 20 years, and we have been sorting... sorting that out. We even had to go to court to address some of the injustices that were done during the UDP term to some people, and so it is an ongoing mess, I will accept that. But we have done a lot of work. We have done a lot of work, you know. More than 100... hundreds of people have gotten their title, but there are a few cases where it has not been sorted out, where you have multiple titles given to people for specific lots. We continue to work on that area with the Minister of Natural Resources, so it is challenging. But people can't just think that because you go and sit on a piece of land for six months or two years or whatever and clean it and clear it, that automatically you are entitled to that land. There is a legal process, so we have been working through that process with the Ministry and we continue to do so so that we will be able to resolve all these outstanding issues."
Rival cruise port developer Portico Enterprises Limited has formally threatened the Department of the Environment with judicial review, seeking to quash the environmental clearance and Environmental Compliance Plan granted for the Port of Belize Limited's proposed bulk cargo expansion and cruise port development.
In a letter dated September 3, 2026, Portico's attorney Godfrey Smith gave Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai 14 days to respond or face judicial review of the project's environmental approval.
The legal salvo directly targets the June 2026 approval giving the green light to PBL's multi-million-dollar project in Port Loyola, which includes 8.6 million cubic meters of seabed dredging, a 448-acre engineered mangrove island, and berthing facilities for four mega cruise ships.
Portico-which holds environmental clearance for the "Port of Magical Belize" project-contends that the DOE unlawfully approved a flawed project. They point to a Deficient Environmental Assessment and a Rushed Consultation Process, among other things.
Portico has urged the DOE to suspend or withdraw the June 22 clearance and requested a voluntary standstill from PBL on all capital dredging, reclamation, and road construction activities pending legal resolution.
The DOE previously announced its approval in April 2026 following a majority NEAC vote, promising cross-agency enforcement to mitigate environmental risks. The environmental regulator now faces a tight deadline to either produce its administrative decision record or prepare to defend its clearance in court.
Today's Special Sitting of the Senate saw four bills brought from the House. Three of them were bundled into one big debate: the Millennium Challenge Account Belize Authority Amendment Bill, the Education Bill, 2026, and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Bill, 2026. The reason these bills needed to be brought to the Senate today is because there are only ten more days to meet the deadline to advance with the MCC.
Some senators had concerns about the rush job, especially since they all had plenty of amendments. Senator Faber pointed out that according to the Standing Orders, they should have at least 5 days to scrutinize these bills:
Patrick Faber, UDP Senator "Now, it is being brought to us-in fact, it is said that it is expected, it was a part of the understanding all along-that the Parliament must approve the terms of the compact. Parliament is now being asked in 2026 to give agreement and its amendments so it can become the force of law. We are being asked, in fact, to do so in only days before the anticipated date of entry into force. This is not the kind of timeline that we find to be productive. I think Senator Dennison brought something to my attention, and I witnessed it again this morning, and I think there is a grave injustice being done to the members of this House as it relates to the presentation and debate of these bills. In fact, the Standing Orders makes clear that the introduction of bills from the House ought to be made and then we ought to be given some time to look at these bills in detail. I think he pointed out to me that the Standing Orders gives five days, but we have never employed that, at least since I've been here. In fact, what we witnessed again just a minute ago was Senator Courtenay seeking permission from the House to push through the bill in today's sitting.
"If you want to be utterly transparent, if you want to give Belizeans a chance to truly understand, to trust the Government, then give us what you can give us. We must have been able to send along with this document, the compact-send along the amendment to the legislation, some kind of update on what portion of the $250 million has already been spent in terms of those administrative portions of the function of the grant that was given."
PUP Senator Hector Guerra rose afterwards and explained to Faber that Belize was on the verge of losing the compact as a whole, and that is what caused the delay:
Hector Guerra, PUP Senator "This compact and the accompanying implementation agreement was first signed, I believe, in September of 2024. Some months passed, and early 2025 there was a shift in policy with the great United States of America. It was widely reported that we were on the verge of losing this critical funding, but you know what? Our people, our technocrats, our diplomats worked anxiously, worked tenaciously, worked with alacrity and moved swiftly to ensure that, notwithstanding the strong headwinds with which we faced, we would put our best foot forward to ensure that this $125 million U.S. would be secured for the benefit of our Belizean people. And so when I get up today to speak, I get up acknowledging the hard work that has preceded me this morning."
And Union Senator Glenfield Dennison made it clear that he wasn't supporting the bills. He first explained his concerns with the portion of the compact targeting solely San Pedro. Then he spoke about the fact that the Senate is expected to pass flawed bills:
Glenfield Dennison, Union Senator "I personally just focused on the energy sector itself, and I have never heard anyone in the energy sector put the need to provide power to San Pedro higher than the need to provide power all the time to the entire country. I just haven't heard that. I didn't want to think it, but I couldn't help but think how Belizeans are priced out of land in San Pedro and whether this is not simply America helping its own people on San Pedro. I could respect that, but Senator Faber, I'm sure you're aware of the power grid that exists on Antelope Street Extension, across the London Bridges.
"It's not just San Pedro that needs light-I understand tourism, respect to that. But I'm accused of not being in the streets, so I will have my people know I'm in the streets, I live in the streets, I am from the streets. The streets is who I am. I don't need to visit.
"Respect where respect is due: it's $125 million that we didn't have, and despite what we would hear of how good the economy is doing, we need it. Proof of that is that we are passing through pieces of legislation that we know are not ready to pass the scrutiny that is usually done by the Senate. We have a letter which suggests that amendments will be made to the Education Bill, so we are conceding now before we pass the bill into law and make it an Act, we're conceding that it is flawed in these ways and we will need to change it later on. I have a fundamental problem with that. I recommend what ought to have happened is in the ten days we meet in committee, we pass our amendments, including the one that is envisioned by the Minister of Education, and we send it back to the House so they can have a House meeting before the 18th so they could pass that into law. That's what ought to have occurred, but we don't have time and we need the money and we have to do it and just pass it blind. I won't vote for it."
Leader of Government Business Eamon Courtenay ended the debate by stating simply that the deadline of September 18th needs to be met if Belize is to benefit from the US$125 million that the compact will provide:
Eamon Courtenay, Leader of Government Business "It was this Senate that passed the Millennium Challenge Account Belize Act and approved the grant of $125 million U.S., and I'm trying to figure out who we're quarreling with. We want the money, but we're vex. We started the day by my confessing that we are in an unfortunate and-I take Senator Chanona's word-unacceptable position that we are asked to pass a piece of legislation that not a single one of us in here is satisfied with. The only reason for doing so today is because there is a deadline of the 18th of September that must be met if it is we want this compact to move forward as was approved already by the Senate. An undertaking in black and white has been given by the Honorable Minister of Education-a minister who has been praised by the side opposite-but we still vex.
"The letter has more than, I believe, 20 proposed amendments, many of which are the subject of Senator Faber's presentation, so the points he thought he was making have already been taken on board. But we still vex."
The final bill brought down from the House was the National Honours and Awards (Amendment) Bill, 2026. It will see the creation of a new category so that persons like pilot Howell Grange can receive the recognition they deserve. And it was supported by the Senate:
Patrick Faber, UDP Senator "We do support this, and if our intelligence is right-not that we should legislate to give awards to one individual, but if it is correct that one of the awardees under the new category will be pilot Howell Grange-then we are in full support. But I agree that the broadening of categories to include other areas that Belizeans ought to be recognized for is something good, so this side of the aisle, we certainly give our full support."
Janelle Chanona, NGO Senator "I'm proud to support the move of creating a Belizean honor that recognizes those who, in times of great and grave danger, put themselves before others and respond with great bravery. And I'm proud to support Captain Grange. I know he physically was on crutches when this parliamentary session opened at our outdoor ceremonial sitting, but it is really a point of restoration and humanity that he and, as Senator Zetina called out, other members of that manifest stepped forward and really reminded Belizeans that when we were called upon to be brave, that we do so."
Glenfield Dennison, Union Senator "If I can piggyback on my earlier presentation in relation to the mental health of men, I wish to speak to the anguish that he must have been under while he was piloting the plane to safety. And I ask the question: what could have driven the hijacker to commit such a heinous act on people he didn't even know? That was a time to kill in defense of everyone else on that plane. Mr. Brown did his civic duty to come to the defense of the life of others. And I'm happy that we, as a Parliament, see fit to recognize that valor."
And, speaking on the adjournment, the Business Senator rose to speak on Belize's energy crisis. He explained that it is a succession of failures by various governments to create a stable energy source. He then criticized the lack of urgency, which has severely affected the business sector. Here's a portion of his speech:
Kevin Herrera, Business Senator "We have allowed a fundamental economic platform-our electric grid-to be inadequate. This Honorable Senate has a constitutional duty to investigate this failure and immediately convene public hearings to get to the bottom of it.
"Belize is paying between 15 and 23 cents per kilowatt-hour for emergency power, but refuses to make the environment attractive for domestic solar or wind investment. What do we have to lose by replacing 19-cent imported Mexican energy by offering local providers a bank rate of 9 or 10 cents U.S.? What do we have to lose by replacing gas turbines running up to 80 cents with stable domestic solar at 9 or 10 cents? This is a no-brainer. Instead, there is no urgency; our citizens and industries are left to suffer rolling blackouts.
"The purpose of the presentation is really to bring attention to this issue. It's something that affects everybody every day, it's affecting businesses significantly, it's knocking out our equipment, it's leading to disruptions in our business flow. And so I really believe we owe the country, we owe to ourselves to find the answers in terms of why we cannot move forward in energy generation in the country."
And, in crime news, a shooting in the West left one man injured, but police are trying to determine who shot him-was it a licensed gun owner or a police officer? ASP Smith says that both weapons are now in custody; she told us more:
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "Police are investigating a shooting incident which resulted in the injury of Jaheem Thomas, 26 years of age, of Roaring Creek Village. The investigation commenced on Monday, 7 September, at around 8:00 p.m. when officers were called to a residence in Las Flores, Belmopan, because of a dispute. Jaheem Thomas was injured during the course of police's response to the incident, and at this time he is hospitalized in a stable condition. Thus far, the investigators have not established who fired the shot that injured Mr. Thomas, since the investigation has so far indicated that both a licensed firearm holder who was involved in the dispute and a police officer may have discharged their weapons. Both weapons have been seized and packaged and will be submitted for comparative analysis. Both internal and criminal investigations have commenced."
A tractor belonging to Belmopan businessman Brian Mira, the brother of Belmopan Area Rep Oscar Mira, was reported stolen, and tonight, four people are facing a joint theft charge for it.
27-year-old Tyrone Jordan, 44-year-old Dwayne Garbutt, 51-year-old Estevan Humes, and a 17-year-old minor appeared in court today and pleaded not guilty to theft.
Each was granted $3,000 bail plus one surety of the same amount, with a condition to report to the nearest police station every Friday. They all met bail and are due back in court in November.
The case stems from Saturday, September 5, when officers went to Mile 19.5 on the George Price Highway after receiving information about the stolen tractor. Police found it along with a black Chevy Equinox and a white International 10-wheeler truck. Several people were detained, including Garbutt and Humes. Investigators say Humes later told police he had been communicating with a man named Tyrone to collect the tractor, leading police to Jordan, who was subsequently detained in Hattieville. Mira later provided police with documents confirming ownership of the tractor.
Tonight, the University of Belize is one step closer to producing fully accredited doctors from its School of Medicine. Today, seven students received their white coats, symbolizing their transition from in-class study to clinical rotations at the KHMH. This is the first-ever ceremony of its kind, and Jaleeza Roberts gives this report:
For seven medical students at the University of Belize, receiving their white coats today marked more than the beginning of clinical training: it represented a major step in Belize's journey toward training its own homegrown doctors.
The University of Belize School of Medicine celebrated its debut White Coat Ceremony, officially launching its first cohort into hospital rotations at KHMH, where they will spend the next three years completing their clinical training.
Dr. Lisa Johnson, Dean of the University of Belize School of Medicine and a general and trauma surgeon, described the ceremony as a developmental milestone for both the students and the nascent medical school, which was established in 2024:
Dr. Lisa Johnson, Dean of the University of Belize School of Medicine "It's their transition from the classrooms and the laboratories to the bedside, to the hospitals and the clinics, who will be providing clinical teaching to them. For the medical school, it's our first transition from one phase of training to the other, from the preclinical to the clinical. It's a developmental milestone. If you can look at the growth of any institution, there are... you're born, which is 2024, and you start to walk, and you start school and so on. So this is one of those important developmental milestones that we are marking. There's a lot of tradition in medicine. And so we are establishing our traditions as we go along, so that 20 years from now, 30 years from now, 40 years from now, they will have a body of experience that marks them as having been to the University of Belize School of Medicine."
They are expected to complete their medical degrees in June 2029, followed by an internship before they can begin practicing as doctors. But UB is not stopping there as the School of Medicine is working toward accreditation through the Caribbean Authority for Medical Education and other regional standards:
Dr. Vincent Palacio, President, University of Belize "So we are submitting for our candidacy in another two months, the Dean informs me. So that will go in and then the assessors will come to visit, make sure we are saying what we're doing, what we're saying, and then they will grant us the accreditation. So we're on the road for that. That is a very important part of the process."
Reporter "Where do you see this medical school heading in terms of the direction?"
Dr. Vincent Palacio: "I see it only growing. I think the medical school will be the flagship institution of the University of Belize. I see a bigger structure, I see bigger labs, I see more master's degree programs in medicine, I see more looking at every aspect of medicine. So it will only grow."
The medical school currently has a capacity for approximately 35 students per year. More importantly, Dr. Johnson explained that the program is helping Belize move toward greater self-reliance in healthcare:
Dr. Lisa Johnson, Dean of the University of Belize School of Medicine "I think one of the lessons that we should have learned from the pandemic is that there are certain things that we need to be able to do on our own. I think it was the President in his remarks, stated that WHO says that a country should be able to train its own healthcare team. So if we look at that, and we look at our experiences that we've had, this marks us as actually traversing the right road to development-that of being able to train all of our healthcare professionals in Belize. If we look at security, and national security, from the point of view of the things that we really need to have, we need to be able to feed ourselves, and we really need to be able to take care of ourselves."
And at a time when the future of the Cuban medical brigade is up in the air, these doctors will fill an important gap:
Dr. Lisa Johnson: "One of the things that people need to understand is that even with the Cuban doctors, we have gaps. We don't have enough healthcare providers-both in the medical profession, in the nursing profession, pharmacy, medical laboratory sciences. We need to scale the university's ability to train in all of these professions, and the university is the place to do it."
Brain drain often prevents countries from reaping the rewards of educating their own professionals, but Dr. Johnson says Belize is actively working on strategies to keep these future doctors at home:
Dr. Lisa Johnson: "Once we capture the training of the individual, that helps a lot in them experiencing what it's like to take care of your own people. There is a difference, and so I think that on a purely psychological level, that helps to bind people to the country. But we train for the world. We train at international standards, and so whomever we graduate can go anywhere they choose to go, take the exams that everybody would have to take going into a particular country, and compete with everyone else. That is our goal-to train."
For the students receiving their white coats, the ceremony is the beginning of that journey, and for Belize, it could be the beginning of a future that sees homegrown healthcare.
Jaleeza Roberts, 7News.
Any student wishing to apply can contact the University of Belize.
Creative Youth Summit Gathers Young Innovators in Belize City
Young innovators gathered at today's Creative Youth Summit to brainstorm fresh solutions for the nation's biggest challenges. The summit explored six thematic areas, and Jomarie Lanza stopped in to learn more:
PGIA Terminal Power Outage Leaves Travelers Sweltering; Air Control Unaffected
A power outage that lasted at least half an hour brought operations to a halt at the Philip Goldson International Airport on Sunday. The blackout plunged the arrival hall into darkness and shut down both the air conditioning and airline computer systems. Passengers were left standing in long lines inside a very warm terminal, fanning themselves until power was restored.
So what caused the blackout? Airport Operations Manager Enrique Hoare told us that BEL was running some tests which tripped the airport main switch. Those tests then put the "automatic transfer switch in flux," which prevented the backup generator from kicking in as normal. He said that they reset the switch, which normalized the power in the building.
But the air traffic control tower didn't go down.
A release from Belize Air Traffic Control reports, quote, "A power outage affecting the Philip Goldson International Airport area was first recorded at 9:52 AM, following a series of intermittent BEL power fluctuations earlier in the morning. Upon loss of commercial power, backup generators for both the Radar Room and the Control Tower activated immediately…. ATC confirms that no delays or disruptions occurred for arriving or departing aircraft, as radar, communications, and tower operations remained online and fully functional at all times."
Artist Teryl Godoy Rekindles Decades-Long Property Dispute With Port of Belize
Teryl Godoy is known as the "Man at Work"-one of Belize's most enduring painters and now a reggae musician.
But his decades-long battle with the Port of Belize for the property he has squatted on for 39 years is once again an active conflict.
He claims that the Port of Belize has been encroaching on his property and cutting trees when he is not there:
Tyrell Godoy, Artist/Squatter "So every time that I leave this property-I'm pretty much based out in San Pedro-I'm getting information from the Puma people that work over there and from my security team that's in this property that the port is intruding. They're coming in on this property and measuring, and they have intention to put up a fence. But because the guy that lives over here, he told them, 'If Tyrell knows that you're here...' so they backed off, you know. But they keep on coming with intention to cut down these trees. Like I heard from one of the workers already, their intention is to cut down these trees and start to do more filling because they want to expand on what they have on that side-the port. So I'm very disappointed in that, because I'm a tree lover, I'm a person that's a nature lover and have no intention to cut down those trees. For my 39 years that I've been here, these trees have been right here with me, and as you can see, my whole environment is all about nature.
"The port, they have from the Western Road and came all the way up to where I am. There's a fence that separates both of us that we've agreed on with Mr. Andy Laing, and now the new port CEO and his team have no intention to understand my point of view, but keep on coming on us and trying to disrespect us in this manner. So if he wants, he can take us to court, but don't do things like... like sneakily sending your team to disrespect me and putting up pegs, try to intimidate me. That is wrong."
Reporter "Do you own the property?"
Tyrell Godoy: "It's in a process. We are right at permission to survey, but because of my finance, there's not a lot I can do at this time-slow season-but my intention is to continue and to get this property into my name."
Reporter "And up to where do you want to own?"
Tyrell Godoy: "If I want to own? By prescription it's mine. We have something like about 2 acres, I guess, roughly what is here, but it's only about maybe half acre or personally half acre that I live on, but the rest is preserved. There's nothing no one can do behind there because it's close to the Puma depot, which they want no one to live there, and then the preservation of the wildlife, so no one should live there. If I pay the tax for that, let me pay the tax for that and we just live and keep it the way it is."
We contacted Port of Belize CEO Arturo Vasquez, who explained, quote, "This is a very old and unattended matter [and] its legal situation has never been addressed. We are simply putting it in the hands of the Port lawyers in order for it to be dealt with properly once and for all. Due to the recent clearing of Port property that has brought this matter up again, the Port has an obligation to have proper security fencing in place. It is an ISPS requirement that the Port facility needs to comply with."
Senator Janelle Chanona Honors Jules Vasquez Following Freedom Award
And, finally tonight...
Earlier in the news, we took you to today's Special Sitting of the Senate.
During the debate on the MCA Belize Bill-and the accompanying bills-NGO Senator Janelle Chanona rose to congratulate 7News Director Jules Vasquez on his recent Caribbean Defender of Media Freedom award. She then quoted Ambassador John Feeley on the importance of the free press in a democracy:
Janelle Chanona, NGO Senator "I wanted to take a moment to congratulate Belizean journalist Jules Vasquez as a member of the fourth estate in receiving the inaugural award, the 2026 Caribbean Defender of Media Freedom Award. You know, I am a former member of the media, particularly the investigative media, and I think it is important for us to recognize success in this arena. And again, with your leave, I would like to quote Ambassador John Feeley, director of the Center for Media Integrity for the Americas, because it links directly to our work as parliamentarians.
"Ambassador Feeley says, 'A democracy without a free press is a democracy without a memory, without an independent witness, and ultimately without an effective means of holding power accountable. In short, it is not a genuine democracy despite the electoral edifice it may inhabit. The right to speak freely is not a luxury of democratic society, and the right to report freely is not a privilege granted by those in power. It is a very condition itself of democracy. Perhaps the best test of a government's commitment to freedom of expression is not how it treats journalists who praise it, it's how it treats journalists who might challenge it. That distinction matters because freedom of the press is not designed to protect the government or an ambassador'-he was speaking to himself-'from embarrassment, it's designed to protect the citizens from a government without scrutiny. That scrutiny is not disrespect, it is accountability, and accountability is not an obstacle to good government, accountability is what makes good government possible.'
"So I congratulate Mr. Vasquez, and of course there were several other Belizean journalists who were awarded awards at the CBU presentation."
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Yesterday, the Council of Churches struck a nerve in Carnival culture when it sent out a release calling for more modest Carnival outfits. Now, that's like asking the Pharisees to host Jouvert-not very likely.
"Yeah, well, the Council of Churches, they have a specific mandate and a specific role to play. They see themselves as, I imagine, guardians of morality, so they... I don't, you know, in any way want to diminish their role. I would say that I think that the Carnival Association-and I certainly know that the National Celebrations Committee-we are always sensitive to these issues and we always have a discussion about how can we make the Carnival more safe, how can we make it more appealing to the wider public. So all of those issues are always under discussion.
And while Fonseca has yet to meet with the churches about Carnival, as Foreign Minister he did meet with the new U.S. Ambassador to Belize, Andre Bauer, yesterday. He welcomed Bauer to Belize, but did they talk about the future of the Cuban medical brigade? We asked:
"But the month of September seems to be that sweet spot where there is an uptick in the showing of patriotism. Some people show it in differing ways, but we are of the opinion that however that is done, that individuals should be responsible. We don't expect anyone to be reckless, and we hope that no lives are put into jeopardy.
Well, that allusion to danger made the Territorial Volunteers bristle. They issued a statement today, quote, "expressing deep disappointment and concern regarding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' recent public statements discouraging citizens against border expeditions and framing visits to our southern border as unsafe."
But Fonseca conceded that he does not expect that official caution to affect the excursion:
Police are investigating the latest murder in the city. It happened in front of an apartment building in King's Park late last night, leaving the neighborhood stunned and scared. Jomarie Lanza reports:
"What has been established so far in the course of the ongoing investigation is that Mr. Johnson was talking to two persons who were seated inside a van which was parked on the street when two male persons approached and fired several shots, fatally wounding Johnson and injuring another person. No motive has been established so far in the course of this ongoing investigation; however, police have retrieved footage from the Crime Fusion Center, which is proving helpful to the ongoing investigation."
There was a fatal accident in the North early this morning when a van and a tractor collided on the Remate road.
And a grisly accident on Caracol Road last week claimed the life of a Bulridge employee.
Belama Phase 5 is one of those communities whose boundaries were pushed out by squatters. They say that they have been living on the land since 2019, and their application for title has been in process since then.
Rival cruise port developer Portico Enterprises Limited has formally threatened the Department of the Environment with judicial review, seeking to quash the environmental clearance and Environmental Compliance Plan granted for the Port of Belize Limited's proposed bulk cargo expansion and cruise port development.
Patrick Faber, UDP Senator
Hector Guerra, PUP Senator
"I personally just focused on the energy sector itself, and I have never heard anyone in the energy sector put the need to provide power to San Pedro higher than the need to provide power all the time to the entire country. I just haven't heard that. I didn't want to think it, but I couldn't help but think how Belizeans are priced out of land in San Pedro and whether this is not simply America helping its own people on San Pedro. I could respect that, but Senator Faber, I'm sure you're aware of the power grid that exists on Antelope Street Extension, across the London Bridges.
"It was this Senate that passed the Millennium Challenge Account Belize Act and approved the grant of $125 million U.S., and I'm trying to figure out who we're quarreling with. We want the money, but we're vex. We started the day by my confessing that we are in an unfortunate and-I take Senator Chanona's word-unacceptable position that we are asked to pass a piece of legislation that not a single one of us in here is satisfied with. The only reason for doing so today is because there is a deadline of the 18th of September that must be met if it is we want this compact to move forward as was approved already by the Senate. An undertaking in black and white has been given by the Honorable Minister of Education-a minister who has been praised by the side opposite-but we still vex.
"I'm proud to support the move of creating a Belizean honor that recognizes those who, in times of great and grave danger, put themselves before others and respond with great bravery. And I'm proud to support Captain Grange. I know he physically was on crutches when this parliamentary session opened at our outdoor ceremonial sitting, but it is really a point of restoration and humanity that he and, as Senator Zetina called out, other members of that manifest stepped forward and really reminded Belizeans that when we were called upon to be brave, that we do so."
"We have allowed a fundamental economic platform-our electric grid-to be inadequate. This Honorable Senate has a constitutional duty to investigate this failure and immediately convene public hearings to get to the bottom of it.
Tonight, the University of Belize is one step closer to producing fully accredited doctors from its School of Medicine. Today, seven students received their white coats, symbolizing their transition from in-class study to clinical rotations at the KHMH. This is the first-ever ceremony of its kind, and Jaleeza Roberts gives this report:
"It's their transition from the classrooms and the laboratories to the bedside, to the hospitals and the clinics, who will be providing clinical teaching to them. For the medical school, it's our first transition from one phase of training to the other, from the preclinical to the clinical. It's a developmental milestone. If you can look at the growth of any institution, there are... you're born, which is 2024, and you start to walk, and you start school and so on. So this is one of those important developmental milestones that we are marking. There's a lot of tradition in medicine. And so we are establishing our traditions as we go along, so that 20 years from now, 30 years from now, 40 years from now, they will have a body of experience that marks them as having been to the University of Belize School of Medicine."
"So we are submitting for our candidacy in another two months, the Dean informs me. So that will go in and then the assessors will come to visit, make sure we are saying what we're doing, what we're saying, and then they will grant us the accreditation. So we're on the road for that. That is a very important part of the process."
Teryl Godoy is known as the "Man at Work"-one of Belize's most enduring painters and now a reggae musician.
"So every time that I leave this property-I'm pretty much based out in San Pedro-I'm getting information from the Puma people that work over there and from my security team that's in this property that the port is intruding. They're coming in on this property and measuring, and they have intention to put up a fence. But because the guy that lives over here, he told them, 'If Tyrell knows that you're here...' so they backed off, you know. But they keep on coming with intention to cut down these trees. Like I heard from one of the workers already, their intention is to cut down these trees and start to do more filling because they want to expand on what they have on that side-the port. So I'm very disappointed in that, because I'm a tree lover, I'm a person that's a nature lover and have no intention to cut down those trees. For my 39 years that I've been here, these trees have been right here with me, and as you can see, my whole environment is all about nature.
And, finally tonight...
