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
Tonight, four males-including a 16-year-old-are dead following a carefully calculated mass murder on the Coastal Plain Highway.
And tonight, police are scrambling to put together a response to escalating gang violence.
And they have to; this is only the second quadruple homicide we have seen, and it is the first in 13 years.
Our team has been following the story since morning, and Jaleeza Roberts has the story:
This morning at about 8:30 a.m., here at Mile 20 on the Coastal Plain Highway, a Ford Escape with at least four men inside came under heavy armed attack.
Reports say as many as 50 shots were fired at the passengers, killing three on the spot while one succumbed later at the Southern Regional Hospital.
The vehicle first came under fire at Mile 20, causing the driver to lose control and veer off the highway into a ditch a quarter-mile ahead.
The attackers pursued the victims to that location, fatally shooting them with an automatic rifle and a 9mm handgun.
Three men lay dead, and one would die from his injuries in an hour.
Keisha Milligan, Family Friend "Yes, I can confirm that."
Jaleeza Roberts: "Was one of them Lloyd Leslie?"
Keisha Milligan: "Yes, ma'am."
Police responded to the scene before 9:00 a.m. and found three dead men on the road:
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "The investigating officer reported that upon his arrival, he observed a red Ford Escape which was overturned, which exhibited multiple apparent bullet holes. Upon closer inspection, he observed the unresponsive bodies of two male persons and also observed some 10 feet away from that vehicle the body of another male person which was similarly unresponsive. The investigator was also advised that a fourth occupant was rushed to the Southern Regional Hospital for medical attention; however, he succumbed to injuries that he sustained."
"The identity of the four male persons have been officially confirmed to be 16-year-old David Usher of Freedom Street, Belize City; 33-year-old Lloyd Leslie of Armadillo Street, Belize City; 23-year-old Robert Gladden of Freedom Street, Belize City; and 23-year-old Dayton Palacio of Freedom Street, Belize City. No motive has been established in the course of this investigation; however, we have been able to intercept and impound a vehicle of interest and five male persons."
It was a well-coordinated hit because Leslie and his group were allegedly lying low in Dangriga while police looked for them in the city. This is a video of the GI3 conducting a search for them yesterday in Queen Square.
Leslie and his crew were northbound this morning, heading in the direction of the city when the attack happened at a cellphone dead zone on the highway.
Jaleeza Roberts: "Would you be able to confirm... the initial reports are indicating that there were two persons that fled the scene at the time of the accident, would you be able to confirm that?"
ASP Stacy Smith: "There is no information at this point in time to conclusively say so, but we have received indications similarly to that, but that has not been confirmed. What we have been able to confirm as it relates to anybody leaving the scene was to escort Mr. Palacio to Southern Region for medical attention."
"We have not been able to establish a motive, as I stated. It's an ongoing investigation, but we have taken note of these incidents and the players or the persons involved, and it is a matter that is under deliberation for the next actions that will be taken."
Jaleeza Roberts: "I know also that you impounded a vehicle. Was that vehicle found in the vicinity heading south or heading northbound?"
ASP Stacy Smith: "The vehicle was heading to Belize City."
The quadruple homicide triggered an immediate response from the police, who blocked off the entire Coastal Plain Highway-all 34 miles of it-from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
It's the largest crime scene we've ever seen established and one of the very few quadruple murders.
At this point, police are unsure whether the incident is tied to the drug trade or rising gang tensions. Those tensions have flared following an attack two nights ago on paralyzed George Street gang figure Ronlee Petillo,whose home was targeted in a 40-shot barrage that left him unharmed.
Police have today changed their strategy to adequately respond to this latest carefully orchestrated murder:
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "We have already made some strategic changes as it relates to deployment. However, at this point in time, I do not wish to get into too much of the specifics of the strategy, save and except to say that we will employ every resource that is available to us and every legal tool that is available to us in order to bring all persons responsible-whether they actively do it or they assist, they aid or abet-to justice to answer for these senseless acts of violence that we've observed over the past month."
Jaleeza Roberts: "Are you all viewing this as some form of retaliation per se against the incidences that have been happening?"
ASP Stacy Smith: "As we stated, no nexus has been established. We don't have any motive, but we are not so daft to think that there is no nexus between these incidents, but we cannot officially say so. What we have observed on a whole, the climate that is afoot, and as I stated, we will not get into the specifics, but it will be seen."
Tonight, police are on extra high alert, but with gang warfare in the city steadily escalating over the past month,there's some question as to whether they will be able to contain or de-escalate the violence.
As you heard, police have five persons detained and a vehicle impounded.
Officers at the scene told us that they would be processing the area for evidence until tonight.
Once again, the victims are 16-year-old David Usher, 33-year-old Lloyd Leslie, 23-year-old Robert Gladden, and 23-year-old Dayton Palacio.
As we told you at the top, the only other quadruple murder in our archives is the one that happened on January 8, 2013, when four men between the ages of 19 and 30 were savagely murdered inside a house on Dean Street. The victims were all gang-affiliated, but the killing appears to have been a professional execution; no arrests were made and no motive was ever publicly established.
We've been following Luanna Gillett's story since March of this year. She was sexually assaulted in the San Ignacio Police Station by a fellow cop in February of 2024. The entire incident was caught on camera, but even that wasn't enough for a speedy trial. Now, after two years, she's finally gotten a verdict. Courtney Menzies was at the court today and has this story:
Two years, eight months, two weeks, and two days after this life-changing assault happened inside the San Ignacio Police Station, former police officer Luanna Gillett has finally gotten the verdict she's been waiting for. But while judgment has finally been passed down, it's bittersweet for her since her assailant still has not answered for the sexual assault charges, just that of harm:
Luanna Gillett, Victim of Sexual Assault "I know people might see me smiling, but they don't know the emotions I'm trying to hide behind my smile. The magistrate found him guilty of harm. She said there were elements there to find him guilty of assault, but there was never an assault charge before the count, so she couldn't address that. Which in, I am not surprised about the guilty verdict, because there was no way that he could have been found not guilty. He already got a handshake, a pat on the shoulder for the sexual assault, which I'm not letting go, and I'm letting the public know I'm not letting go of my sexual assault case."
And while she hoped that this part of her life would be over, she must still endure a few more court sessions:
Luanna Gillett, Victim of Sexual Assault "Now on the 12th of November, we're coming back again. I thought today would have been... I put this behind me, I get the verdict, we got the judgment, he got his sentencing, and we move on."
"Now for me, the magistrate is also asking for me myself to come and give a testimony-if I can't in person, for me to put it into writing, and she would still consider that as a testimony. She wants me to come and state to the court how the assault, the harm, the whole incident had impacted my life, how it had affected me. I mean, I will do it. It's not something I thought would have had to do over again, because in my initial interview, I had stated all that."
"I honestly don't know how to feel anymore."
Courtney Menzies: "Are you anticipating or worrying about essentially having to open your wound by telling the court all that you have been going through over the past few years since this incident happened?"
Luanna Gillett: "That is one, and that is one I would... I have two weeks that I would have to prepare myself for, because it is something that I would have to do, because I believe if I don't do that, then the sentencing won't be as balanced, because the magistrate would only have his mitigation to take into consideration for his sentencing and not hearing the impact of this whole scenario on my life. So it is something that already has me shaken up, but it's something I would have to compose myself. Just as the first time when I testified, it is something I will have to be strong to do."
And while Gillett is preparing herself to tell her story all over again, she feels like she's also going up against an entire police system of entitlement:
Courtney Menzies: "What would you say is his demeanor in court, when the verdict was handed down? What was his demeanor like?"
Luanna Gillett: "He sat there as if though that's nothing. But one thing I can say: I will not give up."
"The whole case has already been lenient on him, so if the sentencing would be lenient on him, it wouldn't catch me as a surprise or catch me off balance-it would have been something I was expecting."
And now, Gillett will be taking the first steps to move forward from the ordeal, but she's still not letting go of the sexual assault case:
Courtney Menzies: "What happens now in your personal life? How do you begin to move forward?"
Luanna Gillett: "First of all, I honestly... at some point, I don't know, because it still haunts me at night. There are times I am up in my house until midnight. I have nothing to do, but I am still up in my house until midnight. My first step is to try and get employment away from the police department. That is my first and foremost and most important step: get employment away from the police department."
"There's this saying, 'you can't win all,' but in my case, I'm not a loser. I'm a fighter, and I'm not one to give up.I will fight until I get the results I believe I deserve."
The mitigation hearing is scheduled for November 12th, after which a date for sentencing will be announced.
And another man was also at the San Ignacio Police Station today, but he says it's because police officers essentially stole his vehicle. He claims that while he was detained for 48 hours and his wife was at work, the officers went into his home, found the keys for his wife's vehicle-which she just got back after it was impounded for three months-and took off with it. The red GMC is currently still sitting at the police station, but Kevin Chap says he's planning to press charges:
Kevin Chap, Says Police Took His Vehicle "I wasn't at home because the police detained me. They had my wife's vehicle impounded at the station for three months for no reason to say we did anything for what they held our vehicle. We obtained lawyers, Ms. Rachel and Mr. Saldivar, to get it back. They turned them around. So Monday, my wife came to check for the vehicle and they told her come back 2:30 in the afternoon for the vehicle, so she came and they released the vehicle 5:00 to her. So when he released the vehicle, everything was good."
"The Tuesday morning, they came and detained me for me to go a 48. I did the 48 and Thursday morning when they let me go 6:00, they went to my wife's house, nobody was there, they went into my daughter's room, open my house, went into the room, and the first thing they did was plug out my wife's video cameras from in the house and took out the SIM card from out there. They went into my daughter's room, looks like they were searching the house, and they found the key in my daughter's room on the bureau and they took my wife's vehicle to the station. If a crime happened in there I understand, if they meet me or meet somebody in there with something, like I said, I was in the station locked up."
Reporter: "What did they say you were detained for?"
Kevin Chap: "They didn't give me any reason. They said for some shooting and I said I was at home on my camera, I don't know about any shooting. I have my camera footage, I am at home and I'm giving it to them and they don't want it. They just detained me for some shooting."
"Right now, I'm not even staying at my house because I don't know what they put in my house or what they could have done while they were in there."
Tonight, we have the final part of our interview with Tropic Air CEO Max Greif. His story is about more than Tropic Air's concern about a new domestic airport on Northern Ambergris Caye. He says the proposed move will affect the entire island-whose tourism properties were developed around that airport. Here's how he put it:
Max Greif, CEO, Tropic Air "I mean, this island has operated in a certain way for almost, for more than 70 years."
"I mean, on a personal note, my grandfather took a machete and, and chopped the runway with a few friends in the 1950s, and that's how this runway started, and the whole island grew out of that."
"And GOB's proposal to move the air- airport two hours north completely disrupts that entire way of life."
"But I wanna emphasize, Tropic, you know, will survive, we'll be fine, but our concern is what is the impact on the island?"
"How does this impact, you know, your shopkeeper on Front Street, your pupuseria on Middle Street?"
Jules Vasquez "You spoke about the, you know, the importance of this airstrip and that really the entire town grew around it. Fair."
"It's also named John Greif II, after your grandfather, who was a pioneer in Belize aviation. Number one, how much of this is maybe emotional or, I don't want to overstate it, but maybe ego?"
"And two, how much of it has to do with real banking considerations insofar as you have a property, a very lucrative and high-value property adjoining the airstrip, and it may be a part of the entire s- security arrangements for your collateralization of the, of the, the financing you had to undertake."
Max Greif, CEO, Tropic Air "So from a financial perspective, I would say Tropic has never been in a stronger financial position. Um, so there's no concerns as far as maintaining our daily operations and the impact that this move would have on us."
"Oh, sure, we've all got individual egos, but at the end of the day, we've got 270 employees, and that's what we're concerned about."
Jules Vasquez "Okay, but I'm not sure you addressed the, uh, the loan security issue in terms of you have very lucrative property there."
"I'm told that it may be bundled in as part of the security for the loan you undertook. Is that a concern that that lucrative property would lose value if they move the airport north?"
Max Greif, CEO, Tropic Air "There is no collateral of Tropic assets that are encumbered to any sort of external creditor that would compromise the integrity or the ability to, uh, maintain Tropic's operations."
"And so just to say it another way, Tropic's not a narc to anybody. I own it 100%, and, um, it's not given out to any sort of bank or anything like that."
And while Greif is pulling for the south side of the island, the fact is San Pedro as a tourist destination is in trouble.
A 2025 World Bank report says, quote: "The town and the Ambergris Caye where the town is located have suffered from rampant and unplanned investments and property development beyond the administrative boundary of its town council. Tourism-driven investments are implemented without essential municipal services planning, leaving gaps in municipal service provision, increasing costs of investment, generating uncontrolled discharges of untreated waste and wastewater, and causing serious coastal erosion issues." End quote.
And that's only the half of it! Last week in Germany, we asked the Director of Tourism about the many perils facing San Pedro:
Evan Tillett, Director of Tourism "San Pedro, which is the Mecca of tourism in Belize, we have to fix the traffic situation, we have to fix the cleanliness of the destination. So, but it is not something we can do on our own; we have to form partnerships, we have to collaborate in order to balance these things."
"We feel the pressure from climate change, we feel the pressure from the geopolitical issues. We feel the pressure from the need to improve the infrastructure within the destination, but we get up every single day and we fight a good fight and we have a plan that we follow."
And while San Pedro faces many perils, Placencia has its own tale of woe. Today, the Placencia Village Council convened an emergency meeting with local resort owners and business operators to address what it characterizes as severe, accelerating beach erosion along the peninsula's coastline.
According to a press statement released by the council, the culprit isn't just rising tides, but massive influxes of sargassum, which are rotting along the shoreline. Leaders warn that the seaweed is a direct threat to the multi-million-dollar tourism industry that sustains the local economy.
What has local leaders most concerned, however, is what they describe as a complete absence of meaningful action or funding from central government to address the damage. While long-term, science-based coastal studies are reportedly being explored, stakeholders stress that studies take time-and with the peak tourism season just around the corner, time has run out.
Faced with a shrinking coastline, the council and local business owners are moving forward with emergency relief efforts. Their short-term plan includes:
Pinpointing the most severely affected stretches of beach that require immediate intervention;
Exploring immediate short-term beach replenishment and restoration measures where feasible;
Evaluating the availability of suitable sand and materials for immediate coastline repair;
Consulting with technical experts and government agencies to ensure any interventions are environmentally responsible; and
Partnering directly with local tourism operators to pool resources and rescue the shoreline.
The Placencia Village Council announced it is officially summoning relevant government ministries to an urgent meeting, where local leaders will lay out their short-term recovery strategies and demand immediate government funding. Local stakeholders say Belmopan must treat the erosion of Placencia's coastline as an economic emergency before one of the country's prized natural assets is lost to the sea.
The official list of Public and Bank Holidays for 2027 has just been released by the Government Press Office, and if you're a "weekend warrior," get ready to celebrate.
Out of the 14 designated holidays for 2027, almost every single one falls on a Friday or a Monday.
The year starts strong right out of the gate with back-to-back Friday breaks in January: New Year's Day on Friday, January 1st, followed two weeks later by George Price Day on Friday, January 15th.
And then in March, the usual 9th of March National Heroes and Benefactors Day falls on Monday, March 8th.
Less than three weeks later comes the Easter four-day weekend: Good Friday on March 26th, Holy Saturday on March 27th, and Easter Monday on March 29th.
This year, Labour Day-which falls on Saturday, May 1st-will be observed on Monday, May 3rd, to make sure that workers get that break.
And Emancipation Day falls on a Sunday-so it will be observed on Monday, August 2nd.
September 10th, St. George's Caye Day, falls on a Friday this year.
Tuesday, September 21st, Independence Day, becomes the first holiday of the year which does not fall on a weekend.
In October, it's Indigenous Peoples' Resistance Day on Monday, October 11th-in lieu of Tuesday, the 12th.
And Garifuna Settlement Day-the 19th-falls on a Friday in 2027.
And finally, Christmas will be a three-day weekend falling on Saturday, December 25th, with Boxing Day observed on Monday, December 27th.
So that's a total of eight three-day weekends and one four-day Easter break in 2027, one of the most generous holiday calendars in memory.
Cabinet's big boast this week is that it's addressing affordability issues. For a ruling party accused of being increasingly out of touch, it's a major public relations offensive-even if the empty plan they sent out is a "nothing burger."
Yesterday in Corozal, we asked the Prime Minister about it:
John Briceno, Prime Minister "I'm very excited about what we discussed. We discussed a number of issues in Cabinet, and one of the things that we're working... is we're working very closely with the Financial Secretary and from the Ministry of Finance and present it to Cabinet where we could find savings within the budget. And with that savings, we want to then be able to use it to be able to address the cost-of-living adjustments, different programs and steps that we're going to take we believe that can have a direct positive impact on in the lives of our citizens. I don't want to jump the gun right now. We're working now on the finer details, and once we work that out, we will be able to make an announcement soon."
The proposed measures are expected to be implemented initially from November 2026 through March 2027.
On August 13th, Belize signed a partial scope agreement with El Salvador.
And yesterday, it went to the Senate for ratification.
The bilateral agreement is designed to lower tariffs, open up new market access for Belizean goods, and deepen commercial ties between both nations.
Acting Leader for Government Business Anthony Sylvester went over the main points of the treaty and why they are supporting it:
Anthony Sylvester, Acting Leader of Government Business "Mr. President, this is the resolution authorizing the ratification by Belize of the Partial Scope Agreement Between the Government of Belize and the Government of the Republic of El Salvador Motion, 2026. Mr. President, I move that whereas the Partial Scope Agreement between the Government of Belize and the Government of the Republic of El Salvador was signed in San Salvador, El Salvador on the 13th of August 2026, hereinafter referred to as the Agreement; and whereas the purpose of this Agreement is to strengthen the commercial and economic relations between both countries through the facilitation, promotion, diversification, and expansion of trade in originating goods from the parties by granting preferential margins on their tariffs; the development of mechanisms for investment promotion and cooperation; technical cooperation and capacity-building activities; and the establishment of a system to resolve trade disputes arising from the activities provided for under this Agreement."
"Now, therefore, be it resolved that this Senate authorizes the Government of Belize to ratify the Partial Scope Agreement Between the Government of Belize and the Government of the Republic of El Salvador."
The Senate also debated the revised National Security Council (Amendment) Bill for 2026.
It will require mandatory security vetting for staff and employees under the National Security Directorate who have access to sensitive information, in addition to mandatory periodic polygraph testing.
UDP Senator Sheena Pitts also voiced support for the bill-with some caveats:
Anthony Sylvester, Acting Leader of Government Business "So national security includes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belize, its constitutional order, the economy, food and energy supply, the environment, foreign relations, and health and safety of the people of Belize. So Mr. President, as you and colleagues will appreciate, this body deals with a vast number of very, very important things. So it behooves us, it behooves everyone that the personnel who are engaged, who are employed in this body which has such sensitive and classified information within the access of the personnel within the Secretariat of the National Security Council, it is important that those persons would at different points in time be subject to polygraph tests and be subject to a level of rigid scrutiny.And what this act seeks to do, Mr. President, it seeks to put in place statutory authority."
"These provisions will come at no additional cost to the government, as it is anticipated as a result of the proposed amendments, the vetting requirements will be integrated within existing operational and administrative frameworks. Mr. President, this bill has the support and consent of the Cabinet of Belize, and on this side, we commend this bill to the support of senators."
Sheena Pitts, UDP Senator "So yes, Mr. President, this is nothing new or unique or so foreign from the design of countries to how they treat with matters of national security, foreign and domestic, of a confidential nature. And so, in principle, I stand here to share that the Opposition does not oppose the bill."
But as we said, Pitts also had concerns-she questioned whether the bill might address gaps that create national security breaches. She said that a prime example of such a breach is the kidnapping of Joseph Budna:
Sheena Pitts, UDP Senator "In Belize, we have had in recent history questions of national security interest and concern. To date, we still don't know who thief Budna. And if it is I can subscribe to security vetting in principle, it would mean then certain persons, no less than the Commissioner of Police, being subject to the security vetting. And I really want to know what protection will we have as within and among the members of the NSD that those persons who are top boss are people that are not just slipping through the cracks of the results of a security vetting, or that they are the very people who join allegedly."
"The involvement of national security concerns, foreign and domestic... so I really want to see, not a regulation that is to come-it is unfortunate that this bill short, it could have, should have come with regulation because the NSD is fashioned off the National Security Council, it has been in its existence before, this is nothing new, they ought to have known or have some treatment of the parameters of what they would want in regulation and at least raise something so we can see. Because I would be interested, I don't think it would be satisfactory for us to say it is not in the bill, it can come in the regulations, but we still don't know whether or not there will be any appreciation or treatment of those very persons who may be in the NSD who are involved in threats to national security, foreign and domestic, because we still don't know who thief Budna."
The Public Transportation and Investment Bill was not well received. The debate lasted for hours and the Senate meeting had to be suspended at 12:30 a.m. this morning after all sides could not reach an agreement on proposed amendments.
Temporary UDP Senator Damian Gough believed the bill in its current form does not sufficiently address the shortfalls within the transportation industry:
Arlee Gough, UDP Senator "The several components of this bill that remain very much a concern start even with the naming of the bill-that it is a Public Transportation Investment Bill, when it is in fact only an investment in one service provider that is privately owned by the Government and people of Belize, and other private operators who chose to be a part of the process. But it does so to the detriment and significant disadvantage of those operators who, under our laws of freedom of association, are free to choose whether they wanted to become part of the consolidated NBC or not, and they are being placed at a significant disadvantage to try to compete in a market where the playing field will not be level."
"Despite the $22.5 million that we are being asked to green-light, there is still an additional $500,000 cash flow injection, and there are still multiple exceptions for customs and excise duties, other forms of monetary concessions that are going to be included in this bill, in this investment bill."
"I am not convinced that the bill in its current form sufficiently addresses shortfalls, and on the basis that it is presented herewith, I unfortunately cannot support it. Thank you, Madam President."
After the committee of the whole could not agree on an amendment to the bill, including a proposed change to its name, they decided to suspend the sitting and resume in a hybrid format next Wednesday.
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Tonight, four males-including a 16-year-old-are dead following a carefully calculated mass murder on the Coastal Plain Highway.
Keisha Milligan, Family Friend
"The identity of the four male persons have been officially confirmed to be 16-year-old David Usher of Freedom Street, Belize City; 33-year-old Lloyd Leslie of Armadillo Street, Belize City; 23-year-old Robert Gladden of Freedom Street, Belize City; and 23-year-old Dayton Palacio of Freedom Street, Belize City. No motive has been established in the course of this investigation; however, we have been able to intercept and impound a vehicle of interest and five male persons."
As we told you at the top, the only other quadruple murder in our archives is the one that happened on January 8, 2013, when four men between the ages of 19 and 30 were savagely murdered inside a house on Dean Street. The victims were all gang-affiliated, but the killing appears to have been a professional execution; no arrests were made and no motive was ever publicly established.
We've been following Luanna Gillett's story since March of this year. She was sexually assaulted in the San Ignacio Police Station by a fellow cop in February of 2024. The entire incident was caught on camera, but even that wasn't enough for a speedy trial. Now, after two years, she's finally gotten a verdict. Courtney Menzies was at the court today and has this story:
And while she hoped that this part of her life would be over, she must still endure a few more court sessions:
And another man was also at the San Ignacio Police Station today, but he says it's because police officers essentially stole his vehicle. He claims that while he was detained for 48 hours and his wife was at work, the officers went into his home, found the keys for his wife's vehicle-which she just got back after it was impounded for three months-and took off with it. The red GMC is currently still sitting at the police station, but Kevin Chap says he's planning to press charges:
"The Tuesday morning, they came and detained me for me to go a 48. I did the 48 and Thursday morning when they let me go 6:00, they went to my wife's house, nobody was there, they went into my daughter's room, open my house, went into the room, and the first thing they did was plug out my wife's video cameras from in the house and took out the SIM card from out there. They went into my daughter's room, looks like they were searching the house, and they found the key in my daughter's room on the bureau and they took my wife's vehicle to the station. If a crime happened in there I understand, if they meet me or meet somebody in there with something, like I said, I was in the station locked up."
"I mean, this island has operated in a certain way for almost, for more than 70 years."
And while Greif is pulling for the south side of the island, the fact is San Pedro as a tourist destination is in trouble.
"San Pedro, which is the Mecca of tourism in Belize, we have to fix the traffic situation, we have to fix the cleanliness of the destination. So, but it is not something we can do on our own; we have to form partnerships, we have to collaborate in order to balance these things."
And while San Pedro faces many perils, Placencia has its own tale of woe. Today, the Placencia Village Council convened an emergency meeting with local resort owners and business operators to address what it characterizes as severe, accelerating beach erosion along the peninsula's coastline.
The official list of Public and Bank Holidays for 2027 has just been released by the Government Press Office, and if you're a "weekend warrior," get ready to celebrate.
John Briceno, Prime Minister
Anthony Sylvester, Acting Leader of Government Business
"So yes, Mr. President, this is nothing new or unique or so foreign from the design of countries to how they treat with matters of national security, foreign and domestic, of a confidential nature. And so, in principle, I stand here to share that the Opposition does not oppose the bill."
"The several components of this bill that remain very much a concern start even with the naming of the bill-that it is a Public Transportation Investment Bill, when it is in fact only an investment in one service provider that is privately owned by the Government and people of Belize, and other private operators who chose to be a part of the process. But it does so to the detriment and significant disadvantage of those operators who, under our laws of freedom of association, are free to choose whether they wanted to become part of the consolidated NBC or not, and they are being placed at a significant disadvantage to try to compete in a market where the playing field will not be level."
