A Belize City family is asking for your help in locating sixty-nine-year-old Idolly Young. Young, who is diagnosed with dementia, was last seen on Tuesday, January 5th, near Sanker Street in Belize City. She was wearing a white blouse and a floral skirt. If you have any information that can help the family, you are asked to call +501 613-3361.
Year: 2024
Man Convicted of Theft Found Dead in Prison
Forty-two-year-old Everaldo Garcia was found this morning in his jail cell at the Belize Central Prison. Prison officials do not suspect foul play. Officials say that prison officers were alerted by another inmate to the fact that Garcia was unresponsive. The head of the intelligence unit, Lismark Bennett, was informed of the matter.
According to reports, Garcia received medical attention on Wednesday and was last seen early on Thursday morning. There were no signs of foul play on his body.
Garcia pleaded guilty to theft in 2022. He stole two bottles of carpet cleaner in Belize City. He was fined $400. He was again convicted of theft in January 2024 and was serving a custodial sentence.
BREAKING: Belize Defence Force Vehicle Flips on Highway
A Belize Defence Force truck flipped earlier this afternoon as it was heading towards San Ignacio Santa Elena. The incident happened near mile 37. Witnesses say that four members of the BDF were injured and rushed to the nearest hospital. The soldiers were on their way to participate in this year’s La Ruta Maya canoe race which starts on Friday. This is a developing story.
PUP Leader John Briceño Thanks Voters
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister John Briceño expressed his gratitude to “all Belizeans who exercised their democratic rights yesterday during our nationwide municipal elections.” Briceño, who is the leader of the ruling People’s United Party (PUP), said that he was thankful that there were free, fair, and peaceful elections.
The 2024 municipal elections were held on March 6th in Belize. The PUP retained control of the two cities (Belize and Belmopan) and six towns (Corozal, Orange Walk, San Pedro, Benque Viejo del Carmen, Dangriga, and Punta Gorda). The UDP gains seats in San Ignacio/Santa Elena Town. The UDP took six out of the seven seats. PUP councillor Aarom Mai retained his seat.
In his statement, Briceño also extended appreciation to the public officers responsible for managing and overseeing the elections, recognising their competence and fairness in carrying out their duties.
PUP Dominates 2024 Municipal Elections
There were 67 seats up for grabs for the 2024 municipal elections. The ruling People’s United Party fielded 67 candidates. The United Democratic Party also fielded 67 candidates. The People’s Democratic Movement had 11 candidates in the race. There were 11 independent candidates. Out of the 101,190 persons eligible to vote, 58,155 cast ballots. This translated to a 57.47% voter turnout countrywide. 52.16% of the voters were female, and 47.84 were male. Orange Walk Town had the highest voter turnout with 64.53%, and Dangriga Town had the least with 51.27%.
While the UDP increased the number of seats when compared to the previous municipal elections, the PUP dominated the 2024 municipal elections, winning all but one town council.
Corozal Town
Registered electors: 7,826
Ballots Cast: 4,709
Voter turnout: 60.17%
Orange Walk Town
Registered electors: 10,511
Ballots Cast: 6,783
Voter turnout: 64.53%
Belize City
Registered electors: 37,224
Ballots Cast: 20,197
Voter turnout: 54.26%
San Pedro Town
Registered electors: 8,704
Ballots Cast: 5,397
Voter turnout: 62.01%
Belmopan City
Registered electors: 10,065
Ballots Cast: 5,623
Voter turnout: 55.87%
San Ignacio/San Ignacio Town
Registered electors: 13,729
Ballots Cast: 8,059
Voter turnout: 58.7&
Benque Viejo del Carmen Town
Registered electors: 4,816
Ballots Cast: 2,856
Voter turnout: 59.3%
Dangriga Town
Registered electors: 5,282
Ballots Cast: 2,708
Voter turnout: 51.27%
Punta Gorda Town
Registered electors: 3,033
Ballots Cast: 1,861
Voter turnout: 61.36%
Data compiled by the Elections and Boundaries Department in partnership with Total Business Solutions Limited shows that 452,073 voters were cast. The PUP received 63.23% of the total voters while the UDP received 35.15%. The UDP increased its number of seats in San Ignacio/Santa Elena Town when compared to the previous municipal elections. That was the only mixed slate with one PUP candidate retaining his seat.
Police Killed Notorious Cruz Castillo Killed on Cotton Tree Ranch
Last night, we reported on the gruesome killing of forty-year-old Shane Baizar a businessman of Bermudian Landing. We also told you that only two hours after Baizar’s body was discovered, police shot and killed the man they believe committed the heinous crime. The suspect was Cruz Castillo, a resident of Cotton Tree Village. Police went on a manhunt for Castillo and found him on a ranch in the village. According to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, Castillo pulled out a firearm when he saw police officers. As a result, those officers opened fire and fatally injured Castillo. But, what was not mentioned was the fact that Castillo was not alone on that ranch. His nephew was with him. Today, a News Five team travelled to Cotton Tree to locate the area where those officers encountered Castillo. The ranch he was killed on is owned by a villager who had no idea he was even there. We spoke off camera with Castillo’s nephew who told us that he and Castillo were sitting down when police opened fire on them. He described it as an ambush and argued that he did not see Castillo pull out any weapon.
Voice of: Nephew of Cruz Castillo
“I was in the back area in Cotton Tree Village, right close behind my house. We were in the pasture and in that area is when the police arrived and mih the do deh investigation.”
Paul Lopez
“They fired upon you when they saw you? Did you all see them before they began to fire?”
Voice of: Nephew
“No sir, when they fired, it was a surprise. I got surprise and I tried to fled and they told me not to move. Deh she nuh move or else yo ah dead. That’s when I just keep my head on the ground and never looked up.”
Paul Lopez
“The allegation is that Mr. Castillo had a firearm and he fired at the police officers.”
Voice of: Nephew of Cruz Castillo
“No sir, I didn’t know if Mr. Castillo had a firearm but it was just a surprise when the police arrived.”
Paul Lopez
“Did you see if he fired a firearm?”
Voice of: Nephew of Cruz Castillo
“No sir, after I fired all the shots that was it. I was on the ground and the police was all over.”
Paul Lopez
“And were you aware that he was being sought for anything?”
Voice of: Nephew of Cruz Castillo
“To be honest, not really. I heard a saying that he was wanted. And when I end up seeing him, dah never too long. The way it sound like he wanted some kind help but I couldn’t.”
Paul Lopez
“He call you and told you to link him.”
Voice of: Nephew of Cruz Castillo
“That’s when he saw me over there and called me and ask me why I nuh stay yah or something like that. The feeling I got was like, I wanted to tell him I won’t stay, I don’t know weh you deh pan. But it just slip my mind and I gone in the pasture and stayed there.”
Did Police Receive Directive to Shoot Cruz Castillo on Sight?
We also heard from Cruz Castillo’s brother, who spoke with us off camera. He told us that Castillo paid him a visit at home in the early part of Monday morning. He says that at the time they were unaware that he was wanted by police for questioning in connection with Shane Baizar’s murder. So, did police receive a directive to terminate Castillo on sight?
Voice of: Brother of Cruz Castillo
“I get fih understand when I watch the post deh she my family member shoot after the police dah back deh weh part deh end up the shoot ah. Alright, deh dah police weh got training and thing. Unu come shoot somebody fih get deh. Unu could shoot deh eena deh foot and mek justice tek ih course fih she mek the man guh dah jail or mek ih live ih life. I can’t say my breda dah somebody weh deh wah angel. Buh when yo really watch pan it, come on mein deh shot weh deh shot up the man, ih even look like ih brains mih the down deh. Dah come you come fih done this man life.”
Paul Lopez
“Do you believe that it was a case where an order was given to shoot on sight because of the reputation that your relative had?”
Voice of: Brother of Cruz Castillo
“Yo done know, I wah be honest with yo, Chester dah nuh nobody nice to play with when it comes to this and that. Everybody hear a lot of thing, when you hear this case and that. But to be real honest with yo, dah execute deh execute the man right deh. That dah execution right deh.”
Reporter
“Is it sort of an implicit directive to shoot on sight, highly dangerous person, and don’t shoot to injure, shoot to kill.”
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Again like you rightly said, the individual has a violent history and one that don’t have any regard to law and order. The police officers knowing him are not going to wait for him to shoot at them. The fact that he took out a weapon and was about to shoot was sufficient for the officers who acted in self-defense. So we will still put the file together and send it to the DPP and she will make the determination as to whether the police officer’s action is justified.”
Six Officers Dismissed In Connection To Drug Plane
In November 2023, six police offers were dismissed from their post in connection with the landing of multiple drug planes in 2021. The accused are, Delwin Casimiro, Nelson Middleton Junior, and Eric Young, all former police officers who were linked to a drug plane landing and were charged criminally and later dismissed from the Belize Police Department. The case also included Manuel Caliz, along with his sister, Epifania Caliz who was dismissed primarily for ammunition charges and her husband Elmer Nah, who was charged jointly for possession of prohibited ammunitions without a gun license. The officers were dismissed in November of 2023 in a letter they all received from the Commissioner of Police Chester Williams ordering them to state a reason why they should not be dismissed. All applicants did so but in response, Williams said the men gave no valid reasons and they were subsequently dismissed. Today, leave was granted for judicial review by a newly appointed judge. The leave for judicial review is for them to now go in search of certiorari as the judge squashed the Compol’s decision to dismiss these officers. Representing the six applicants in court was attorney, Lyndon Jones. The Attorney General’s Ministry was represented by Samantha Matute, the Assistant Solicitor.
Still No Agreement between CWU and Port of Belize Ltd.
Contrary to a report that has been circulating that stevedores at the Port of Belize Limited are on a strike, this evening, the President of the Christian Workers Union informed our newsroom that there is no immediate plan to strike. Flowers shared that there was police presence at the P.B.L. compound and that they had removed a gang that was there. The police presence follows a press conference that the Christian Workers Union today at which it reported that a series of negotiations have brought about no change. Those negotiations were between the C.W.U. and the interim board of Port of Belize Limited towards a settlement over compensation for over thirty stevedores who say they were wrongly terminated. Initially, the C.W.U. was entertaining a compensation package of one point five million dollars for the employees, but the union had second thoughts and eventually rejected the offer. Today, the C.W.U. called a press conference to vent its discontent after the meetings that broke down. At the heart of the discussions is the Ministry of Labour, whose intervention has been to assist the two sides to reach some middle ground in their dispute. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
A proposal put forward by the interim board of the Port of Belize on February fifteenth was roundly rejected by the Christian Workers Union. This was on the grounds that the proposals to bring both sides to an agreement over compensation for thirty-five stevedores were terminated union did not meet the standards that the union had hoped for. Today, the President of the CWU, Leonora Flowers said they tried to compromise with some of the proposals, but in the end, it did not pay off.
Leonora Flowers, President, Christian Workers Union
“They made an offer to us that day, and that offer was for a change in gang size, and several other things coming directly from the proposal. Although it touched on gang size, we said we will take it to our members. We will take it to the attorney. We went to the attorney and we asked her guidance and we instructed her to go ahead and make this, and this for us in a settlement deed or a settlement agreement. When we went to the stevedores, although there was a little bit of a reluctance to give up a member from the gang, in the end, the stevedores membership said, okay, we’ll go with that. It was a reluctant decision, but we wanted to move the negotiations forward to get the sugar money discussion out of the way. Unfortunately, after three days, we went back to the team for the government, and after three days, we could not come to an understanding or any mutual grounds, none of that was able to strike.”
Flowers said that the CWU informed PBL on Saturday of its position and also that it will not continue with dialogue because the union thought that PBL attempted to strip away terms and conditions that are in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“We will not discuss the CBA and its terms. The CBA for us is a sacred document. We signed it and we will abide by that until we go to the CBA negotiations. Needless to say they don’t agree with us. They say we were already agreed, which we were not. I say we’re not agreed until we’re agreed, until we sign a document. We never agreed, we were disagreed to see if it was palatable. We were being asked to reduce the gang from 14 to 13 members. When we sat in the same room, the stevedores said, but we have gangs, we have 17 members, so what happens then? The Port of Belize tried to do that. So if we can’t sit at the table and dialogue with you and negotiate with you in good faith, if we feel that we’re being taken advantage of, it is time to call a halt and that is what we have done.”
Chief Union Representative for the stevedores, Marlon Middleton says the stevedores feel as if though their worth has been trivialized.
Marlon Middleton, Chief Union Representative, Stevedores
“Our members originally had asked us to negotiate a payment of $4.9 million. The other guy, I won’t call any name, the other guy got his fair share and more – $196 million, $45 million of which was payable up front. Now you are telling us that you cannot give us $4.9 million. You broke us down to $1.6. We were willing to accept it. And then now you are telling us that we have to abide and go with what PBL is saying. You are the boss now of PBL, so then be, the boss.”
Meanwhile, Flowers said the position that the board took on behalf of the government was offensive, but the CWU is willing to resume negotiations at anytime.
“The Government of Belize is the largest stakeholder in the Port of Belize, so this offer came from the Government of Belize. They can say otherwise. It came from the Government of Belize to say they will override whatever exists in our CBA. I have never seen overriding a document that offended me so much, and it offended our team. And that was one of the issues that brought us to full stop. We are prepared to commence the negotiation of the new CBA tomorrow. If you are ready, we are ready tomorrow. Let’s not piece meal this. Let’s not cause destruction on our CBA. We can discuss the CBA immediately.”
News Five attempted to get a comment from the Ministry of Labour on this matter, but our efforts were futile. Marion Ali for News Five.
N.T.U.C.B. Supports Stevedores; P.B.L. Issues Statement
This evening, the Port of Belize Limited issued a three-page press release in which it accuses the C.W.U. of making omissions and misleading statements during its press conference earlier today. P.B.L. says that it is of the view that the C.W.U.’s statements were made to sway public opinion in its favour and impact the course of the negotiations. P.B.L. highlights that there has been no compensation award to stevedores by the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal (ESAT). P.B.L. points out that the tribunal directed both parties to engage in negotiations on the terms of payment. P.B.L. says that in good faith, it made a proposal for a redundancy package in order to amicably resolve the legacy matter. The P.B.L. says that the port is in urgent need of restructuring in order to be a viable entity. The company states that it considers the redundancy package proposal, which the C.W.U. did not accept, was more than fair and reasonable. P.B.L. says that it asked for several changes in the current work practices that it feels are needed for more efficient operations at the facility. It also notes that no additions can be made to the official list of stevedores unless both parties agree and that the number of gangs cannot be increased unless supported by increased cargo and agreed upon by both parties. Meanwhile, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (N.T.U.C.B.) has lent support for the C.W.U. in its current stance against the Government. In a press release of its own, the N.T.U.C.B. says that the C.B.A. negotiation process must remain separate and should be respected as afforded under the Labour laws. The umbrella union says it stands in solidarity with the C.W.U. and the stevedores.