July, 2025 - Greater Belize Media

Public Voices Concerns Over Thirteenth Amendment Bill

Lawmakers, police, NGOs, union reps, and residents gathered at Swift Hall to debate the Thirteenth Amendment Bill, which aims to restore safety in crime-plagued communities.

Assistant Solicitor General Randall Sheppard explained the bill would allow the Governor General to declare any area a special zone for crime control. The proposal would also give security forces expanded powers to operate without a warrant, sparking concern among residents.

Raymond Gongora questioned if entire communities would be unfairly targeted. Others, like Molly Castillo and Keith Yearwood, supported tough measures to stop rising violence.

However, Walter Gillett warned about possible police abuse, asking, “Who is going to police the police?” Deputy Commissioner Bart Jones assured that safeguards and reasonable suspicion are required before acting.

Beyond enforcement, many urged leaders to address the root causes of crime. Sylvia Marin from the Belize National Teachers Union said, “Promote rehabilitation, not incarceration.” Talk show host Alfonso Noble agreed, saying targeted social help is more effective than lockdowns.

PG Police Strengthen Ties with Mabil Ha Residents

Police officers from Punta Gorda took their community policing efforts to Mabil Ha Village today. They conducted a meet-and-greet session with residents.

According to the Belize Police Department, officers visited several homes in the quiet Toledo village, receiving a warm welcome from villagers who expressed appreciation for the police presence. Residents described their community as calm and peaceful but said they value regular engagement with law enforcement to help keep it that way.

During the visit, villagers requested that police conduct similar sessions at least once a month to maintain and strengthen community ties. They also asked officers to visit the local school once it reopens to give educational talks and interact with students.

The Punta Gorda Police Department says community meet-and-greet sessions like this one are part of ongoing efforts to build trust, foster open dialogue, and ensure residents feel supported and heard.

Saint Catherine’s Academy Goes Solar

Saint Catherine’s Academy (SCA) in Belize City is on its way to becoming the first school in the country to run entirely on solar power.

The milestone is the result of a partnership between SCA, ProSolar Engineering Limited, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The project falls under UNDP’s Climate Promise initiative, which helps developing nations cut emissions and build resilience against climate change.

For SCA Principal Dr. Salome Tillet, the move to solar power is about more than just cutting energy costs, it’s about preparing students to live and lead sustainably.

Dr. Tillet said. “The dream is to one day run all our buildings on solar power. There was a time when it seemed unrealistic because it was so expensive, but through partnerships, we realise it’s possible. It’s already part of our curriculum to look at renewable energy and sustainability, but seeing it in action brings it to life. Our students don’t just learn about it, they live it.”

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Michael Lund said that initiatives like this are part of a broader push to tackle climate change in Belize. “Our job is to keep the focus on climate change and clean energy every day.”

ProSolar Belize provided and installed the solar system free of charge. Business Coordinator Isaias Valle explained that the system includes ten solar panels and a five-kilowatt battery, with plans for possible expansion. “SCA has plenty of roof space ,it’s the perfect location for more solar panels, and we’re already discussing future collaborations.”

How Many More Years Behind Bars for Mason?

Convicted kidnapper and murderer William “Danny” Mason is expected to be sentenced on Thursday. He will find out how many more years he’ll spend behind bars.

Mason, who is already serving a life sentence for the brutal 2016 murder of Dangriga pastor Llewellyn Lucas, was back before the High Court earlier this week for sentencing on two counts of kidnapping. In May 2025, he was found guilty of abducting Mennonite couple Lloyd and Rosie Friesen.

Justice Nigel Pilgrim explained that he needs more time to consider the special circumstances of the case before handing down his decision.

Mason and his attorney, Peter Taylor, appeared alone for mitigation pleas on June 30 after no family members or supporters came forward to speak on his behalf. Mason says he will appeal the kidnapping conviction.

Are Taiwan Scholarships Becoming A One-Way Ticket Out of Belize?

If you thought teachers were the only ones leaving Belize for greater opportunities, you may have overlooked the opportunities students also get. For 36 years, Belize has shared a strong and collaborative diplomatic relationship with Taiwan. At Monday’s Senate meeting, that relationship was reaffirmed in a rare moment of unity among senators from both government and opposition, and Taiwan was called a valued ally and development partner.

But while the ties remain firm, UDP Senator and former Minister of Education Patrick Faber raised a long-standing concern: many Belizean students who receive Taiwanese scholarships are not returning home.

“Let me also make a plea,” said Faber. “Because one of the many gifts that Taiwan gives to this country… is access to education for our young people… We need some kind of greater understanding that our students who go to Taiwan to study return to this nation because it is not an individual gift given to individuals who go to study.”

Faber added, “It is the intention of both our nations that once our students go, they will come back and contribute to Belize’s development.”

Leader of Government Business Senator Eamon Courtenay agreed and assured the Senate that the issue has been raised with Taiwan.

“We have engaged the government of Taiwan on this issue,” Courtenay said. “It is counterproductive, and it is counterintuitive… to educate our Belizeans and then… give them a work permit to teach English… and allow them to stay, a residence permit in Taiwan.”

Senator Courtenay added that while there are legitimate reasons for staying abroad, the larger concern must remain focused on strengthening Belize’s human capital.

“As a true partner, we need to find ways to reduce the number of Belizeans who remain in Taiwan after having the benefit of a scholarship,” Courtenay said.

Senators Question Bail Bill’s Power and Fairness

The Government of Belize has proposed a bill that seeks to reform how bail is granted, but senators across the aisle and social partner representatives raised major concerns, which led to withholding the legislation for further review.

The Bail Bill aims to consolidate six existing laws and modernise the legal framework and introduce tools like electronic monitoring. But while the intent was to streamline and strengthen the system, concerns quickly surfaced over how the proposed changes could harm vulnerable communities and expand police powers without sufficient checks.

UDP Senator Patrick Faber said the opposition could support the bill with amendments but flagged major issues. He said a major concern is “the dangerous expansion of police bail discretion. This section allows for commission officers to decide on bail for offences punishable upon summary conviction. The problem with this is that police officers are not always impartial adjudicators.”

Faber added, “Their discretion risks arbitrary denial, particularly in marginalised communities where people know each other; police may have some kind of vendetta against the person or against a family in the community.”

Leader of Government Business Senator Eamon Courtenay insisted the bill carries no malicious intent, stating, “There is no intention, has never been the intention here, to prejudice, punish, or marginalise sectors in our society,” Courtenay stated.

The bill also proposes that bail for certain offences, from immigration breaches to traffic and firearm infractions, be granted solely by a judge, potentially creating access barriers for accused persons.

Meanwhile, union Senator for the Unions Glenford Dennison welcomed a clause that mandates the release of an uncharged detainee after 48 hours but called out ongoing abuse of detention powers. “The abuse of the detention period needs to stop, and police officers, you know who you are, stop doing it.”

Michael Peyrefitte Resigns, Again

News Five has confirmed that Michael Peyrefitte has once again stepped down as Chairman of the United Democratic Party. When he returned to the position, Peyrefitte said he had clear expectations for unity and order within the party. However, ongoing infighting and recent turmoil at the UDP’s National Party Council appear to have derailed those plans, leading him to resign for a second time.

On Tuesday, Opposition Leader Tracy Taegar-Panton and fellow parliamentarians rejected a recent vote to reinstate them as party members, a vote that excluded Patrick Faber. Panton says the National Party Council meeting lacked quorum both in person and online, calling the process undemocratic and “pure madness.” She also criticised the lack of communication from party leaders, arguing that claiming silence equals agreement is not democracy.

UDP NPC Vote on Reinstatements Raises Questions

Is the UDP’s leadership playing by the rules or rewriting them? That’s the question being raised tonight as the National Party Council, led by Michael Peyrefitte, faces serious scrutiny. Opposition Leader Tracy Panton is speaking out forcefully. At a press conference today, she and her fellow parliamentarians flatly rejected the results of a recent vote to reinstate them as party members, a vote that notably excluded Patrick Faber. Panton claims the in-person meeting didn’t meet quorum and says only twenty-eight out of one hundred and six council members actually voted online. Her words were sharp: “This isn’t democracy — it’s dictatorship,” she said, calling the process “pure madness.” So, what does this mean for the future of the UDP? And who really holds the power in the party? Those are the questions facing both members and the public.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“What took place on Saturday, we have yet, up to this point we are yet to receive an official report or an unofficial one from anybody within the party. We have not heard from the chairman, the vice chairman, the secretary general. We have not heard from the former party leader. What we have heard is what everyone has heard in the public domain. We have not even received the courtesy of a text message to tell us this resolution was put on the floor virtually. They did not have a quorum at the physical meeting. They did not have a quorum at the virtual meeting and to say that these resolutions were resolutions that carried, because as I saw in one of the media outlets, there was a message from the chairman who said the voting will end at five. If you don’t specifically object it means you voted for. That is pure madness. That is not the democracy that I know. That is not the democracy we believe in or the democracy we intent to promote or uphold.”

Shyne Defends UDP’s Right to Reinstate Amid Legal Questions

After a court ruling declared the expulsions of certain party members unlawful, some are asking whether the U.D.P.’s National Party Council even has the authority to reinstate anyone. According to Party Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow, the answer is yes. He argues that while the court nullified the expulsions, serious allegations still hung over those members, and that’s exactly why Justice Hondora stopped short of declaring them official members of the party.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Former Area Rep., Mesopotamia

“When it came to the expulsion Justice Hondora said that it was unlawful, not in compliance with the UDP constitution. Unlawful means void of now effect, which are the words the defendants asked to be added for clarity. What is important for everyone to accept is what Justice Hondora said May seventh and when he gave his clarification is that he declined to declare the defendant a member of the UDP. That is what Justice Hondora said, this is not Shyne Barrow’s opinion, not Paul’s opinion. This is what he said and he gave the reasons why he declined, where there are allegations, true or false of a member bringing the party into disrepute, engaged in abhorrent misconduct. It would be inappropriate for the judge to compel that association to reinstate that member.”

Tracy Panton Fires Back as UDP Rift Deepens

The battle inside the U.D.P. is far from over and Tracy Panton is making that crystal clear. She and her parliamentary colleagues are standing firm, insisting their expulsion from the party was never valid. Why? Because, according to them, they’ve got a High Court ruling on their side. Panton spoke bluntly today, claiming that Saturday’s National Party Council meeting was more about optics than unity, a staged effort to make it look like the party is coming back together. But if unity was truly the goal, she argues, why weren’t they even invited to the table?

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“The decision to expel was unconstitutional, it was illegal, it was unlawful, void and of no effect. I don’t know why there would have been a need for an NPC, to make a determination that we are not members of the UDP. The judge made it clear the first time and he made it crystal clear the second time. That process in my view was not necessary, but certainly used to bolster certain narrative that they are making a genuine overture to those of us who stand firmly for our democracy.”

Paul Lopez

“Just for clarity sake, would it have been an acceptable, if Mr. Faber was not was not excluded from it?”

Tracy-Taegar-Panton

“What I hear you asking, you are working from the premise that this was a genuine effort. My response is that this was not a genuine effort. Were it a genuine effort we would have been at that meeting. If the meeting was genuinely to bridge the gap, the divide, to hold hands and say it is not going to be perfect, but lets find a way to move forward together. There would be no reason to exclude a former party, the lead senator in the senate and the care taker for collet.”