August 4, 2025 | Greater Belize Media

New Bills, Big Buzz: Belizeans React to Fresh Banknote Rollout

It’s been months in the making and today, it finally happened. Belize’s brand-new banknotes officially hit the streets this morning, and you could feel the excitement in the air. From the bold new design to the upgraded security features, everyone’s curious to see what’s changed. News Five was out and about, putting the new currency to the test. We stopped by a grocery store, made a quick ATM run, and spoke with folks on the ground to hear their first impressions. Plus, we checked in with the Central Bank of Belize to find out what the public should know as these notes begin circulating. Paul Lopez has a full story and here’s that report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Belize’s newly designed banknotes are officially in circulation. Vendors are already accepting them, banks are handing them out, and the public is weighing in with their first impressions. From the look and feel to the added security features, these new notes are getting people talking. And as Belizeans start using them in everyday transactions, the buzz is only growing.

Belize City Resident

“Fih me dah just ordinary money, so it does not matter to me. Anyway yo tek it, we still have to use it so, I just have to accept it.”

Belize City Resident

“I nuh accept it as yet, because I really feel like I use to my old currency, my old Queen Elizabeth, so I don’t know what it will feel like to hold one, because it look like counterfeit.”

Belize City Resident

“I don’t like it, I believe they should have gotten the opinion of the public before they do this.”

Belize City Resident

“The changes in the past came as just a change, a small change, but now as I get older, I appreciate the changes more. I see the transition coming from way back to where we are now. I wish I could see a next change, but I don’t think I will make that.”

And guess what? We put the new fifty-dollar banknote to the test during a quick grocery run in Belize City, and it worked like a charm. No issues, no confusion, just a smooth transaction at the checkout.

Paul Lopez

“You accept this?”

Belize City Grocer

“Yeah.”

The cashier didn’t miss a beat, she was fully aware of the new banknotes and knew exactly what to look for to confirm they were the real deal. The grocer provided change in the old banknotes, but the value remains the same.

Paul Lopez

“So there was no problem there spending that, four-fifty, and of course we get back this in change, but the information is around, the knowledge is there.”

And while the ATM machines at one financial institution were dispensing the new banknotes, another financial institution was not quite prepared to do so just yet.

Paul Lopez

“Alright the money is coming this is the new currency, oh this is the new currency, the new banknotes. What happened here? Do I have another amount to take out? Let’s perform another truncation. Let’s try it again, don’t fail me this time. So, we won’t try anymore. We have to accept what we get this time around. But the good thing is, same value.”

Delroy Rhaburn, Central Bank of Belize

“The currency is made of a cotton substrate. So, it’s the exact same material we have right now. There was a lot of speculation where people felt it will be something like the Mexican currency, which is polymer, a plastic-based material. But ours is still cotton, so it’s the same feel, same size and the same color scheme as the notes we have right now. So the fifty and hundred also have the holographic thread, but if you look at it compared to the ten it is a wider stripe. But as an added feature, at the back has a wider thread which gives it that protection and the thread is also in line with the theme of the note. On all the notes we have our tactile marks for the visually impaired. It’s the line at the side here, people not able to see the note can feel it and tell what the denomination is. So if you notice, with the two dollars it starts with one line and goes up as the denomination goes up, so one, two, three, four, five, six.”

And these are only a few of the security features being introduced on the new notes. Each has enhanced watermarks, holographic stripes, color-shifting security threads and the blind recognition marks.

Paul Lopez

“Let’s look at some of the similarities. Some of the colors appear to be the same on both. The dimensions appear to be exactly the same size, they both have fifty dollars on them in number and words. But outside of that things change drastically.”

Delroy Rhaburn

“Both currencies remain valid legal tender. This is the version you will see at ATMs, the version given to you at banks, but the previous version still remains valid legal tender and should be accepted. It will phase out gradually. Starting today, all banks and credit unions will only be issuing this new version of the currency, so as people deposit the previous version, it will be removed from circulation and sent back to the Central Bank and we wont put those back into circulation.”

While Belize’s new banknotes are already in circulation, the coins haven’t changed, at least not yet. The Central Bank of Belize says the current coin designs are staying put for now, but they’re actively exploring ways to refresh and enhance their look too. So, don’t be surprised if your change starts looking a little different in the future. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Another Street Execution Deepens Belize City’s Gang Crisis

The streets of Belize City were rocked by gunfire late Friday morning, as gang violence continues to grip the Old Capital. In a bold and brazen attack, well-known street figure Tyrone Meighan was shot and killed in broad daylight on Sarstoon Street, just after eleven a.m. The thirty-one-year-old’s murder has sent shockwaves through the community, and tonight, police are racing against time to find those responsible. News Five’s Britney Gordon has been following the story closely and brings us this report.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Just one month after the heartbreaking murders of Evadnie and Luke Jones, innocent relatives of Patrick Jones caught in the crossfire of a gang feud, Belize City is once again mourning a life lost to gun violence. This time, it’s thirty-one-year-old Tyrone Meighan, a well-known figure in the streets, who was gunned down in broad daylight on Friday morning. The shooting happened just a block away from where the Jones family was killed, underscoring the growing tension and danger in the Old Capital.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head of Crime Investigation Branch

“Police responded to a shooting incident on Sarstoon Street in Belize City. Upon the arrival, they found a body of Tyron men with multiple gunshot injuries. Information is that he was in a vehicle along with another male person. When a motorcycle with two persons came to the area, one of the persons fired several shots towards his direction causing his feal injuries. We are seeking two persons in regards to this murder investigation.”

Gang tensions in Belize City are boiling over and another life has been lost in the violence. Now, the government is doubling down on its push for public support of the proposed Thirteenth Amendment Bill. If passed, it would give police expanded powers to search, seize, and arrest within special zones declared by the Governor General. Meighan’s name also made headlines back in 2018, when he and two others were acquitted of the 2012 murder of B.D.F. soldier James Noralez. Since then, all three men have tragically lost their lives to gang violence. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero says investigators are following several leads.

ACP Hilberto Romero

“We have several theories. We know this one is gang related with Tyrone Meighan. And we are trying to put the pieces together, but we cannot conclude if they’re related.”

Meighan was ambushed while sitting in a grey Ford Escape on Sarstoon Street. Back in 2023, he and his brother Ellis beat gang-related charges due to lack of evidence. Now, with an escalation of gang violence, police say they’re moving fast to prevent any retaliation.

ACP Hilberto Romero

“We have several operations that are undergoing. We have intelligence that we’re working on and so we are trying our best to minimize any retaliation at this time.”

Reporter

“Any mediation?”

ACP Hilberto Romero

“That is being looked at likewise.”

Another murder, another motorcycle ambush. It’s a disturbing trend, gunmen pulling up on motorbikes and opening fire. Just last week, twenty-year-old Justin Animo was killed in Lord’s Bank when two riders unleashed a hail of bullets on him and four others. It’s a tactic we’re seeing more often, and it raises serious concerns. In countries like Honduras, riding in tandem has even been banned to help curb these kinds of attacks. We asked Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero how local authorities plan to tackle this growing threat.

ACP Hilberto Romero

“We have seen all these incidents involving motorcycles. So we have several operations that are done weekly to try and find these persons who are committing these crimes. We have checkpoints and we also have operations that target the persons on motorcycles.”

Several spent shells were recovered from the scene; however, the weapon has not been recovered as yet.

ACP Hilberto Romero

“We are conducting a full investigation. We have two suspect we’re looking for and several searches are being conducted to try and recover this firearm.”

Britney Gordon

“Was there CCTV footage in the area?”

ACP Hilberto Romero

“There were cameras that were in the area, so we are looking at those likewise.”

Meighan was not wanted for any crimes at the time of his death and police are still seeking two suspects in the investigation. Britney Gordon for News Five.

Teen Survives Shooting in Hopkins Village

There’s a disturbing incident out of Hopkins, a quiet coastal village shaken by early morning gunfire. Around 4:50 a.m. on Sunday, eighteen-year-old Gevin Armstrong from Dangriga was shot multiple times while walking near the village basketball court. He says he knows the person who pulled the trigger. Miraculously, Armstrong survived and is now in stable condition at the Southern Regional Hospital. Police say he’s not known to them, and with no clear motive yet, they’re waiting on his full statement to help piece together what led to the attack.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head of Crime Investigation Branch

“On August thirty twenty-twenty-five there was a shooting at Hopkins Village, Gevin Armstrong report that he was walking when he was approached by a person he knows who pulled out his fire arm, fired several shots at him causing an injury to his leg and we are seeking one suspect in regards to this shooting, Gavin Armstrong is in stable condition at the hospital.”

Handcuffed Detainee Jumps from Police Vehicle

Now here’s a story that sounds straight out of a movie, a prisoner on the run near Crooked Tree Junction sparked a brief but intense manhunt. Victor Gutierrez, a Corozal resident in custody for grievous harm and use of deadly means of harm, somehow managed to slip out of his handcuffs, while still chained to another inmate, and jumped from a moving police vehicle being driven by Orange Walk officers. The escape triggered an immediate response, with police urging nearby residents to stay alert. Thankfully, by 7:30 p.m., Gutierrez was recaptured in the same area, and the situation was brought under control without further incident.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head of Crime Investigation Branch

“On Friday, Victor Gutierrez, who was being escorted to the Colby foundation escaped from police near the Crooked Tree junction, he was charged for previous harm and use of deadly means of harm and later that evening he was captured in Carmelita, and he has been charged now for escape.”

Body Found Floating Identified as Anthony Willliams

On Thursday afternoon, the body of thirty-six-year-old Anthony Williams was found floating in the water along the Southern Foreshore in Belize City, leaving residents in disbelief. Williams, a self-employed vendor, had reportedly told his family he was heading out for a walk, but never made it back home. Coast Guard and police pulled his body from the sea, and while no visible injuries were found, the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. Investigators are now waiting on the results of a post-mortem exam to help determine what happened.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head of Crime Investigation Branch

“In reference to the body found in front of the Bliss Institute in the water the person was identified as Anthony Williams, he is from Crawl Road in Belize City”

Fatal RTA in Yo Creek Leaves Two Dead, One Injured

We turn now to a heartbreaking story out of Orange Walk. A deadly road accident near the entrance of Yo Creek Village has claimed the lives of two young motorcycle riders, Alexander Reyes and Helen Mejia. A third person survived and is currently hospitalized. Police say the crash is still under investigation. They’re waiting for post-mortem results and a statement from the lone survivor to piece together what happened.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head of Crime Investigation Branch

“Fatal RTA in Yo Creek Village in the Orange Walk District, the police went to the area where they saw two motorcycles with damages, the drivers were identified as Alexander Reyes and Helen Mejia, they received serious injuries and were taken to medical treatment where they succumbed to their injuries investigations are that they were traveling on the Yo Creek road when they collided causing their fatal injuries.”

Babysitter Charged with Manslaughter After Child Drowns in Her Care

Ten months after Belizeans across the country mourned the tragic death of King Wade, who drowned in the South Creek Canal in Belize City, several charges have been handed to his caregiver at the time, fifty-six-year-old Jennifer Fitzgibbon. This morning, she appeared in court, where she was read the charges of manslaughter by negligence and child abandonment. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

A life taken too soon, that is the devastating story of six-year-old King Shakel Wade, whose body was found in the canal on South Creek Street nearly three hours after he went missing. His tragic death occurred in October, 2024 and now, ten months later, King’s babysitter Jennifer Fitzgibbon has been charged.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head of Crime Investigation Branch

“Reference the drowning incident that occurred the [fifteenth] of October 2024, we have arrested and charged Jennifer Fitzgibbon for abandonment of a child and a manslaughter by negligence.”

On the afternoon of King’s death, Fitzgibbon had left him sitting on a refrigerator at the back of her yard, away from the canal and had told the six-year-old to stay put while she tended to the younger children. Her attorney, Norman Rodriguez, details the charges.

Norman Rodriguez, Attorney-at-Law

“She was actually charged yesterday, the day of August 2025. She was detained and charged yesterday for, like you said, manslaughter out by negligence and for abandonment of child. And today she was brought before the court for her to be arraigned for those charges over those offenses and ultimately, she got bail upon an application and no objection by the prosecution fairly so on the consideration that she cooperated with the police.”

Magistrate Ludlow Black was leaning toward denying bail to Fitzgibbon, but in the end, he gave her the benefit of the doubt, with one strict condition: she’s not allowed to babysit while her case is still before the court. Her attorney, Rodriguez, argued that she’s not a flight risk and has been cooperative with police from the very beginning of the investigation.

Norman Rodriguez

“She was granted bail in the sum of five thousand dollars plus two shortage of two thousand five hundred each. And they learned magistrate imposed one condition, which is that she must not provide any babysitting or caregiving services while this matter progresses to the court. She’s to return to court on the ninth of October, 2025 for her disclosure. Then we will go through the process of preliminary inquiry and if the magistrate commits it at that point, then she will be tried at the High court.”

Attorney Rodriguez says his client, Fitzgibbon, never meant for things to go the way they did, and she’s deeply remorseful. Magistrate Ludlow Black took that into account but made it clear, if she accepts any babysitting jobs while her case is ongoing, she’ll be violating her bail conditions. Meanwhile, questions are being raised about the timing of the charges. We asked Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero why it took so long for them to be brought forward.

ACP Hilberto Romero

“A thorough investigation was carried out and file was sent to the DPP, who has sent the directives that she be charged.”

Fitzgibbons met bail this afternoon just after three p.m. Britney Gordon for News Five.

Union Leader Challenges Tax Authority Over Staff Fate

But President of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers is not fully onboard with the explanation provided by Director General Longsworth during a recent meeting. Flowers appeared on Open Your Eyes where he questioned what would become of those employees who chose to remain in the public service. He contends that there will be a challenge to find a place for those individuals within the wider public service.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“How can you say I can simply transition. So, if I transition, let’s say I choose to go to lands department or immigration department, any department where they can find a place for me, because the minister of public service will say to you, he don’t know where the will put two hundred and thirty-six people if they all decide they want to transition out. But let us say a hundred and fifty want to transition out, where will you place them, and if you place them in an area that is not designed for their skill set then you the waste time. You have to retrain, reskill and you lose all that investment that is made to these people, but more so, some of these people were placed on pay scales that may not fit in these new ministries. So, you will have to find a pay scale that matches their salary, which could pretty much cause them to go on a lower pay scale while on the same salary, so they lose money. What happened to allowances some of them already entitled to? You are no longer an officer that needs a vehicle or a go out, so you will lose money. So, it is not simple that you transition out and everything remains normal, no you lose your seniority. If the organogram nuh have a position for you a senior, you lose seniority and become a clerk as happened with the companies registry deputy director I believe it was.”

Tax Department Revamp Promises Better Oversight

There have also been questions about the purpose the Belize Tax Service Department’s transition to semi-autonomous revenue authority. Director General Longsworth explained that the move will lead to improved revenue collection, improved governance and enhanced personnel management.

On the Phone: Michelle Longsworth, Director General, Belize Tax Service

“Countries often move to a semi-autonomous model to achieve quick and visible improvements in revenue collection, in governance, in personnel management. When you look as reforms mature, because BTS has undertaken many reform initiatives over the past five years, so you see that once reform matures you have to look specifically at how you can improve, the tax administration has to be agile. It cannot remains static and it cannot remain in the government mode per say. Because of the pace and complexity of how a modern tax administration is required to be flexible, so the transition into a semi-autonomous structure will allow for this improved service if we have the ability to control the investment we place in our people. We will be able to respond faster to the needs of our people while remaining publicly accountable. So it’s about building on what we have, not just discarding it. I will use an example, on the surface, we the public usually see the domestic functions like registration, filing audits. But behind the scenes, tax administration are facing growing international obligations, from cross-border data exchange, to tackling crypto transactions, automatic exchange, a whole other set of requirement from a tax administration which requires that our staff be equipped to address these obligations as a tax administration.”

Union Leader Questions Need for Tax Overhaul

But according to P.S.U. President Dean Flowers, the issues within the Belize Tax Service Department are strictly personnel related. He questioned the need for a complete overhaul, as opposed to strengthening the department’s managerial and hiring approach. Here is how he puts it.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“Why unu want to do this, that was the main question. They said, well the thing is we don’t have authority or full control over who we hire, so we don’t hire the best. Well, that is a lie. As a head of department, if you know your full roles and functions, no politician will be sending people who are not fit in a technical department. It brings to question the quality of people handling our tax data. That is their response. The other thing she said, when it comes to disciplining people, the process is too onerous and the supervisors are not properly assessing people, it is difficult to dismiss people and corruption is rampant and lastly people are not doing the amount of audits to collect the amount of revenue that covers their salaries. That is their response, the minutes will show that if they have the balls to show that, so it’s a management issue.”