Minister Thea Garcia-Ramirez says the new board at the Belize Airports Authority is gearing up to revisit and renegotiate the controversial airport security contracts. She hopes the fresh talks will help clear up recent concerns and fix any problems tied to the original deals.
Thea Garcia-Ramirez, Former General Manager, BAA
“Whatever those are I am sure that both the contracting parties and the BAA will ensure that whatever has been signed or whatever is the issues, I am not sure if there are any issues, it will be rectified. But at the same time we want capable companies, not what appears to be fly by night companies that seems to just have set up. There is something to say about doing things right from the very begging and not granting these contracts for something that is very sensitive like security at airports. I will tell you that Belize was a very low security risk. So the types of security that was contemplated prior to the hijacking was different than what may now be contemplated because the risks have increased. So perhaps those are the renegotiations that are happening and that is the reconfiguration that is happening.”
A fourteen-year-old girl who recently posted a video online after being reported missing is now in the care of the Ministry of Human Services. It’s a delicate situation, especially since the teen is a minor, but public concern has prompted officials to share some details. Minister of Human Services, Thea Garcia-Ramirez, explained that the girl had been placed in her mother’s custody by court order following her father’s passing. However, new information has come to light, most notably, the child’s claim that she doesn’t feel safe at home. Because of this, the ministry is now seeking a new directive from the court. Until that decision is made, the teen will remain under the ministry’s protection. Minister Garcia-Ramirez emphasized that her hands were tied by the original court order, which is why the child was initially returned to her mother.
Thea Garcia-Ramirez, Minister of Human Services
“What I want to say in relation to that is that previously that case went before the court so we are court mandated to return her there. So when it comes to the court, and you know that we cannot go and nobody should go against a court order. I can report that the ministry is intervening and she has to be returned there because it is a court order, but the ministry is now intervening in the hope that we can now take the case back to court, with new relative information, updated information, the case workers, the social workers are not intervening to reinterview the child and when she came in that was one of the first things done, to listen and hear from her and hopefully go back to courts to make a new case for her. Apparently and I say that because it is now well ventilated, she is not happy in the care of her mother and there seems to be ongoing problems there. The ministry through the social workers have already started to investigate and see what can be done and try to go back to the courts with new submissions and see if the court will consider removing her from the care of her mother and place her in the care of another family member. She was in our custody. I am unsure if yesterday or today she will have to be placed back with her mother because that is the law. It may not be my personal preference and I am sure it is not the child’s personal preference and I am sure the wider public may not be please about it but that is the law and we have to follow the law.”
Again, the child remains in the custody of the Ministry of Human Services. This update came just before news time.
With just days to go before Belize’s hurricane season officially begins, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) is making sure the public stays informed and prepared. This morning, NEMO joined forces with the National Meteorological Service and the National Hydrological Service to host a special media training session. The goal? To equip journalists with the tools and knowledge they need to report accurately on storms, floods, and other natural disasters. NEMO Coordinator Daniel Mendez emphasized the growing importance of these sessions, especially as climate change continues to affect Belize. “The more prepared our media is, the better we can keep the public safe,” he said.
Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO
“We at NEMO recognize that the media is a very important partner in sharing information during, before, during, and after any disaster event. So the purpose of inviting the media here was for you to listen from the experts, from the National Met Service, the National Hydrological Service, and NEMO. To hear and to respond to any questions that you may have regarding any of these kinds of events. We shared with you all of the correct scientific information. We also shared an information package that you can utilize as we begin this season. And this is just to ensure that we are all sharing the correct information. And so really the purpose was that information sharing with us, with the media. So we are. we do the best job possible in sharing information when we, if we do have to face a hurricane this year.”
Britney Gordon
“What are some of the challenges that NEMO has faced in the past when trying to disseminate information out to the media and the public that prompted a session like this?”
Daniel Mendez
“Of course, there’s always the issue of this misinformation and people listening to different sources and getting different information from many different areas. So what we wanted to do was to remind the media that any questions for any of these should be sent to us. We at NEMO rely on the National Met Service as our primary source of information for any meteorological issues. We rely on the National Hydrological Service for any issues that relate to flooding, and anything that is needed at that point..”
If your car is in desperate need of a wash, the YMCA is inviting you to visit their Shine for the High School Program on May thirty-first. It’s an annual drive-through car wash operated by high school students to raise money for the YMCA’s programs and empower youths through meaningful work. Today, we visited the car wash for a sneak peek of the experience. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
If you’ve been cruising around Belize lately, your car probably looks like it’s been through a desert. Dust is everywhere, but there’s a fresh way to fight back. The Young Men’s Christian Association of Belize (YMCA) is rolling out a drive-through car wash to help you clean up in style. It’s fast, easy, and all for a good cause. Executive Director Dr. Clara Cuellar says the event is more than just a wash, it’s a way to support the community while keeping your ride looking sharp.
Clara Cuellar
Dr. Clara Cuellar, Executive Director, YMCA Belize
“So they’re learning the processes and procedures in this case, in a car wash. And that gives them the opportunity to learn new skills, new vocabulary, and to put it in action. For example, everybody likes to use power wash, but now learn it properly and move the hose around without slipping off the power washer, eithter an electrical cord or the plumbing system. They have to figure that out.”
At YMCA Belize, it’s not just about soap and water, it’s about shaping futures. The organization runs a variety of programs to support young men in the community, from homework help to sports and field trips. Now, they’ve added a drive-through car wash to the mix. It’s designed to teach teens valuable life skills like time management and work ethic, while delivering a sparkling clean car in just fifteen minutes. Seventeen-year-old Youth Leader Devaughn Lopez says the best part? Teamwork.
Devaughn Lopez, Youth Leader, YMCA
“Well, the one thing that I learned from this, well, we always learn is that everything we do here at the YMCA, but it’s teamwork. Because teamwork, if we work as a team to accomplish any goal that we want.”
A ticket costs just twenty dollars, and all funds are channeled back into YMCA programs.
Dr. Clara Cuellar
“When they come here, they are able to get the use of computers for whatever assignments they have. They have free internet, free printing, and all the projects. Parts and components they need. They are, everybody gets something to eat because everybody, when we come home from school, we’re hungry so they get something to eat. So it’s to fund the program of their being inside of it.”
After completing their wash, the participants huddle up to discuss their strengths and weaknesses in the operations, paving the way for a stronger approach. Devaughn explained how grateful he is to be learning these skills and working for a worthy cause.
Devaughn Lopez
“Well these skills are very helpful to me just in case that I like get a car in the future from my adulthood when I have a job and things. So when I do, if I have get my own car clean, instead of going to other businesses to get my wash clean, I could do it myself. So that helps me in the future to save more money.”
The team is hoping to achieve washing one hundred cars in one day. Britney Gordon for News Five.
The car wash will be in operation this Saturday from seven thirty a.m. to five p.m.
The Ministry of Labour has formally responded to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Workers Union (KHMHAWU), cautioning that any planned industrial action related to ongoing pension negotiations could be considered unlawful if legal protocols are not followed.
In a letter dated May 28, 2025, Labour Commissioner Rissela Dominguez-Patt acknowledged receipt of the union’s notice to the KHMHA CEO regarding their intent to carry out protest actions. However, the department reminded the union of strict legal limitations surrounding strikes and work disruptions within essential services such as healthcare.
“The right to engage in lawful industrial action… is subject to limitations under other legislation, particularly where essential services are concerned,” the letter states.
Citing Section 15 of the Settlement of Disputes in Essential Services Act, the Commissioner said that no worker may take part in a strike—including go-slows, work-to-rule, or coordinated demonstrations, until the dispute is officially reported to the Minister of Labour and a 21-day period has passed without intervention.
“While the proposed activities may be framed as progressive protest measures, they fall within the scope of industrial action and are deemed unlawful if initiated prior to satisfying the legal requirements,” Dominguez-Patt warned.
The Labour Department has urged the union to suspend all planned actions and to report the dispute formally, as required by law. The department is also recommending mediation with all relevant stakeholders to help reach an amicable resolution.
Prime Minister John Briceño is pushing back hard against the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU), accusing its leaders of dishonesty and political posturing in the wake of the union’s rejection of the government’s proposed salary adjustment.
Briceño said the union is misrepresenting the facts and “using students as hostages” in a negotiation the government says it is approaching in good faith.
“This is where they are not being quite truthful,” Briceño stated during an interview with News 5.
“When we asked them to take a ten percent cut and to freeze increments, we were asking for everyone to make a sacrifice. During COVID, they got their full hundred percent salaries and they were not teaching most of the time—and some of them were teaching online. They got their full salary.”
The Prime Minister also defended his administration’s offer, which includes a phased reinstatement of frozen salary increments and a 3% salary adjustment starting in October 2025. He says that the overall package government officials have repeatedly said amounts to a 14% raise over several years.
“We acted in good faith,” Briceño insisted. “We asked them for the pay cut in three years. We did it for one year. We asked for wage freeze for three years. We did it for two, for emoluments. So now, here we come in good faith and say we will give you back.”
Briceño questioned the sincerity of its leadership. “I think what bothers me is that these leaders, whenever they are in the room, they are very supportive of what is proposed and they felt it is something the membership will accept. But when they leave the room, I don’t know what happens to that,” he said.
Prime Minister John Briceño has expressed deep frustration over the Belize National Teachers Union’s (BNTU) recent decision to reject the government’s proposed salary adjustment package. Speaking to News Five, the Prime Minister said he was “very disappointed” in the outcome and insisted that his administration has offered as much as the country can currently afford.
“I am very disappointed,” Briceño said. “I think we have pointed out that as a government we want to support the teachers. We want to give them more, but there is only so much we can give.”
The BNTU had recently voted overwhelmingly against a government proposal that included an initial 3% raise beginning in October 2025, along with the phased reinstatement of two frozen salary increments. Briceño stressed the financial realities the government faces, stating that the current national wage bill, which covers teachers, public officers, and security forces, already stands at around $700 million, accounting for nearly 50 cents of every dollar in the national budget.
“What we have worked out, I think over three or four years, it would work out to about another ninety to a hundred plus million dollars. When that is enacted, the wage bill would go up to eight hundred plus million dollars,” he said.
Briceño also argued that the union is underestimating the true value of the government’s offer. “It is important for the public to understand, when we met with the unions they were asking for eight percent. We are in effect giving them fourteen and a half percent, because we are raising their salaries and unfreezing two of their increments. Each increment is approximately three percent… That is what we are offering them.”
He went further to suggest that the union may not be negotiating in good faith. “Now they ask for the eight and a half and we give them eighteen and a half, I don’t think they are acting in good faith,” he added.
Teachers countrywide staged a sickout in response to the government’s offer.
Bowen & Bowen has confirmed the termination of an employee after a serious violation of company policy involving the unauthorized use of a company vehicle.
The company says the dismissal comes in response to video evidence circulating publicly, which shows the employee admitting to lending the company vehicle to an unknown individual.
According to the company’s official statement, the vehicle was allegedly used in connection with criminal activity. An internal investigation revealed that the employee knowingly handed over the vehicle, directly breaching strict company protocols.
“We are deeply disappointed by the employee’s actions, which do not reflect the values or standards of Bowen & Bowen,” the company said. “The safety and trust of our community remain paramount, and we do not tolerate behaviour that compromises either.”
Bowen & Bowen stated that it is fully cooperating with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation.
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Workers Union (KHMHAWU) has issued a strong statement over the stalled pension negotiations with the Government of Belize. The Union cites months of discussions with “little to no tangible progress.” In it’s letter to the KHMHA CEO, Chandra Nisbet Cansino, the union informed it will begin industrial action
It said that it has been left with “no choice but to take action on behalf of its members.”
The union said that the pension issue is not merely financial but a matter of “fairness, dignity, and long-term security for the healthcare professionals who have served this nation with commitment and sacrifice.” The union further criticized the government for its “refusal to engage in good-faith negotiations,” which it says “demonstrates a troubling disregard for the very individuals who uphold the country’s leading public health institution.”
As part of a phased and lawful industrial response, the union has outlined a series of escalating actions. On Thursday, May 29, 2025, KHMHA staff will begin by wearing union and “Gimme Mi Pension” T-shirts as a peaceful show of solidarity. On Friday, May 30, the union will initiate Level 1 industrial action, which includes peaceful demonstrations, a go-slow approach, and media outreach.
If no progress is achieved, the union will move to Work to Rule (Level 2) and potentially proceed to a 21-Day Strike Notice (Level 3). The release states, “These steps represent a measured and lawful progression toward protecting the rights and futures of all KHMHA staff members.”
Police have arrested and charged 55-year-old Rafael Cal, a Belizean farmer of Medina Bank Village, for the murder of his brother, 50-year-old Romano Cal, the serving alcalde of the same village.
The incident happened on Sunday in the village.
According to police, around 7:30 p.m. that evening, Romano was ambushed and fatally chopped in the neck while in his yard after returning from fueling his bus. ASP Stacy Smith reported, “The body exhibited apparent chop wounds to the upper part of the body… He was transported to the Punta Gorda Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.”
The alleged attacker, identified as Rafael, evaded authorities for more than a day before being captured in Tambran Village on Tuesday.
Romano’s daughter, Modesta, witnessed the horrific incident. “I was shocked to see that happen because I was there, I saw it… I didn’t know what to do,” she recalled tearfully. She later suggested the motive could be rooted in “jealousy and hatred.”
The Toledo Alcaldes Association released a statement condemning the “heinous crime” and urging authorities to pursue justice.
