2025 - Greater Belize Media

Abogado Denuncia Violaciones de Derechos Bajo Estado de Emergencia en Prisión Kolbe

¿Están los detenidos bajo el actual estado de emergencia siendo privados de sus derechos constitucionales? El abogado Leeroy Banner cree que sí. Tras representar con éxito a dieciséis hombres en un caso reciente de compensación, Banner acusa a la Fundación Kolbe, administradora de la Prisión Central de Belize, de impedir ilegalmente el acceso de abogados a los detenidos.

La denuncia surge después de que a un detenido se le negara una visita legal, con funcionarios penitenciarios alegando que las regulaciones del estado de emergencia suspenden el derecho a consulta legal a menos que se presente una orden de la Corte Suprema. Banner no acepta esa justificación.

“Justo ayer, un colega me mostró un correo electrónico de la prisión, y me sorprendió que lo pusieran por escrito”, dijo Banner. “Mi socio fue a visitar a un cliente detenido bajo el estado de emergencia, y la prisión declaró explícitamente que no podían reunirse debido a las medidas de emergencia. ¿Cómo pueden afirmar descaradamente que un abogado necesita una orden judicial para ver a su cliente? Eso es ridículo”.

La controversia ha avivado preocupaciones sobre posibles abusos de poder y la erosión de derechos básicos durante estados de emergencia en Belize. El caso podría sentar un precedente importante sobre la interpretación y los límites legales de medidas extraordinarias en tiempos de crisis.

Medios y Meteorólogos se Unen en Granada Ante Nuevas Amenazas

Con el cambio climático intensificando los fenómenos extremos en el Caribe, la necesidad de pronósticos precisos y una comunicación efectiva se ha vuelto más crítica que nunca. En respuesta, el Foro de Perspectivas Climáticas del Caribe ha reactivado su programa de capacitación para medios, una iniciativa que no se realizaba desde 2017. Esta semana, en Granada, periodistas, meteorólogos y climatólogos se reúnen para perfeccionar sus habilidades y mejorar la forma en que informan sobre los crecientes riesgos climáticos.

Apoyado por la Organización Meteorológica Mundial, el programa busca cerrar la brecha entre los datos técnicos y el público. La Dra. Jane Strachan, de la Oficina Meteorológica del Reino Unido, subrayó la importancia de esta colaboración: “Los medios de comunicación son vitales para traducir los datos meteorológicos y climáticos para el público. Los servicios meteorológicos nacionales tienen dificultades para presentar esta información de manera accesible, mientras que los medios de comunicación pueden cerrar esa brecha… podemos mejorar la comprensión pública y fomentar una colaboración más estrecha entre las salas de noticias y las agencias meteorológicas.”

Esta reactivación del programa ocurre mientras Granada aún se recupera de los estragos causados por el huracán Beryl en julio de 2024. A medida que se aproxima la temporada de huracanes de 2025, la preparación es clave. El primer ministro Dickon Mitchell compartió con News Five los avances del país: “Diría que hemos hecho un mejor trabajo… hemos institucionalizado la resiliencia financiera para enfrentar las pérdidas, daños y consecuencias de los eventos climáticos.” Mitchell destacó la importancia del seguro paramétrico, el apoyo a agricultores y pescadores, y nuevas cláusulas en la deuda pública que permiten desviar fondos a la recuperación en tiempos de desastre.

Sin embargo, también reconoció que aún queda camino por recorrer, especialmente en el cambio de comportamiento ciudadano y la transición energética hacia fuentes renovables.

En medio de la creciente vulnerabilidad climática del Caribe, la combinación de comunicación efectiva y preparación estructural podría ser la clave para salvar vidas y medios de subsistencia.

Tensión en el Volante: Taxis Eléctricos Generan Controversia en Belize City

El lanzamiento del servicio de taxis eléctricos e-Ride en la ciudad de Belize ha encendido el debate sobre el futuro del transporte urbano. Aunque la iniciativa busca reducir la huella de carbono y modernizar el servicio de transporte, los taxistas tradicionales temen por la supervivencia de su oficio.

Albert Robinson, un taxista con décadas en la industria, expresó su frustración: “Cualquier adición afecta el negocio. La competencia es sana, pero si inundas el mercado, se convierte en un problema, a veces incluso llegando a conflictos personales. He visto peleas entre conductores por clientes desde que empecé”.

Por otro lado, Abigail Westby, conductora del nuevo e-Ride, asegura que la acogida ha sido positiva. “A la gente le encanta. He estado obteniendo excelentes calificaciones, muchos de 10 de 10, y la gente está compartiendo comentarios positivos en WhatsApp. Ha sido muy alentador”, dijo.

Actualmente, solo dos conductores operan los cuatro taxis eléctricos lanzados por el Ayuntamiento. Las tarifas promocionales de $8 por viaje han levantado más inquietudes entre los taxistas tradicionales, quienes ya enfrentan crecientes gastos de operación. Westby explicó que se trata de una oferta temporal y que las tarifas estándar variarán según la distancia.

Robinson también denunció que la propuesta original les prometía una oportunidad de propiedad que resultó inaccesible para muchos: “Nos llamaron a una reunión en el Ayuntamiento… pero una vez que escuchamos los precios, supimos que estaba fuera de nuestro alcance, especialmente a mi edad, 76 años.”

Otro conductor no identificado fue más directo en su crítica al gobierno: “El gobierno les está quitando empleos a los locales, y el programa de taxis eléctricos solo los beneficia a ellos, no a nosotros. En lugar de saturar los sectores existentes… deberían crear nuevos puestos de trabajo.”

Mientras los taxis eléctricos se abren paso, el Ayuntamiento enfrenta un desafío creciente: modernizar sin marginar. Para los taxistas veteranos, el cambio no solo es técnico, es existencial.

Mentally Ill Man Sentenced for Bicycle Without Headlamp Dies Inside Prison Cell

Tonight, a tragic story out of the Belize Central Prison is raising serious questions about how the justice system handles individuals with mental health challenges. Twenty-six-year-old Tyreick Rodriguez, a well-known mental health patient, was sentenced to one week in prison, not for a violent crime, but for riding a bicycle without a headlamp. He was later remanded after being found with just point-three grams of suspected cocaine. Rodriguez arrived at the Kolbe Foundation on Monday. By Thursday, he was found dead inside his cell, having taken his own life. His death has left many in shock and angered members of the public, who are now asking: Why was a mentally ill man sent to prison instead of being placed in a mental health facility? We reached out to Virgilio Murillo, C.E.O. of the Kolbe Foundation, to learn more about the circumstances surrounding Rodriguez’s death. Here’s what he had to say.

On the Phone: Virgillo Murillo, C.E.O, Kolbe Foundation

“He was admitted into prison on the nineteenth, which is Monday gone. He had a conviction of one week for riding a bicycle without a headlamp. And he was remanded on a charge of possession of a controlled drug. So, it would indicate that because today the police would not arrest you for small quantities of marijuana, below ten grams, because it has been decriminalized. Thos are the charges he came into prison with. He was admitted on the nineteenth and by the twenty-second before we even got a chance to familiarize ourselves with him, he took his own life unfortunately.”

Paul Lopez

“What was the conditions that he was subjected to at the prison?”

On the Phone: Virgillo Murillo

“Well, he was a mentally challenged prisoner and was placed in a psychiatric cell. That is the only condition we can subject a mentally challenged person to. He was being observed, because this is the first time he was in prison. Maybe he had been arrested before, but this is the first time he came to the facility.”

Family Demands Answers After Mentally Ill Man Dies in Prison

The family of Tyreick Rodriguez is speaking out, questioning why police arrested him in the first place, just for riding a bicycle without a headlamp, when his mental health condition was already well known. His uncle, Clinton Rodriguez, told News Five that he believes both the police and the courts could have handled the situation differently. He pointed to the recent case of Allaire McDougal, another mentally ill person who was detained, saying these incidents show a troubling pattern. “This could have happened to anyone struggling with mental illness”, Clinton said. “Someone needs to be held accountable.” The family is now calling for answers, and for change.

On the Phone: Clinton Rodriquez, Relative of Deceased

“I understand that he was arrested for riding a bicycle without bell and light and eventually he was charged for that. I believe that most people around where he live, including members of the police force know that he has a mental issue. I am curious how nobody figured he had a mental issue in the first place for them to charge him. In any case, he ended up being charged a thirty dollar fine he couldn’t pay and he ended up in prison. I think from the police side they should have been able to tell he had a mental issue and even when we went in front of the judge somebody should have figured out by just talking to him that he has a mental issue. because it does not take two seconds before he goes off on a tangent of something else. At the same time we are just trying to understand what is happening and hopefully somebody can explain because this can happen to anybody and the way society dealt with his situation, I heard in the news about the other lady that they were dealing with her in a similar fashion, it is something our society needs to pay attention to, especially the leaders and the justice system.”

Ayuntamiento de Belize Refuerza Preparativos Ante Temporada de Huracanes 2025

Con la temporada de huracanes del Atlántico de 2025 a la vuelta de la esquina, el Ayuntamiento de Belize ha intensificado sus esfuerzos de mitigación de inundaciones en la ciudad. Esta semana, cuadrillas municipales se desplegaron para realizar labores de limpieza en los drenajes y retirar escombros acumulados, en un intento por prevenir inundaciones en zonas vulnerables.

El alcalde de la ciudad, Bernard Wagner, destacó las acciones específicas que se están tomando para asegurar el funcionamiento adecuado del sistema de drenaje, que conecta vecindarios con canales y finalmente con el río y el mar.

“Nuestra prioridad es garantizar que todos los sistemas de drenaje sean completamente funcionales, desde los desagües del vecindario que se conectan a los canales, hasta los canales que fluyen hacia el río y hacia el mar. Nos estamos enfocando en los puntos problemáticos conocidos: el área de calles Dean, Berkeley, East Collet Canal, Queen y las cercanías de la gasolinera en la calle Freetown. Hoy hemos desplegado dos camiones para limpiar a fondo estas áreas críticas, eliminando los lodos y escombros acumulados”, afirmó el alcalde Wagner.

Con un pronóstico de lluvias intensas para la temporada, las autoridades locales subrayan la importancia de la preparación anticipada y de mantener libres los sistemas de drenaje para proteger a las comunidades urbanas más propensas a inundaciones.

Prison Knew About Tyreick Rodriguez’s Mental Health, Says CEO

According to Virgilio Murillo, C.E.O. of the Kolbe Foundation, prison officials were aware of Tyreick Rodriguez’s mental health condition before he arrived. That information, he says, came through the Belize Health Information System. When it came to monitoring Rodriguez in his cell, Murillo explained that the prison tried to strike a balance—keeping him safe without violating his dignity. In his words, they aimed to ensure that safety checks didn’t feel invasive or dehumanizing.

Virgillo Murillo, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation

“It is only through the BHIS, the Belize Health Information System that we managed to realize that he was a mental patient on medication.”

Paul Lopez

“What sort of safety checks is done in these psychiatric holding cells to ensure that items are not around that could lead to self-harm?”

Virgillo Murillo

“Well there were no items that led to self-harm. He was in bare clothing, a boxers and a T-shirt as I was told. If we get paranoid about how to treat mentally challenged prisoners and think that all of them want to commit suicide, one of the protocols is to strip them down to their birthday clothes. But that would be infringing on their human dignity. We don’t want to subject people to that type of treatment because we are paranoid and blown away by their mental state. So, we put them in their holding cells and observe them and if they display any behavior that would be indicative that they might be suicidal then we have a protocol for that. In this case we hadn’t have time to figure him out. As a prison we don’t have any control over who is sent to us. Once the magistrate or judge sends a person with a comital warrant to us, whether remanded or convicted, we need to honor that. Not doing so will boil down to contempt of court and we can find ourselves on the other side of the law.”

Alguacil del Tribunal Municipal Brandon Gillett Exonerado de Cargos por Arma Modificada

Tras meses de procesos legales, el alguacil del tribunal municipal Brandon Gillett ha sido exonerado de todos los cargos.

Acusado en diciembre de 2023 por cinco cargos de modificación de arma de fuego, los fiscales retiraron cuatro cargos y el último fue desestimado en el tribunal.

El magistrado superior dictaminó que las adiciones al arma con licencia de Gillett eran meros accesorios y no alteraban su función. Gillett inicialmente se declaró culpable, pero cambió su declaración al conocer que podría enfrentar prisión. El caso surgió de un conflicto familiar durante un funeral que llevó a la policía a registrar su residencia.

Prison C.E.O. Responds to Allegations of Human Rights Violation

Earlier this week, we brought you a story that raised eyebrows, a local attorney claimed he was denied access to his client, who is currently detained under the State of Emergency. The attorney argued that this was a clear violation of his client’s right to legal representation. But today, we followed up with Virgilio Murillo, C.E.O. of the Kolbe Foundation, who offered a different explanation. According to Murillo, the prison simply follows the rules outlined under the State of Emergency regulations. Here’s how he explained the decision.

On the Phone: Virgillo Murillo, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation

“I am not too sure if you read the regulation governing SOEs. All I can tell you is that although I am not a lawyer, I do have a proper command of the English language and what I read in the regulations is that when people are detained on a detention order signed by the minister, they are not entitled to bail and not even the high courts can summon that these people be brought before them for anything whatsoever. So that is what we have applied for any state of emergency taken place over the years, because remember SOE is nothing new to the prison. This is our tenth SOE. So we are too familiar with how we handle these things. The particular individual the attorney had asked to come and see had no criminal charges against him. So there was nothing against him and no legitimate reason for that attorney to come here, unless he wanted to come here and ease the tension on detention on him. I am not sure if that was the objective of the attorney.”

Roaring Creek Truck Driver Found Chopped to Death

A chilling discovery in the early hours of Thursday morning has left the Cayo District reeling. Just after two-thirty A.M., police responded to a distress call along the Valley of Peace Road. What they found was nothing short of disturbing—a freightliner truck, its yellow trailer stacked with sugar cane but stained with blood. Nearby, a machete lay ominously on the ground. As officers combed the area, they made a heartbreaking discovery: the lifeless body of thirty-two-year-old Fredi Ortega, a truck driver from Roaring Creek Village. Ortega had suffered multiple chop wounds. He was rushed to the hospital, but tragically, it was too late. He was pronounced dead on arrival. Tonight, Ortega’s family is devastated, grappling with the sudden and brutal loss of a loved one. And the community is left asking: who would commit such a heinous act? As of now, police have not identified a suspect, but investigations are ongoing. We’ll continue to follow this developing story and bring you updates as they become available. If you have any information that could assist the police in solving this case, you are urged to come forward.