Benita Keme-Palacio - Greater Belize Media

Belize Joins High-Level Labour Meetings in Guyana

Belize recently participated in two significant regional meetings focused on addressing labour issues across the Caribbean. The meetings were held in Georgetown, Guyana, from April 6 to 8, 2025. The discussions were hosted by the Government of Guyana in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the CARICOM Secretariat.

On April 6, a Senior Officials Meeting set the stage for the ministerial session, finalising key documents. The Caribbean Ministers of Labour then gathered on April 7 to tackle emerging labour market challenges, explore regional cooperation, and assess progress on promoting decent work. The discussions also aimed to align labour policies with evolving economic and environmental conditions.

The final session on April 8, was the Thirty-Fourth Special Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD).

Minister of Labour & Local Government, Florencio Marin Jr, reaffirmed Belize’s commitment to regional cooperation and social protection.

Two American Fugitives Deported from Belize

Two American fugitives have been deported from Belize to the United States to face serious criminal charges, including weapons trafficking and rape, according to a statement from the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).

The return of the suspects was announced on social media by the DSS, which praised the coordinated international effort behind the operation. The arrests and deportations were carried out in partnership with multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Belize Police Department, Tennessee law enforcement and other law enforcement entities.

The fugitives were tracked down and returned with assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Belize.

The identities of the individuals and specific case details have not yet been released.

‘Onny’ Under Vet Care After Vicious Machete Attack

“Onny”, the horse that was viciously attacked by three teenagers, is now under the care of veterinarians from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA).

A video that circulated on social media showed the three teenagers, aged 16, 17, and 19, viciously attacking the defenceless animal on Pitter Street in Belize City.

Another video of the animal after the attack showed maggots already infesting the wounds.

The three teenagers were detained today by police. According to the police, they are believed to be members of the Bone Yard Crips.

Trump Pauses Tariffs for 90 Days, Markets Surge Before Falling Back

President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for over 75 countries negotiating on trade and refraining from retaliation. This temporarily eased global trade tensions but kept pressure on key rivals like China.

The decision caused a short-lived rally on Wall Street on Wednesday, with stocks showing an upward trend. Major indices posted historic gains before stocks resumed their downward trend this morning.

Under the new policy, the U.S. will suspend most of its recent tariff increases, though a 10% base tariff remains on nearly all global imports. China is an exception, where tariffs on its goods will rise dramatically to 125%, with some items facing a total of 145% in levies.

This has escalated the ongoing trade conflict between the world’s two largest economies.

The European Union welcomed the pause, suspending its own retaliatory measures in a bid to restart dialogue with Washington. Meanwhile, Beijing doubled down on its stance and issued more aggressive rhetoric and maintained its retaliatory tariffs.

Analysts continue to warn the trade war is far from over, and with rising U.S. Treasury yields hinting at investor unease, volatility is likely to persist.

Who Is Stealing License Plates?

Residents of Maris Deena Street in Southside Belize City are facing costs they did not anticipate after their licence plates were stolen earlier this week.

Early Tuesday morning, thieves targeted at least nine vehicles in the area, stealing license plates and two car batteries. Some plates were left damaged beyond use.

Victims now face the inconvenience of filing police reports and making multiple trips to the Traffic Department to replace their stolen plates — a process residents say is both time-consuming and expensive.

Police have not yet determined a motive, but the department issued a bulletin for the missing plates. Residents are concerned that the stolen plates could be used on other vehicles to commit crimes or traffic offences, wrongly implicating the original owners.

Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Belize Pushes Regional Action as U.S. Tariff Threatens Economy

Belize took centre stage at a high-level CARICOM consultation today, warning of the economic fallout from the United States’ newly announced 10% reciprocal tariff under its “America First” trade policy.

At the regional meeting, Director General of Foreign Trade Andy Sutherland presented Belize’s case, stating that over US$45 million in national exports, especially sugar, marine products, and pepper sauces, are at immediate risk. He stressed the potential impact on livelihoods, calling for urgent and united CARICOM action.

Belize proposed the creation of a Regional Emergency Competitiveness Fund, to be managed through the Caribbean Development Bank and national development banks. The fund would provide low-cost credit to help MSMEs and vulnerable sectors offset rising costs and navigate shifting trade dynamics.

The Government has also instructed its embassy in Washington to engage U.S. officials directly, seeking clarity, advocating for exemptions, and reaffirming Belize’s commitment to rules-based trade under the Caribbean Basin Initiative.

Belize underscored the need to protect the CARICOM Common External Tariff, speed up the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, and pursue new markets to build long-term resilience.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on all “reciprocal” tariffs on over 70 countries, except those imposed on China.

Teens Detained After Viral Video Shows them Viciously Attacking Horses

Three teenagers have been detained in connection with a video that surfaced showing a defenceless horse being viciously chopped in the head on Pitter Street in Belize City. The group of teenagers aged 19, 17, and 16, are also accused of stealing 15 horses from a farm near Ladyville, owned by local tour operator Joshua Trapp.

Trapp discovered the animals were missing on April 7 while his family was away; seven were later found tied up.

The viral video shows a group of young men attacking one of the horses with a machete. Trapp stated that it was one of his animals and said the assault happened not far from his property.

The act shown in the viral video left many Belizeans outraged.

Police Commissioner Chester Williams condemned the attack as “inhumane and senseless,” and said the Belize Police Department is taking the matter seriously.

Williams added, “We will do everything in our power to ensure those responsible face justice.”

PSU’s Dean Flowers Calls for Thorough Audits with New Auditor General

President of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers, criticised the government’s budget preparation process. On Tuesday, the union issued a statement questioning the fiscal management and potential corruption within the Sports Council. The union demanded an independent audit to verify budget figures and investigate corruption allegations.

Minister of State, Devin Daly, stated on Tuesday that $7.5 million has been allocated between youth and sports, with $7 million going towards staff salaries, leaving just $500,000 for actual programming and facility maintenance.

Flowers told News 5, “I think that the public service union has consistently stated that there is little seriousness given to the preparation of these budgets.” Flowers added that, despite the shift to performance-based budgeting, the approach has not changed significantly. “If you look at all the budgets of the last twenty or ten years, not much has changed in terms of the programme budgeting,” he added.

Flowers also pointed out the inefficiency in the youth and sports budget, calling it “just numbers thrown out there” without proper analysis or justification for the expenditures.

He linked the issue to the failure of the previous auditor general to conduct thorough audits of ministries. He said, “I am hoping that with the appointment of a new auditor general, that for once, all government ministries will be audited to ensure that whatever allocation is being made for them is being spent on what is aimed for.”

Belize Police Department Receives New Patrol Vehicle

A new fully equipped patrol vehicle was handed over to the Belize Police Department today. The keys to the vehicle were presented by the Chief Operations Officer of Innovative Development (INNODEP), Joseph Lee.

INNODEP is a renowned international firm that specialises in expandable security solutions.

Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa, received the keys of one of two vehicles designated for the “rapid response in coordination with the advanced camera system and the 911 emergency response framework being implemented.”

The vehicle is part of the BZ$60 million Belize Integral Security Programme funded by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).

This project includes the installation of a state-of-the-art camera system and emergency response framework in Belize City. It is expected to be completed by July 2025, and it will deploy AI-powered cameras to improve crime prevention and strengthen emergency responses across the city.

Maya Land Rights Progress Delayed by Elections, CCJ Hears

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) held a virtual hearing on Monday to monitor the progress of the Maya Land Rights Consent Order, agreed upon by the Belize Government and the Maya Leaders Alliance in April 2015. The order requires the government to implement a mechanism to recognise the land rights of the indigenous Maya people.

During Monday’s session, the parties provided updates on the delays caused by the recent elections. The lead government attorney, Andrew Marshalleck, stated that February’s dissolution of the National Assembly stalled the review of a draft of legislation intended for Cabinet.

He said, “The National Assembly was dissolved on the 11th of February, just days after the draft was presented to the Cabinet subcommittee. The result is that they have not looked at it and have not reverted. The general elections were held on March 12. A new minister responsible for Indigenous Peoples Affairs was appointed.”

Marshalleck added that although progress had been made, three deliverables remained unfulfilled. He stated that the new minister, Louis Zabaneh, was briefed on the issue, as he was not involved in previous Cabinet discussions.

The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs is also without a Chief Executive Officer. Marshalleck assured that the current CEO has been assisting in the transitional period as Zabaneh takes office.