Benita Keme-Palacio - Greater Belize Media

The UDP Set to Announce the Opposition Senators

The Opposition Party is set to announce its senators, with reports confirming that long-time United Democratic Party (UDP) member Patrick Faber will be named the lead senator.

Faber served as the area representative for Collet for 22 years before his surprising defeat in the 2025 general election.

Meanwhile, the Opposition is looking for two other senators.

As previously reported, Prime Minister John Briceño also announced the appointment of six new government senators, pending approval from Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam. The appointees are Eamon Courtenay, SC, Christopher Coye, Linsford Castillo, Rozel Arana, Brittney Galvez, and Hector Guerra.

According to a government press release, these new senators are expected to be sworn in at the inaugural Senate sitting, with the date to be confirmed.

Prime Minister Briceño Announces New Government Senators

A press release issued today has confirmed that Prime Minister John Briceño “will advise Her Excellency Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam” to appoint the new government senators.

“The senators are Mr. Eamon Courtenay, SC, Mr. Christopher Coye, Mr. Linsford Castillo; Ms. Rozel Arana, Ms. Brittney Galvez, and Mr. Hector Guerra. Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay will serve as the leader of Government Business in the Senate,” the press release stated.

Reports indicate that Courtney will have the added responsibility as the Special Representative for International Legal Affairs and Diplomacy.

Chris Coye is to remain on as Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, while Linsford Castillo, the party’s Secretary General, continues his work.

The statement added, “The newly appointed senators will be sworn in during the inaugural sitting of the Senate, the date of which will be announced at a later time.”

Independence Primary School Students Tour Channel 5

Around sixty excited students from Independence Primary School had a fantastic tour of Channel 5 this morning. The young visitors arrived at around 10 a.m. and got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how the variety of programmes that Channel 5 produces are prepared before hitting the airwaves, including Open Your Eyes, KTV, Summer Fest, and much more.

The students also gained insight into the process behind the evening newscast at 6 P.M. and the newly launched News at Noon, which airs daily at 12 P.M., and the preparation of Channel 5’s first Spanish newscast, Noticiero 5 Semanal, which airs every Friday at 7 P.M.

Two lucky students even got the chance to sit in the news anchor’s chair and experienced the thrill of reading the news firsthand.

Throughout the morning, the students met Channel 5’s dedicated staff—from reporters to producers, audio technicians, editors, cameramen and graphic designers—and even met CEO Marleni Cuellar.

At the end of the tour, the students had learnt the importance of staying informed, the power of teamwork, and the hard work that goes into producing award-winning content. The visit left the students inspired and eager to explore the media industry, with some dreaming of joining the Channel 5 team in the future.

Special Development Fund Replenished with $460M to Drive Caribbean Growth

The largest pool of concessionary funds from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has been replenished with the support of $460 million USD, announced CDB’s 7th president, Daniel Best. This reflects an increase of U.S. $77 million from the previous cycle. The announcement was made today at the bank’s annual news conference in Barbados.

This funding, known as the Special Development Fund, includes both grants and concessional loans focused on strengthening the bank’s role in poverty alleviation and human development across the Caribbean. This makes the fund’s 11th cycle, covering 2025 to 2028.

This cycle will prioritise projects aimed at environmental resilience, disaster risk management, and biodiversity preservation. “The fund will further advance regional cooperation, integration, and digitalisation, accelerating our collective progress – the world’s a robust and sustainable future,” Best stated.

According to Best, “the fund has injected over $2.1 billion USD into social development initiatives” in the Caribbean since 1984.

In addition to environmental and economic resilience, the fund will focus on enhancing social protection systems, improving educational outcomes, and strengthening private sector development.

Best opened this year’s 2-day conference by unveiling the bank’s vision for the future under his leadership, focused on the theme “Rebirth: Innovate, Transform and Thrive for a Resilient Future.”

CDB Unveils Vision for Regional Growth, Plans Major Projects in Belize

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) held its annual press conference in Barbados, where President Daniel Best outlined the bank’s future plans and how it will impact the region. The theme for this year’s 2-day conference is “Rebirth: Innovate, Transform and Thrive for a Resilient Future.” It focuses on the bank’s goals for regional economic growth and transformation.

Belize, a borrowing member country, has already received significant CDB funding over the past years for infrastructure, education, and energy projects.

In an interview with News Five, O’Reilly Lewis, CDB’s Director of Projects, described Belize for its strong project implementation. “Belize has been one of our stronger performing countries in terms of implementation,” he said.

In February, the CDB, along with the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Government of Belize, launched a USD 20 million Ninth Consolidated Line of Credit. This funding supports key sectors such as MSMEs, agriculture, education, energy, and low-income housing. “That loan would impact several layers of lives in Belize in a positive way,” Lewis added.

Valerie Isaac, the bank’s Division Chief for Environmental Sustainability, added that the bank is also aiming to expand on disaster resilience in Belize. The first phase of this project was done a few years back in Toledo “that proved to be quite effective, and we’re currently building out a project to conduct another phase of this, and we want to expand it to other communities within Belize,” Isaac said.

Lewis announced that in early April, CDB will be visiting Belize to conduct a portfolio review. He said the team will be working with various government ministries to assess current projects. “We will be having discussions about where their priorities are and how they see us as partnering with them to help solve some of those developing challenges,” Lewis said.

Gillnets Still Being Used In Belize by Guatemalan Fishermen

Despite the 2020 ban on gillnets in Belize, illegal fishing continues to be a significant issue. Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Coast Guard Commandant, told News 5 that the Southern Waters, particularly around Sarstoon, Barranco, and Hunting Caye, remain a hotspot for illegal gillnet use.

“That is still an area of concern for us,” Bennett stated. He also revealed that, so far this year, over 3,000 feet of gillnets have been confiscated—surpassing the total amount seized “in the entire 2024 period.”

The legislation, passed in 2020, made it illegal to use or possess gillnets in Belize’s territorial seas, Exclusive Economic Zone, and internal waters.

Bennett stated that enforcement remains a challenge. “We know that there are illegal fishers operating in that area; therefore, we patrol that area more often.”

He added, “It just takes a lot of patrolling effort to deter and interdict those illegal fishing in that area.”

Bennett explained that while no Guatemalan vessels were spotted in the area, the gillnets are believed to belong to Guatemalan fishermen. He said, “No one was in the areas, so we can’t confirm,” but that the nets were found “very close to Guatemala, so we believe it is Guatemalan.”

Briceño Defends Former Minister Ferguson’s New Role in Cabinet

Prime Minister John Briceño’s new Cabinet formation has received some criticism from members of the public.

Some ministers were re-instated to oversee the same ministry; others were swapped, and in some cases, some were stripped of their previous role and placed in a role with less of the heavy responsibility of a full ministry.

In this morning’s episode of Open Your Eyes, Prime Minister John Briceño discussed the new ministerial appointments and the key figures in his cabinet. Among them is Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, whom Briceño appointed as Senior Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister. He said she will lead the National AIDS Commission and focus on issues affecting the elderly. The PM also shared that this would be her final term. She will be collaborating with her niece, the newly sworn-in Minister of Human Development, Family Support & Gender Affairs, Thea Garcia-Ramirez.

In the case of Rodwell Ferguson, former Minister of Youth, Sports and Transport, many viewed his appointment as a “demotion” after challenges in his previous portfolio, as he now holds the position of Minister of State: Office of the Prime Minister.

Briceño defended his decision to make him Minister of State and described him as someone of high “likeability .” Briceño added, “I want to be able to use him in special assignments” due to his strong people skills and ability to resolve issues on the ground. “If there’s an issue going on in a ministry or whatever, I would say listen, go there, find out what’s going on for me and let’s see how we can solve these problems. So more of a troubleshooter kind of thing.”

When asked about his last term’s performance and if Ferguson was a good fit for that ministry, Briceño responded, “I don’t think so, back then.”

Briceño Warns Cabinet: No Room for Personal Gain in Second Term

The Prime Minister of Belize, John Briceño, warned his newly inaugurated members of Cabinet about engaging in unacceptable actions following the party’s re-election.

In an appearance on Open Your Eyes, Briceño discussed the challenges of maintaining humility and focus, especially with the re-election of several candidates for a second term. He warned against complacency, stating that success shouldn’t lead to arrogance.
Briceño stated that it “means nothing… If you’re not looking after the needs of your people and working for them and serving them and keeping in touch with them.”

He cautioned against the temptation of putting personal gain ahead of duty and public service. Briceño did not hesitate to warn his Cabinet about engaging in corruption or exploiting their position, as it would result in removal.

He said, “I did not come into politics to enrich myself,” adding, “I came to help people, to be able to serve people.” Briceño stated that his ministers and colleagues must also prioritise public service. “If you want to be part of the government that I lead, it has to be that you want to be here to serve the people of this country.”

Briceño followed with a strong warning to his newly inaugurated cabinet, “The day I feel that you are not doing that and that you are putting other priorities, you’ll not be able to stay in the cabinet that I manage.”

Woman Found Unconscious in Concepcion, Dies

Police are investigating the death of 37-year-old Wendy Mendez, who was found unconscious in Concepcion Village, Corozal District, on Sunday, March 9. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero confirmed that Mendez “succumbed to her injuries on Friday.” Romero stated that authorities are conducting interviews to determine the circumstances surrounding her death.

When asked if her death could be related to a domestic issue, Romero said, “We have certain information that we are following up on.” No suspects are in custody, and police are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination to provide further information. This is an ongoing investigation.

In 2022, Mendez survived multiple chop wounds while her cousin, Juan Arturo Mendez, was killed by Jermain Zuniga in a brutal machete attack. Zuniga, a construction worker from Libertad Village, had been staying at Juan’s home temporarily in Concepcion Village, Corozal District. Zuniga reportedly refused to leave when asked, leading to the violent confrontation. Juan was chopped at his neck, chest, shoulders, stomach, and hands. Mendez sustained severe injuries to her face and head and remained in critical condition for several days. Zuniga fled the scene but was later arrested and charged for the incident.

One Arrested in Dueton Coy’s Murder

Police continue investigating the murder of Dueton Coy on Sunday night in Punta Gorda. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, “Coy was along with two other persons in that area consuming alcoholic beverages when several gunshots were heard.”

The incident occurred near the cemetery in Punta Gorda Town, with reports first reaching police around 7:00 p.m.

Romero confirmed that Coy was shot multiple times. Despite being rushed to the Punta Gorda hospital for treatment, he later succumbed to his injuries.

Romero also stated that authorities have one suspect in custody, who is currently being questioned in connection to the murder. “This suspect was at the scene at the time,” Romero said.

“We are seeking one more in connection to this murder investigation,” Romero added.