Benita Keme-Palacio - Greater Belize Media

Employers to Comply with Voting Time Off

Belizeans are less than two days away from casting their vote on March 12. Today, the Labour Department issued a statement reminding employers of their legal obligation to provide employees with reasonable time off to vote in the upcoming General Election on March 12, 2025.

The department stated that “under Section 29 of the Representation of the People Act (Chapter 9),” employers must ensure employees have sufficient time to travel to their polling stations, cast their votes, and return to work. Employers are prohibited from deducting wages or imposing penalties on employees for taking time off to vote.

It added, “For employees who need to travel long distances to vote, employers are encouraged to be flexible and make any necessary adjustments to ensure they can exercise their right to vote.”

Failure to comply with these legal requirements could result in fines or imprisonment, the department said.

Placencia Residents Remove Rocks from Beachfront

A group of Placencia residents gathered this morning to remove rocks placed alongside a beachfront in front of a private property. Footage of the incident shows a confrontation between locals and police officers who were called to the scene.

Eyewitnesses report that the residents were acting to reclaim the beachfront, which they say was obstructed by the rocks.

In a formal notice dated February 27, 2025, the Department of the Environment (DOE) instructed the removal of a breakwater located in front of a property in Placencia, Stann Creek District, by 7 March 2025.

Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai said in the notice that the lack of consultation with relevant agencies, including the DOE, meant that proper approvals were not obtained. He said, “Given the local knowledge, history, and dynamics of the beach, and conceding the fact that you have not consulted any of the relevant agencies, inclusive of the Department, to obtain the necessary inputs/approvals, you are required to remove the existing breakwater placed in front of your property by 7 March, 2025.”

Mai added, “This decision is taking in consideration of Section 29, read along with Section 31 & 51, of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA), 2020.”

The DOE notice also warned that if the owner fails to comply, it could take legal action and seek reimbursement for any removal costs.

School Says Death Threats Against Teacher “Untrue”

Julian Cho Technical High School in Punta Gorda, Belize, has issued a statement responding to a recent incident involving an alleged assault between two teachers. Reports indicate that the confrontation escalated to the point where death threats were allegedly made.

“A situation arose on campus involving an allegation that one teacher was threatened and assaulted by another,” the school said.

According to the school, a police investigation was launched immediately after the allegation surfaced.

The school stated, “After a comprehensive review of all the evidence, we have concluded that the teacher accused of the alleged threat of death against her colleague is untrue.”

Winners Announced for La Ruta Maya Belize 2025

The 2025 La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge ended today in Belize City. The race, which covered 175 miles over four days from San Ignacio, saw “Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb” finish first, securing their third consecutive win.

The team crossed the finish line with a two-minute gap. Memory Lane Global Mission took second place, and Lucas Oil Mixed finished third.

The race began on Friday but faced an early setback when paddlers prematurely launched from under the Hawksworth Bridge before the official start at 7 a.m. This led race organisers to call for a restart. The race officially began at 8 a.m. after all paddlers returned to the starting point.

City Council Officer Arrested After Allegedly Shooting Colleague

Travis Flowers, 45, was arrested on Sunday after allegedly shooting his colleague, 44-year-old Calvin Cumberbatch. Reports are that the two were involved in a confrontation that escalated. The incident occurred on Orange Street, Belize City.

Flowers, a City Council enforcement officer, faces charges of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm.

Cumberbatch, a transport evaluator for the Belize City Council, was taken to KHMH for treatment and is in stable condition.

At the time of his arrest, Flowers still had possession of his licensed firearm. Police seized his firearm as part of the investigation.

Sheinbaum Defends Mexico’s Sovereignty over US Tariffs

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rallied tens of thousands of supporters in Mexico City’s Zocalo square on Sunday. The event celebrated the U.S. decision to delay tariffs on Mexican goods as a diplomatic win. Sheinbaum said the delay followed a “respectful dialogue” with US President Donald Trump on the 25% tariffs on USMCA-covered goods until April 2.

The tariffs were initially imposed by Trump over concerns about fentanyl imports, which took a brief effect on March 4. On Sunday, Sheinbaum said in her address that Mexico would always defend its sovereignty and economic contributions to the U.S.

Sheinbaum refrained from announcing retaliatory measures at the rally and focused on national unity instead. She said in her address, “We are not extremists, but we are very clear that there are principles that cannot be renounced. We cannot give up our sovereignty, nor can our people be affected by decisions made by governments. In cases like those, we will always act immediately.”

Sheinbaum added that Mexico should be spared from the reciprocal tariffs that Trump has said are to come into effect on April 2. She said that “for the past 30 years, there have been two signed trade agreements, which state that Mexico does not impose tariffs on them nor they on us, which means that it should not be applied.”

Meanwhile, new tariffs on Canadian lumber and dairy are expected to be introduced in the coming weeks. This is something that will roll into the new Canadian prime minister’s desk, Mark Carney. Carney is taking over from Justin Trudeau.

Mark Carney to Replace Justin Trudeau as Canada’s Prime Minister

Mark Carney, the former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, has won the leadership race for Canada’s ruling Liberal Party on Sunday. The 59-year-old, with no prior political experience, will succeed Justin Trudeau as prime minister. Trudeau announced his resignation in January following a sharp decline in his approval ratings after nearly a decade in power.

Reuters reported that Carney, 59, triumphed with 86% of the vote, defeating former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in a contest that saw just under 152,000 party members participate.

Carney’s win comes at a critical juncture, with the country embroiled in a trade war with the United States under President Donald J. Trump. According to Reuters, Carney addressed Trump’s tariffs in his acceptance speech, stating, “There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy… He’s attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We can’t let him succeed.”

Reuters reported that Carney has vowed to maintain retaliatory tariffs until the U.S. shows Canada “respect.”

“This won’t be business as usual,” Carney added. “We will have to do things that we haven’t imagined before, at speeds we didn’t think possible.”

According to The Guardian, Carney also seized the moment to directly call out Trump, dismissing his jokes about Canada becoming the 51st US state. He said, “From one old guy to another old guy. Stop this nonsense. Canada will never join the United States.” He added, “No one will starve us into submission because Canada is and will remain the best country in the world. Vive le Canada!”

Carney’s rise to prime minister is historic. His election makes him only the second prime minister in Canadian history without a seat in parliament, reported Reuters.

While there’s no rule preventing this, The Guardian reported that Carney will likely call a federal election shortly after taking office, where he is expected to face Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

OAS to Observe Belize’s March 12 Election

For the fourth time, the Organization of American States (OAS) will be deploying an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) for the March 12 general elections.

Maricarmen Plata, a senior OAS official, has been appointed as the mission’s chief.

The team is comprised of 12 observers from seven countries and “will focus its observation on electoral organisation and technology, political-electoral financing, and electoral justice.”

“Ahead of the polls, the Chief of Mission, along with the OAS team, will meet with electoral authorities, representatives of political parties, government officials, and other stakeholders to discuss perspectives on the electoral process,” the OAS said. “On election day, members of the mission will visit polling stations from the opening of the polls to the counting of votes and the publication of results.”

The OAS added that post-election, it will release a preliminary report outlining its observations and recommendations aimed at strengthening Belize’s democratic and electoral practices.

Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, and Panama are supporting this mission financially.

Murder in Belize City

Police are investigating the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Mark Usher, 33. The incident happened on Saturday night near the corner of Jabiru Street and Faber’s Road Extension in Belize City.

Reports are that Usher had just arrived home and was parking his blue Chrysler when he was shot multiple times. Police found several shell casings.

According to police, an unidentified assailant approached Usher on a small bicycle, firing several shots before fleeing the scene on Jabiru Street. Usher was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) but later died from his injuries.

Three Buses Engulfed in Flames in Lord’s Bank

Police are investigating a fire involving three buses in Lord’s Bank Village, Belize District, early this morning. The three buses were engulfed in flames, leaving two destroyed and a third severely damaged. The buses are owned by Bernardo Bennett of Central Transit Bus Service.

A watchman asleep in one of the buses reported to police that he was awoken by one of the bus’s engines getting turned on, in which he then noticed flames coming from the bus. Despite his efforts to extinguish the flames, the fire spread to two other buses next to it.

Initial investigation revealed that two of the buses were insured, and all three together were valued at over $50,000.

The cause of the fire is still under police investigation.