Police are investigating the death of 40-year-old Carlos Casanova, who had been missing since Saturday, January 8. Casanova, a resident of San Pedro Town, was found on Monday off the Yo Creek Road in the Orange Walk District.
According to police reports, Casanova’s body was discovered in “an advanced state of decomposition.” The matter has been labelled as a “death investigation.”
Last Thursday, a close friend described Casanova as “a very cautious” person who “never made irrational decisions.” The friend added that Casanova had left his phone and wallet in his room. Casanova’s landlady was the first to report him missing after he failed to return home.
News 5 reached out to Casanova’s family earlier today. Casanova’s brother told News 5 that the post-mortem was still ongoing, and they were still awaiting an update from the police.
The Belize Ministry of Immigration is bringing mobile passport services to two villages in the Cayo District this weekend. On Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, the team will be at Armenia Primary School. On Sunday, February 23, 2025, they will be at St. Matthew’s Primary School from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
The Nationality and Passports Department will be offering passport applications and renewals, along with Permanent Resident Card renewals and replacements. They will also assist with replacing lost Nationality Certificates and provide general immigration information.
Residents of Armenia village and St. Mathew village are encouraged to take advantage of this mobile service event, which aims to make these essential services accessible to residents who may not be able to visit the main office.
Two staff members from the National Assembly of Belize, Manuel Grant and Heillie Burns, participated in the Caribbean Clerk’s Program 2025, held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The three-day event, which concluded on February 15, aimed to enhance parliamentary democracy across the region by fostering stronger networks among parliamentary clerks and officials.
Burns led a session on The Independence of Parliament, where she highlighted the importance of maintaining parliamentary autonomy for effective governance. The separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislature ensures accountability and prevents overreach.
Meanwhile, Grant took on the role of rapporteur during several workshops. He discussed topics such as drafting a Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament (MP) and developing an Induction Process for newly elected MPs. The program gathered thirty-three delegates from seventeen Caribbean legislatures, which prompted best practices and strengthening collaboration between Caribbean and UK parliamentary officials.
The program’s costs were covered by the CPA UK Branch.
Competitive salaries and health insurance are just a few attractive benefits of teaching in the United States. Teachers currently seeking opportunities like these can do so through Participate Learning, a cultural exchange program that focuses on recruiting ‘cultural ambassadors educators’ from various countries such as Australia, Europe, China, and even Belize. The program is still accepting applications for 2025, and interested educators can submit their application.
Ronald Ramírez, Recruitment Manager for Latin America at Participate Learning, told News 5, “We want teachers to become cultural ambassadors of their country. We want to create understanding, cooperation, and empathy through education.”
Ramírez stated that the teachers that are selected get to teach in U.S. schools for up to 5 years under a ‘Cultural Exchange Visa’ and with salaries ranging from $41,000 to $55,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.
Ramírez recognised that Belize’s primary language—English—makes it a valuable asset for these programs. However, the program is also open to teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL), Spanish Immersion (preschool and elementary), and Spanish as a Foreign Language.
Ramírez spoke about the impact that U.S. students receive from teachers participating in these programs, exemplifying a case whereby he recalled a Belizean teacher bringing Belizean dollars into the classroom to teach her students math by “purchasing” with Belizean dollars.
He added that while becoming an “international teacher” may come with sacrifices such as leaving one’s current job and country, “they will have a whole list of benefits,” he said, “I’m not only talking about the salaries; I’m talking about the professional knowledge they’re going to get… At the end, the teacher is going to benefit from it, and the students in Belize will benefit when the teacher comes back, because it’s not going to be the same educator coming back; that is going to impact Belizean students positively.”
According to Ramírez, only 45 Belizean teachers have been part of the program so far, with about 25 active teachers in South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina.
To qualify, applicants must have at least two years of teaching experience, a degree in education, and a valid driver’s license. Married applicants can bring their families but need at least five or more years of experience.
Applications are free and can be submitted year-round at Participate Learning.
A farmer in Belize has been honoured with the “Soul of Rurality” award by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Known for his transformative work in agro-silvopastoral systems, Christopher Nesbitt has spent 36 years restoring a once-thriving farm used for citrus and cattle and creating a model that blends sustainable farming, forest conservation, and livestock.
Originally from the U.S., Nesbitt moved to Belize at 19 and purchased an unattended 70-acre farm. The IICA recogised Nesbitt’s years of trial and error, as he developed a system integrating diverse crops, such as cacao and vanilla, alongside forest conservation practices. His farm, the Maya Mountain Research Farm, is now a sustainability benchmark, visited by hundreds each year. “If we work to ensure that neighbouring farmers establish continuous agro-silvopastoral blocks, we can create biological corridors that reduce habitat fragmentation and promote biodiversity conservation,” Nesbitt said.
His efforts have earned him recognition, including the Commonwealth Innovation Award in 2019. With a biogas plant on the farm, Nesbitt also promotes local food security, which he argues is threatened by over-reliance on imported goods. He believes the future of farming lies in systems that are not only profitable but also eco-friendly, and he encourages young people to take up agriculture for its potential to solve food security and rural poverty.
“Like other countries in the region,” Nesbitt stated, “Belize’s best lands have always been used for export crops, while food crops for the local population have been confined to marginal lands or very small farms. I have worked to change that alongside other farmers and with the support of cooperation agencies, which have helped optimise agricultural practices and improve smallholder farmers’ access to maize and bean markets.”
Nesbitt challenges the stereotype that farmers lack education, stating, “There is a perception that farmers are uneducated because some may struggle with reading and writing, but they have extensive botanical and ecological knowledge. They can observe a tree’s canopy size and leaf colour and extract a wealth of information about what’s happening in the soil.”
Nesbitt strongly believes agriculture is key to protecting the environment and that agro-silvopastoral systems can help with food security, rural poverty, and migration to cities. “Caring for ecosystems means caring for future generations,” he added.
Politicians are knocking on every Belizean’s door, which means the election season is officially in full swing for the next 30 days. Campaigns are heating up, political flags are going up, and many are proudly displaying their allegiance by wearing their party’s colour on their sleeves or the faces of the leaders they champion on the backs of their T-shirts. But as the days tick down, what is there to know about the road to election day? What factors will influence your vote? And more importantly—how can you cast a responsible vote?
There are so many questions that plague the minds of many voters, especially young voters. To help you break down these political complexities and the issues that matter most, Channel 5 is bringing you its latest talk show—Powa & Di People. This 90-minute program will debut on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., right after the evening news, and it’s here to tackle those tough questions head-on.
Powa & Di People will air every Tuesday and Thursday leading up to March 11—the eve of Decision 2025 when Belizeans will walk up to the polls and cast the vote that will lead the next 5 years.
Expect lively discussions about the most pressing issues facing Belizeans today. From the economy and job creation to crime, healthcare, education, and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand key topics.
Joining the conversation will be contributors Demmy Williams and Dr. Harold Young, who will provide thoughtful analysis and spark debates on critical matters. But the best part? This isn’t a one-sided show. Your voice matters too! Viewers will be encouraged to actively participate in the discussions, ask questions, and share their views.
Make sure to tune in every Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., from February 18 through March 11. Powa & Di People is your chance to be part of Belize’s political conversation as we head toward election day 2025.
Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton has emerged victorious in a contempt case filed by Moses “Shyne” Barrow, who challenged her leadership claim. Barrow had sought to challenge Panton’s leadership claim, referencing a November 2024 court ruling that aimed to return the United Democratic Party (UDP) headquarters to its previous status.
Both Barrow and Panton claim to be the legitimate leader of the UDP.
However, Justice Hondora dismissed Barrow’s contempt claims, clarifying that the November ruling applied solely to the possession of the UDP headquarters on Youth for the Future Drive in Belize City, not to the leadership dispute.
Attorney Sheena Pitts elaborated on the decision. She said, “The court agreed with Peter Knox Casey that the order of November did not definitively establish that the party leader is Barrow.” She added that the ruling only addressed possession of the headquarters, not leadership, leaving that matter unresolved.
A recent court ruling also confirmed that Panton may continue calling herself the UDP leader. Barrow had filed legal action to prevent Panton from using the title, claiming it violated a November court decision that upheld the status quo.
Pitts defended Panton’s right, stating that both Panton and her supporters, as well as the media, are free to refer to her as the UDP leader, citing freedom of speech.
Pitts added, “The court concluded that the second application to injunct her from exercising freedom of speech in a political space could not be granted.” She added that both of Barrow’s applications had failed, and as a result, Panton and her legal team are entitled to recover legal costs.
A Dangriga baker, Dylan Ysaguirre, is speaking out after a traumatic police raid at her home. Ysaguirre claims that on Thursday night, police raided her house based on “tips” they received about her allegedly selling marijuana. According to Ysaguirre, the police entered her home without a warrant, adding that this has happened at least ten times over the past year and a half.
“The police walk up to my house without the car, without a warrant. They came, and they stepped right up to my house; my door was open, and they just walked into my house,” Ysaguirre told News 5. She said that the police officers told her there was no need for them to have a warrant and that “supposedly that’s the new law in Belize.”
Ysaguirre stated that she was previously arrested and charged for drug trafficking after she was found with more than the legal amount of marijuana in her possession. She says that while, yes, she does consume it, she does so for medicinal purposes. “I tell them what the main reason is that I use it, that I use it for herbal medicine. Yes, I smoke weed. But the main reason I’m using it is for my remedies and for my medicine for my son,” she said.
Ysaguirre, who is bound to a wheelchair, stated that her condition is due to “an autoimmune disease that is stress-related” and that remaining calm is important to control her health condition.
She also said that her son has a history of multiple seizures a day, and combined with his “multiple congenital malformations, it causes intense pressure on his brain,” and for this reason, she administers medicinal marijuana to her son in the form of oil. “You need a lot of weed to concentrate it down into a potent weed oil for him to prevent the seizures,” she added.
After what she called a “traumatising experience,” Ysaguirre took to Facebook Live to share the aftermath of the raid. In the livestream, she revealed the damage to her home, including all her baked goods scattered across the floor, which is one of her few incomes she relies on to provide for herself and her son.
Ysaguirre added that after the ordeal, she became physically sick from the distress, and it has affected her mental health.
While she hasn’t made an official report, she said she is now considering making one.
The Central Bank of Belize has initiated the winding-up of 19 defunct credit unions, including prominent ones like Mount Carmel Credit Union, the Police and Civil Service Credit Unions in Belize City, and the Citrus Growers and Workers Credit Union in Dangriga. This process, which started in April 2017 under former Governor Joy Grant, is being finalised by current Governor Kareem Michael. Marlowe Neal has been appointed as the liquidator.
Elizabeth Ayuso, business development officer for the Belize Credit Union League, explained, “Unfortunately, the liquidation of the credit unions falls outside of the league’s direct mandate.” She said that these liquidations mostly concern credit unions that ceased operations years ago, with Mount Carmel being the most recent, closing in 2016.
The Belize Credit Union League is not commenting on the specific liquidations, as these are statutory actions by the Central Bank. “The league cannot comment on the specific details,” Ayuso stated. Currently, Belize has eight active credit unions, with several new ones emerging in recent years.
A road traffic accident in the Corozal District has left one man dead and another injured. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon around 3 p.m. when brothers Gaspar and Santiago Cantun were travelling on Sarteneja Road in a Chevy Tracker. Reports suggest that Gaspar lost control of the vehicle, causing it to flip multiple times.
Both men were rushed to the Corozal Community Hospital. Gaspar succumbed to his injuries, and Santiago was treated and has since been released.
According to initial investigations, the vehicle was operating with an expired license plate at the time of the crash. Authorities are continuing to probe the cause of the accident.
