Benita Keme-Palacio - Greater Belize Media

Urgent Call for Road Safety This Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon Belizeans, and if there’s one thing that the highways will have in the coming days, it’s many Belizeans hitting the roads to visit family and friends. As traffic increases, several public officials are working to promote road safety.

Across the country, police officers, traffic authorities, and health officials are joining forces to raise awareness and sensitise the general public on safe driving. This initiative has become more urgent in light of recent road accidents that have left the nation shaken. This includes the major fatal collision that occurred at mile 68 on the George Price Highway, where 10 people lost their lives, including a young girl. Just days earlier, a group of teenage athletes from Caye Caulker Ocean Academy High School were involved in a serious accident, leaving two in a coma. Sadly, on December 5, one of the victims, Alexander Bainton, succumbed to his injuries.

These incidents highlight the growing concern over road safety. So, if you’re planning to travel in the coming days, here are 10 important tips for staying safe on the road:

Don’t drink and drive: If there’s drinking at your holiday gathering, make sure to pick a designated driver who will stay sober.
Prepare your car: Ensure your vehicle is in good condition, properly maintained, and ready for travel, especially if you’re facing winter weather.
Plan your route: It’s always best to map out your journey ahead of time and check for any weather conditions that might affect your trip.
Buckle up! Always make sure you and your passengers are wearing seat belts or in car safety seats.
Avoid driving while tired: Get plenty of rest before your trip, take breaks during your drive, and if possible, share the driving. If you’re feeling sleepy, pull over to a safe spot to rest.
Have an emergency plan: Keep a cell phone and charger with you, and know the contact details for roadside assistance, just in case.
Don’t text while driving: Avoid using your phone while driving. If you need to make a call, use a hands-free device.
Keep a safe distance: Always maintain enough space between you and the car ahead so you can react if needed. If someone is tailgating, let them pass.
Watch your speed: Follow the speed limits and drive according to road conditions. Allow yourself plenty of time to reach your destination so you don’t feel rushed.
Stay calm: If you feel stressed or upset, take deep breaths and stay calm. Avoid letting road rage get in the way of your safety and the safety of others on the road.

Drive safe and enjoy the holiday season!

BSI Prepares to Ship Belize’s ‘Largest Single’ Export to UK

The Belize Sugar Industries Ltd. (BSI) is ending 2024, hitting a major milestone as the company is getting ready to export a record 39,500 metric tonnes of raw bulk sugar to the UK. According to Communications and Government Affairs Director William Neal, the shipment, valued at over $45 million, is expected to provide a substantial boost to the nation’s GDP. Neal described it as “the largest single payload of any product from the country.”

Neal told News 5 that the company’s logistics improvements not only enhance efficiency but also reduce costs, with savings benefiting both the industry and local farmers. “Before establishing the logistics we have at Big Creek, loading such a large shipment would have taken about 40 days. Now, despite the rain, it will take about eight days,” Neal said.

He added that despite a slight delay due to road conditions and weather impacts, BSI anticipates kicking off the upcoming sugar crop season on December 27.

Amazon Delivery Drivers on Strike

Last time it was the U.S. dockworkers on a 3-day strike for better wages; today it is thousands of Amazon delivery drivers demanding better working conditions, pay, and recognition as company employees. However, despite wearing Amazon vests and driving Amazon vans, many drivers are classified as independent contractors through third-party companies called “Delivery Service Partners” and not direct Amazon employees.

According to CNN, this has been a contentious debate over the employer-employee relationship, particularly in legal battles about whether Amazon should be considered the drivers’ employer, thus responsible for providing better wages and benefits.

Teamsters union members went on strike in several states, including New York, Illinois, Georgia, and California. The workers have cited long hours, excessive workloads, and insufficient support. Amazon claims the strike won’t impact holiday deliveries. However, Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said, “If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed.”

Ash’shura Brooks, 29, from Illinois, stressed the need for better safety measures and work conditions. “You either sacrifice your safety to get things done faster, or you sacrifice your job,” she said.

With Amazon’s soaring profits, drivers believe the company has the resources to improve conditions. Trenton Knight, a delivery driver in Georgia who has been working for Amazon for five months, said that he is striking for improved wages and benefits and for drivers like him to be acknowledged as Amazon employees. “If we weren’t their workers, we wouldn’t be driving their trucks, we wouldn’t be wearing their gear, we wouldn’t be delivering their packages,” Knight said.

Congo Identifies ‘Mystery Disease’ that Claimed Dozens of Lives

Since October, a mysterious illness with flu-like symptoms has been affecting the people in the southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The illness that killed over 143 people, mostly women and children, has been identified as severe malaria. The country’s health ministry confirmed the diagnosis on Tuesday.

“The mystery has finally been solved… It’s a case of severe malaria in the form of a respiratory illness,” said Congo’s health ministry. The disease, which initially baffled health officials, manifests as a respiratory illness with symptoms like fever, headache, cough, and body aches. The health agency stated that malnutrition in the most affected areas had compromised the local population’s immune systems, which makes them more susceptible to the disease.

The country has faced numerous disease outbreaks in recent years, including typhoid and anemia. The rainy season has also complicated malaria control efforts. In response, the World Health Organisation has distributed anti-malaria medicine and sent additional supplies to control further spread of the disease.

220 Families and Seniors Receive BEL’s Annual Holiday Hamper

In its 26th consecutive year, BEL (Belize Electricity Limited) continues its heartwarming tradition of giving back this holiday season. Over 220 hampers and care packages were delivered to families and senior citizens across the country.

BEL teams were organised to distribute 120 hampers filled with Christmas meal essentials and groceries to families in need. In addition, 100 care packages, containing essential groceries and toiletries, were delivered to senior citizens.

“Giving back to our community is part of our BEL culture,” BEL said in its statement. The hampers and care packages were delivered through to the employees’ close connections with the communities BEL serves.

Salvation Army Helps Over 700 Families This Christmas

Earlier today, the Salvation Army in Belize held its annual grocery voucher giveaway by providing over 700 vouchers to families in need, particularly those who are seniors. These vouchers are redeemable at local supermarkets and enable recipients to purchase groceries for a Christmas meal.

Major Marc Eddy Momplaisir, District Officer of the Salvation Army, explained that the distribution takes place across multiple locations in the city, including the Salvation Army Headquarters on Cemetery Road, as well as in other communities like Joyville. “Our aim is to celebrate love, community connection, and the joy of giving,” he said. “It’s a busy day for us, but it’s all worth it to bring some happiness to those who need it most.”

The Salvation Army’s focus is on helping senior citizens, many of whom are less fortunate and may not have access to a pension or regular income. “We show them that we love them and care for them,” Momplaisir added. “The voucher will help them during the season.”

For 73-year-old Joan Bennett, who has been receiving a voucher for nearly 50 years, it’s a lifeline. “The Salvation Army always looks out for us. Take care of us; see that we are well… And I am very grateful because every year they do the same thing,” Bennett said.

The initiative also inspires others to give back. With their vouchers in hand, recipients are now ready to begin their Christmas shopping and cook the holiday meals they’ve been waiting for all year. For Bennett, it’s a chance to make her holiday “a little bit brighter.”

Fire Destroys Home on Boots Crescent

Just days before Christmas, a family has lost their home in a fire on Boots Crescent in Belize City. The fire broke out this morning and completely destroyed the house.

No injuries were reported.

The homeowner, James Lamb, was not present during the fire. His neighbour, who has lived in the area for over 10 years, told News 5, “My daughter came in and told me the neighbour’s house was on fire. I looked outside and saw smoke pouring from the roof.” The resident said she immediately called 911 and then alerted nearby workers to inform the neighbour whose house was on fire.

The house destroyed was a high concrete and wooden house with zinc roofing.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

A Grave Miscarriage of Justice

Glenford Logan was granted his freedom on Monday after spending 21 years in a jail cell at the Belize Central Prison. He was never convicted of the crime he was charged with. In fact, he was never tried for that crime.

Logan was arrested in 2003, accused of the murder of security guard Kingsford Obeng. On August 5, 2000, Obeng, who was guarding a grocery store, was attacked by a man who slashed his throat. Obeng died the next morning in the hospital. Logan was 23 years old when he was charged with the murder. He is now 44.

For more than two decades, Logan remained behind the walls of the prison. He was dubbed the “oldest ramandee.”

But not anymore. Today, Logan is a free man.

High Court Justice Nigel Pilgrim reviewed Logan’s case. He found that Logan’s constitutional rights had been violated due to his prolonged detention without trial. Court documents revealed that there were no case files or evidence presented, and submissions from Logan’s attorney, Sherigne Rodriguez, revealed that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia by Dr. Jose Matus, the psychiatric doctor at the Belize Central Prison.

Logan, diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been deemed unfit to stand trial and had remained in remand under the status “Detention in safe custody until His Majesty’s Pleasure shall be known.”

Despite all of this, Logan languished in prison.

After the court ruled that Logan’s constitutional rights had been violated, the “oldest remandee” was immediately released.

However, the question remains: where did the justice system of Belize fail Logan? Is this a stand-alone case?

News 5 spoke with criminal defence attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley to get an understanding of the legal perspective. Bradley explained, “Every person is entitled by law to have their temporary imprisonment reviewed.” He added that this “means that there has been a terrible failure of the system that a human being can be in prison so long without trial.”

Bradley also pointed out a troubling trend regarding prisoners held for mental health issues. He said, “When I had reason to enquire, there were 92 persons who were in prison for mental problems.” He further stated that many people in prison are there because they are mentally ill and unable to understand what is happening in their trials. Some of them are not even fit to stand trial due to their mental state. “Many others who are in prison, they just need medication; they need psychiatric attention.” Bradley said that this reflects a failure to protect vulnerable individuals, especially those from poorer backgrounds.

While Logan’s family expressed relief over his release, their reactions were also of frustration at the system that allowed Logan’s wrongful detention for so long. A relative voiced the pain endured by the family, stating on Facebook, “Unu nuh know half of what we gaan through with my uncle and them not trying to let him out. My grandmother has been hurt by this situation for decades and has been there for her son through this traumatic experience.” “We ask that y’all be as outraged as we are and help us get justice for him,” the relative added.

However, the public response has been mixed. In Monday’s News 5 report on Logan’s case, 672 Facebook users reacted to the video. 148 users shared their perspectives in the comment section. Some were critical of Logan’s release, with one user stating, “I want to know if when he kills again, people will have the same nice words to say about him… Sorry if I sound offensive, but it’s reality.” Other users opposed this point of view and highlighted Logan’s mental health condition, with the user stating, “If he’s schizophrenic, he shouldn’t even have been in prison… It should’ve been a mental facility or regular society with proper meds, but again… da Belize we deh. Being mentally ill isn’t an excuse, but you kind of need to understand that the person isn’t fully there, so, of course, certain behaviour will happen; like, it’s not rocket science.”

The reactions varied from both extremes, including one where a user suggested holding the Belize justice system accountable for Logan’s lengthy detention.“I guess the government or the judge who sentenced him to all those years in prison should compensate the person… it’s unfair,” said the user.

Logan can sue. Bradley says that he has grounds to launch a civil suit against the government of Belize. He explained that if a person has been detained for 21 years without a trial and there is no valid reason for this, they are entitled to seek justice.

“Any person who has had their constitutional rights violated is entitled” to go to court for redress, “which means for justice, for compensation,” he added. Bradley said while the full facts of Logan’s case are still unclear, it’s important to “speak up for people who are unable to speak up for themselves.”

Third Suspect Arrested in Double Murder Case

A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the murders of Marvin Cante and Juan Carlos Raymundo. The suspect, 20-year-old Ronald Frazer from the Cayo District, faces two counts of murder. The other two men arrested in relation to the cousin’s murder were Carl Lindo and Christopher Smith.

The two cousins, Cante, 37, and Raymundo, 32, were reported missing in late November. Raymundo’s family grew worried when he stopped responding to messages from his common-law wife. The following day, both families alerted the police, prompting an investigation into their disappearance.

Reports were that Raymundo’s vehicle was found abandoned near mile 24 on the George Price Highway. The search for missing cousins ended when their bodies were found buried in a shallow grave in Hattieville on Wednesday evening, December 11, near Dollar Bank Road.

According to police investigation, the murder of Cante and Raymundo may have been an illicit transaction that went wrong. During Monday’s police briefing, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hilberto Romero, said, “The information we have is that they came to the Hattieville area to do a transaction, and something went wrong there, and they were taken to those bushes and killed.”

PM Briceño on GAF Incursion: “What do they expect us to do? Shoot them out of the water?”

It’s not the first time, and Belizeans are left wondering how much longer Belize will have to face the same confrontation at the southern borders.

On Tuesday, a Guatemalan patrol boat illegally entered Belizean waters near the Sapodilla Cayes once again. According to Coast Guard Commander Captain Elton Bennett, the Belizean patrol encountered a Guatemalan vessel, identified as a 65-foot vessel that “appeared to be a hydrographic vessel belonging to the Guatemalan Navy.”

These specialised ships are designed for surveying underwater features, such as water depth and seabed characteristics. While the vessel itself may not be armed, the BH-656 Gucumatz hosted a crew of Guatemalan coast guards on board, “patrolling their maritime territories,” reported local Guatemalan news.

Captain Bennett said that the incident was resolved after the Belize Coast Guard intervened, and the Guatemalan vessel departed after several hours.

Major Roberta Usher, BDF Chief of Staff, confirmed the vessel had been moving between Belizean and Guatemalan waters over the weekend, and authorities are still awaiting confirmation of any illegal intrusion. And while they wait, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is certain that this was an illegal incursion. In a press release, the ministry said that is “received information of a Guatemalan vessel that was illegally traversing within Belizean waters.”

And while it is not the first time, it marks the second sighting of a Guatemalan vessel in Belize’s waters in the last three months, the last time being back in September. Bennett pointed out that the lack of clear markers makes border determination difficult, with Belize exercising jurisdiction based on equidistance between the two countries.

In an interview today with the Prime Minister, John Briceño, he said that Belize takes “any” incidents such as these seriously. “Whenever that happens, we take it seriously… We would go and inform them that they’re in Belizean waters.” He also stated that using diplomatic efforts is important to avoid unnecessary escalation. “We need to be able to be firm but diplomatic. Making sure that they understand that they’re in our waters and that we will not allow them to come into our waters,” Briceño said, adding that Belize “writes to the OAS, and copy it to the Guatemalan government” every time such incidents occur.

Briceño also addressed concerns from Belizeans about territorial violations and pointed out the challenge of confronting a significantly stronger Guatemalan force. He told the media, “What do they expect us to do? Shoot them out of the water?”

Briceño added, “As much as we want to do more, what else can we do? Whatever citizen would say that I would want to hear the advice, what would they do?”