Earlier this week, the United States held its 2024 presidential election, with Republican candidate Donald J. Trump emerging victorious over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. During his previous term, Trump limited interactions with Belize and other smaller developing nations. Throughout his campaign, he pushed for reduced government spending. His policy blueprint, Project 2025, even proposed cutting funds for climate-resilient projects abroad. Although Trump has since distanced himself from this plan, questions linger about whether the U.S. will continue supporting Belize’s environmental initiatives and stay committed to the Paris Agreement. We spoke with Minister of Sustainable Development, Orlando Habet, to get his take on the matter. Here’s what he had to say.
Orlando Habet
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development
“Difficult to tell what will happen, but I believe that and they have in a State Department, I think, that some of their commitments that are on the table might continue. We don’t know what the President will do in the next few days, and whether or not he’ll make decisions now before he takes over in January. But if we know about Project 25, and Project 25 will practically state that they will withdraw from the Paris Agreement that is a problem because they have some contributions to make. And also because they are one of the biggest emitters, they are responsible for coming up with some of the funding for the developing countries. I think I read somewhere also that they might withdraw some funding from projects like USAID, which is bad for us also because we are also recipients of some of that funding. But it seems to me though that he has different been put together that might advise him to do otherwise different from what he did in the first term. But who am I to say what he will do, right? But we are hopeful still. I think the relationship that we have with the United States of America has been practically on level ground, whether our administration changes in Belize or whether their administration changes in the U.S..”
Last month, leaders from around the globe converged in Cali, Colombia for COP16. The summit aimed to ramp up biodiversity protection and secure twenty billion dollars in funding for preservation efforts. Unfortunately, many participants fell short, raising only about four hundred million dollars—far from the ambitious target. Today, we caught up with the Minister of Sustainable Development, Orlando Habet, who shared his thoughts on the conference. He acknowledged that while not all goals were met, it wasn’t a complete failure.
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development
“If you look at what you go for, And it all depends on how much time you spend. you can get back something. At the global level some people are disappointed because COP16 didn’t produce what they wanted, especially the twenty billion that everybody’s looking for. But I think there are certain solutions that came about for those who were seeking country level support. I think many of them got some. I think for Belize, we got a few commitments as a region with CARICOM also, and as a region with Central America SICA, we also got some. Looking at the Climate Change COP which is much bigger being held in Baku, in Azerbaijan the Climate Change COP to me, is a little bit more commercial. It’s larger, it’s very impersonal, and so you really have to go there with focus on what you want to achieve. For me though, at all the COPs, I try to make certain that we have some bilateral meetings. With Norway, with the U. S., with Canada, and so that you can have additional sources for projects, apart from what the Climate Change Fund will do. Success stories for Belize, for example, our CEO is on the adaptation fund board, on the global adaptation fund board. We were able in the last year or so to be able to bring about eighteen million for adaptation projects in Belize. We have projects with the GCF, the Green Climate Fund, which we are pursuing. PACT is the accredited agency, so we are trying to see how we can locate some funds for certain projects. There are several projects in the pipeline which we are trying to get along with the support from the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance. And so, we can’t just leave it alone. We have to continue pursuing it so that then at the end we can get the funding that we are looking for.”
In just a few days, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, will kick off. This event brings together global leaders to discuss strategies for boosting climate resilience and holding themselves accountable for past environmental promises. This year, Belize is sending a small delegation, including Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai. We spoke with Minister of Sustainable Development Orlando Habet, who shared that the focus of the conference will be on increasing access to funding. Here’s more on that.
Orlando Habet, Minister of Climate Change
“One of the main focus areas for COP 29 will be financing and the one hundred billion that was promised some years ago finally accordingly reached in 2022. But we are looking for a much more than that the top is in the trillions of dollars. I will be leading AOSIS and CARICOM. In the new collective quantified goal, which is trying to see how these developed countries fulfill their commitments based on the Paris Agreement that says that developed countries are to provide the funding for developing countries. As AOSIS, as Caribbean, because we are small, considered small island developing states, we are highest in vulnerability to climate change. And so we are also looking for them to consider our vulnerabilities as part of the consideration for the funding. But we also had some success in the previous cup where the loss and damage fund was approved. It’s somewhere a little bit over four hundred million. We want to see how at this couple can increase. The president of COP 29 that they will try to see how in the first week you can try to scale up that funding. And so if we are around the table, we can start negotiating.”
In Belmopan, young people are coming together to take part in climate-resilient projects, thanks to funding from the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action fund. These initiatives are designed to put youth at the forefront of climate action. Today, the University of Belize hosted the Youth Climate Action Symposium, where students learned how they can drive the environmental changes they want to see.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
“Think Green, Act Smarter” That’s the theme of today’s Youth Climate Action Symposium at the University of Belize in Belmopan. The forum brought together one hundred and fifty students from primary, secondary, and tertiary schools to raise awareness about climate change. Samih Young, the president of the university’s environmental club, shared insights on the topics discussed during the event.
Samih Young
Samih Young, President, Environmental Club, UB
“For an example we have, How climate change affects biodiversity loss and forestry. And another one would be, How climate change affects agriculture and food security. All very really good thematic focuses, and then we’ll have experts from different organizations, both NGOs and government organizations, come here, in these classrooms, to provide the students with statistics, and they’re the experts and they’re going to provide us with their information to educate us about how climate change is actually affecting these different things.”
The symposium is part of a broader initiative funded by the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund, which offers technical support and funding to over a hundred mayors, helping them engage thousands of young people in creating and managing urgent climate solutions in their cities. Mayor Pablo Cawich mentioned that the groundwork for the hundred-thousand-dollar grant was laid by the previous administration and continued when he took office. Now, the city council is aiming for another grant, this time for two hundred thousand dollars, to support even more projects.
Pablo Cawich
Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan
“There are many different results that we expect. Yesterday I attended another function for Raquel art, who was also another recipient of the fund. And they have repurposed materials as part of art. There are different projects depend for the different groups. We have in the case of, I think, UB, they had a reforesting initiative for the Ten Cents Creek. We have other agencies that, or other recipients that also had had awareness campaigns. So the results of the fund and the investment. is in different aspects of climate change.”
The money is to be distributed among ten different youth-led projects. Each group put together a proposal detailing their project’s scope and the positive impact it would have on the environment. Doctor Pio Saki, advisor of the environmental club at UB explained that process to us.
Pio Saki
Dr. Pio Saki, Advisor, Environmental Club, UB
“It was very specific and it points directly to what we do as an environmental club. Our motto is serve to conserve and let nature educate. That’s the motto of the environmental club. And this project had an aspect where we’re supposed to engage community on climate impacts and climate action that we need to take, particularly for the city of Belmopan. The project was very, specific, that was, but is very specific. And so our proposal is aimed at creating this awareness among schools and the university of students on climate impact in Belize.”
For many attendees, today’s event was their first experience at a climate-focused forum. Aya Elkishawi, a standard six student from Garden City Primary School, was thrilled to contribute to strengthening Belize’s climate resilience.
Aya Elkishawi
Aya Elkishawi, Std 6 Student, Garden City Primary School
“When you take care of your environment, it’s better for the whole climate and the Earth. And it’s just better because when you start young and try to help, it will be better when you’re older.”
Britney Gordon
“What are some small changes that you think you can make in your life to preserve the environment?”
Aya Elkishawi
“Well, I think that we should stop littering and try to throw them in garbage and not in oceans or lakes or rivers or any of that, take care of the water.”
The Salvation Army Belize is kicking off the holiday season early with the launch of its Red Christmas Kettle initiative. This annual fundraiser has been a beloved tradition in Belize for decades. The official opening ceremony took place today in Battlefield Park. Now, you can spot those iconic red kettles at various locations throughout the city and across the country. The Salvation Army Belize is on a mission to raise one hundred thousand dollars to help those in need this Christmas season.
Eddy Momplaisir
Major Marc Eddy Momplaisir, District Officer, Salvation Army Belize
“AS you all may be aware Salvation Army red Christmas kettle is one of theevents we have every year across the world. It is one for the largest fund raising that we have in the salvation and our aim is to help those who are less fortunate, especially for the kids who are looking for Salvation Army to give them a gift and to provide a happy meal for them. So we are here for them and we believe with the help of the public and the donors, we will be able to achieve our goal. nToday is our opening ceremony. As you can see we have our special guest, doctor Villanueva with us and now Christmas is open. Now we are going to start our campaign Monday eleventh to December. However, we have some letter mails appeal that we have sent out there to different businesses, donor sponsor and we are asking for help. So I am asking them, please do open the letters because we see the need, and we have the beneficiaries but we just need the donors to come along and make it possible.”
While on our journey to find unique stories from handicraft artisans, we stumbled upon a hidden gem: silverware art. This incredible craft turns everyday eating utensils into stunning pieces of jewelry and decor, with some creations beautifully capturing the essence of Belizean culture. In the charming Hopkins Village, we met an artist who is bringing this imaginative vision to life. Here’s his story.
Sabreena Daly, Reporting
Matthew Montague and his wife like to call themselves immigrants, not expats, because they aim to give back to Belize rather than just take from it. When they arrived four years ago, they settled into a modest yet charming home in the heart of Hopkins Village. Surrounded by lush greenery, their imaginations are constantly fueled by their pets and the local wildlife. Beneath this cozy dwelling, Montague has carved out a small workshop where his art comes to life. Amidst running thoughts, bursts of creativity, and the occasional insect, he transforms everyday utensils into unique pieces.
Matthew Montague
Matthew Montague, Owner, Shady Acres Belize “It’s always funny to watch people’s faces because people don’t recognize that that’s a fork. Or that that’s a spoon. Huh. And so I show them. I’ve got a little speech and I show them and you see the realization and then they’re like, Oh my goodness, that’s a fork!!”
Montague’s business, Shady Acres Belize, showcases a delightful array of his creations, along with his wife’s beautiful pieces. But his best-selling items—jewelry crafted from utensils— are the eyecatchers and conversation starters, originating from a distinctive piece his wife owned.
Matthew Montague “Everything here is made from a fork, a spoon, or a handle of some kind. I start basically with that, right there. A fork. It begins with a fork. Yeah, or if I have a really fancy spoon that has a fancy handle on it, then I can make a nice ring out of that. My wife Angela had this beautiful octopus pendant that she’d gotten 25 years ago at a festival somewhere in California. And every time we’d go to market or do something, people would ask, Oh, did you make that? Where’d you get it? And finally I said, we’ve been asked so many times, why am I not making these? So she said, okay, and gave me her grandmother’s wedding silverware and that’s where it started. And so I ruined a lot of forks figuring this out, but, but here we are and so, yeah, it literally started with that. So far she’s not haunting us, but you know, we’re okay.”
Matthew contends that his business is grounded in a commitment to repurposing and recycling. From bottle caps and wires to biodegradable tree branches, Montague turns everyday materials into stunning works of art. Each piece is crafted with a unique vision, ready to tell its own story.
Matthew Montague “As you can see here, most of the stuff I use I try to recycle. You know, the forks and silverware we purchase, they’re repurposed versus recycled, but all of the wood and the backing and a lot of the other materials that I use in my art are all recycled.”
Sabreena Daly
“Where do you get these items from?”
Matthew Montague
“I pick them up on the beach. A lot of trash I pick up on the beach. Plastics and bottle caps, I scrap it. I even used a lot of the wire from my house when we built this house. Used all the leftover wire that was extra and scraps to make different arts and fish pieces. And, an example, this is just recycled, little piece of recycled wire. So, but I used to make giant ones when I first started. I made huge fish like that. That was where the barracuda came from. And so I’ve been trying to incorporate Belize into my art. I did a fish recently that was an amazing months long project of spoons. And I used all the spoons for the scales. I’ll have to show you a picture because it’s gone. But the head portion was made out of Belikin bottle caps. So you’d know that fish is from Belize. The fish is somewhere in the U. S. right now, but it’s from Belize.”
Montague’s pieces make excellent gifts or striking statement items for personal wear. With the high season approaching, access to these gems can be found in many ways.
Matthew Montague “We’re part of Markets on the Go, and we travel all over Belize with them and to some amazing market events. We’re getting ready for pop-up market season to start again here shortly in December. We’ll have one at Itsana, we’re at Barefoot once a month regularly through the season, Beach Bar and Placencia. And then we support a lot of shops in the area with a lot of our art too. Our biggest supporter is Garamaya here in Hopkins.”
As Montague strives to create a space where he can give back to the country he now calls home, he hopes his artistic journey brings joy to everyone who experiences it.
Sabreena Daly
“What do you hope, uh, for people to feel or, or remember about you as an artist or your work as art?”
Matthew Montague
“I try to create happy feelings for people. Things that you look at and you make smile. You know, jewelry is always amazing. I love jewelry. Um, it makes me happy musicians, you know, I’ve got my band here. Musicians take that and they’re, they’re, they’re pretty, hmm, that it takes it home. It’s something that they identify with. And so if you can find a piece of my art that you identify with, that’s really what I’m trying to do.”
The leadership struggle within the United Democratic Party is heating up with new developments. A lawsuit has been filed against Interim Party Leader Tracy Taegar-Panton and former U.D.P. Secretary General Phillipa Griffith Bailey. On November fifth, an ex parte application notice was submitted by Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow, along with Michael Peyrefitte, Shary Medina, Alberto August, and Hugo Patt. These individuals are the members of the Central Executive Committee of the embattled party. The lengthy document filed with the High Court is seeking to restore the previous state of affairs by granting immediate custody and possession of the U.D.P. Headquarters to chairman Mike Peyrefitte. The application also requests an order to allow Shyne Barrow and the Central Executive Committee to immediately re-enter and take control of the headquarters. Additionally, it seeks to have Tracy Taegar-Panton, and her executives promptly removed from the building. In another legal move against Taegar-Panton and Griffith-Bailey, the applicants are asking for a declaration to clarify whether Barrow or Taegar-Panton is the true leader of the U.D.P. Barrow is also seeking a ruling that Taegar-Panton has no legal or trust-based authority to possess the U.D.P. headquarters. Additionally, he wants declarations stating that Taegar-Panton cannot remove the claimants from the headquarters and that she unlawfully took control of the Guardian Newspaper and Wave Radio, which are U.D.P. organs. Shyne Barrow and the four other claimants have attorney Immanuel Williams in their corner, representing them on behalf of Glenn D. Godfrey & Company Limited.
This week, two different digital versions of the Guardian Newspaper made the rounds. One was edited by Alfonso Noble, who has been at the helm of the publication for the past sixteen years, working out of the office at Youth for the Future Drive. Noble is now under the leadership of Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton, who took over the headquarters last week. That version clearly lists Noble as the editor. The other copy focuses mainly on the efforts of Mesopotamia Area Representative Moses “Shyne” Barrow, who is currently in a legal tussle with Panton over control of the headquarters and the party’s radio station and newspaper. It has no named editor. News Five’s Marion Ali reports on the confusion these two versions are causing among U.D.P. supporters.
Marion Ali, Reporting
U.D.P. supporters and the general public were likely scratching their heads this week when they received not one, but two different digital versions of the Guardian Newspaper. Last week, the only edition of the Guardian was a digital one, released after Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton took over the U.D.P. Headquarters and assumed control of Wave Radio and the Guardian Newspaper. Circulated last Thursday, it featured the headline “New Leadership, New Direction for the U.D.P.” prominently on the front page, showcasing Panton, her Deputy Leader Beverly Williams, and Attorney Sheena Pitts as part of the new U.D.P. Executive.
On the lower right-hand side of page two, you’ll see Alfonso Noble listed as the Editor. Noble has been at the helm of the Guardian since 2008 and continues to oversee the edition produced from the party headquarters. This week, things took an interesting turn with two different digital versions of the Guardian Newspaper making the rounds. Both versions sported the same front-page font and logo, but with different headlines. The version on the left, titled “Investing in the Future,” prominently features Mesopotamia Area Representative Moses “Shyne” Barrow throughout the publication. This version lacks a staff box and doesn’t name an editor.
On the other hand, the version on the right, headlined “U.D.P. Names Central Executive,” was produced at the Youth for the Future headquarters with Alfonso Noble listed as the editor. When we asked Noble about these dual versions, he dismissed the one he didn’t edit, calling it child’s play and suggesting it would only add to the confusion among U.D.P. supporters.
Alfonso Noble
Alfonso Noble, Editor, Guardian Newspaper
“I thought it was a school project. You know, children are given these assignments to do various things, sometimes in the media and what have you, and create a newspaper and that kind of thing. And I was flattered, actually, that a child, um, would actually, um, come up with such an idea. way of, um, of, of, of doing a school project and absolutely no concern whatsoever. The Guardian newspaper is a Guardian newspaper. When you open it in the, um, the, the, the first, the first page after the headline, you have the, who publishes it and the name of the editor and what have you. So it is clear who the Guardian newspaper is.”
Noble was direct in his criticism of the author of the other edition of the Guardian.
Alfonso Noble
“The child, I guess, um, must be suffering from some Maccoby Goma of what has taken place in the leadership of the UDP and they would want to place the former leader on every page That they possibly could have mustered and I’m happy for them. I really am but thanks to that child for flattering us in this manner.”
Marion Ali
“You refer to the individual as a child Is a U.D.P. supporter as well. He just supports the other.”
Alfonso Noble
“I think it to be a school project that’s really when I first saw it. I saw this is a school project somebody’s school project.”
Marion Ali
“Nonetheless, there are issues that are addressed in the, in their edition that that clearly opposes what you guys are putting out. So you have opposing views or you have differing views or you have different views or different issues. And so there is confusion because people out there, your supporters, particularly UDP supporters, want to know, well, which one is the correct edition of the Guardian that I should be reading.”
Alfonso Noble
“The reader must be able to decipher for themselves what is real and what is not, what comes from the multiverse from the other dimension, or the parallel reality.”
Noble maintains that he and the version that he edits represent the work of the U.D.P. under the leadership of Tracy Panton.
Alfonso Noble
“We are working out of the United Democratic Party headquarters. We are doing the work. Of the United Democratic Party, we’re serving our people. And that is as much as, that can be said, we, there is no confusion here.”
News Five tried to get in touch with Shyne Barrow to find out who his editor is, but we didn’t get a response. We also attempted to identify the author of the other version of the Guardian, but the people we contacted, who are Barrow’s supporters, were either surprised to hear about its circulation or had no idea where it came from. Marion Ali for News Five.
Amid the confusion over which version of the Guardian Newspaper is legitimate and who the rightful leader of the U.D.P. is, last week saw Alfonso Noble taking to Wave Radio with some serious accusations. He claimed that Moses “Shyne” Barrow was undermining the Guardian staff by withholding their week’s salary, instructing a signatory not to sign the checks. Today, Noble explained that when he went public with this information, Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton was unaware of the issue. She quickly took steps to ensure the staff got paid. While Panton declined an interview to discuss the two versions of the newspaper, Noble assured that she has made sure the staff will receive their pay moving forward.
Alfonso Noble
Alfonso Noble, Editor, Guardian Newspaper
“When I had went public, our party leader was not aware of the situation. If you would have noticed during the morning show, I took a break. I took a break from the show, um, to come out and take a call. And I generally offer the respect, that kind of respect to our party leader. And, um, she, um, told me in no uncertain terms, you will get paid, that whatever you’re exposing, you need to control yourself on that because this is not the way of the United Democratic Party doing business, and she assured me that we were going to be paid. We were paid on that very day. As a matter of fact, immediately after the morning show, checks were issued, and everybody and staff that needed to be paid was paid. The party leader is continuing to maintain that position until our accounting systems are put in order.”
The Ministry of Human Development has rebranded the Women’s Department as the Family Support and Gender Affairs Department. This change, announced today in a Cabinet Brief, reflects the Ministry’s commitment to equality and inclusion. We reached out to Minister Dolores Balderamos-Garcia for more details on this update.
On the Phone: Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development
“I think the name change, and of course names are important, the name change reflects the focus of our ministry in the modern day, much better than when we were just saying Women’s Department or Family Department. I think we wanted to signal that we are inclusive. As you know the motto of our ministry is equality and inclusion and we wanted to signal that not only do we deal with women, but we also support families, children, men and the most important word of course is gender. So it is Family Support and Gender Affairs Department. We are not just signaling to the Belizean people that we are only looking at women. Gender is a set of issues that have to do with men, women, children and all the roles we play.”
