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More Than $3 Million in Damages Caused By Wildfires in Toledo

Wildfires have destroyed more than six hundred acres of farmland in Toledo District over the past three weeks. An initial damage assessment conducted by the National Emergency Management Organization estimates over three million dollars in losses. More than two hundred families have been affected, the equivalent of just under a thousand residents. They describe these events as the worst they have seen in their lifetime. Compounding the challenges brought on by wildfires is an extensive period of drought and little to no access to water in some villages. News Five’s Paul Lopez traveled to Toledo today. He filed the following reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Over six hundred acres of farmland, in addition to a vast expanse of forest, have been destroyed by wildfire in Toledo District.

Novelo Chiac, Blue Creek Village Resident

“That is our, that is where we get our food and we call it our home because we get our lumber there and stuff for our house.”

This is Novelo Chiac, a resident of Blue Creek Village in Toledo District. For the past two weeks, wildfires have been burning through his community.

Novelo Chiac

“Last week Friday the fire reached close to neighbors on this side and we couldn’t find no help.”

Paul Lopez

“Is this the worst you have ever seen?”

Novelo Chiac

“This is the worst one, yeah.”

Wildfires are not uncommon in these parts at this time of year. But increased temperatures, coupled with the absence of rainfall for more than a month, have led to a wildfire fire crisis in Toledo. We came across a brushfire that was growing quickly on a hillside in Blue Creek. Most of the hilly terrain in this community is covered with lush rainforest. At the foot of this hill, one family was on high alert as the fire threatened to destroy their life’s work.

Voice of: Nelson, Blue Creek Resident

“This has been an area that my dad has invested in. You can see a lot of cacao trees, coconut trees. So what I went and did earlier was try to create a little path as close as I can to it so that in case it reaches down we have our little spray pump there, assuming that it wouldn’t get as big as how it is in other areas around that side.”

Nelson and his family have already lost four acres of corn and two acres of pepitos to this year’s wildfires. Government trucks deliver water to communities in the area almost on a daily basis for general use due to limited water access caused by the drought. Creeks have dried up. River levels are at an all-time low. With limited access, villagers who come together to fight fires are required to travel long distances to fetch and carry water in buckets and gallon bottles.

Voice of: Nelson

“It is a little hard because it is dry, everything is dry but we are trying to salvage what we can because this is the daily livelihood of us here in the village and we rely on this house. This thatch house, it may look small and thing but that is somebody’s home and that is where somebody is living but it means a lot to them.”

West of Blue Creek lies Santa Cruz Village. Both communities are separated by the flaming hills. Francisco and his family live in the village on of top a hill that provides a panoramic view of the smoke-filled horizon and scorched earth. Overwhelmed by the smoke in the air, Francisco has had to relocate his wife and children several times over the past few weeks. His experience has been similar to that of his neighbors.

Voice of: Francisco, Santa Cruz Village Resident

“Deh same farm pumps we use to do chemicals in the farm and the five gallons to go for water wherever we could find water source. We don’t have specific like the water system is down foe the moment, not down to say that it is not working but we are out of water under the ground so we don’t have that much availability of water anywhere around close.”

It has been established that most of the communities in Toledo live off the land. And for decades, farmers have been practicing slash and burn, a method used to clear forested land for farming. Ironically, this traditional method, practiced by villagers, is believed to be one of the root causes of the fires that are leveling farms in the village. There is now a growing call for safer agricultural practices and stricter penalties for law breakers.

Voice of: Francisco

“To me that is something that could be dealt with with some type of care. The thing is with slash and burn is that we as the farmers we depend on those and that is our main source of food. Without those, if we can’t do that then we can’t plant crop this year. I think the solution to that is when there is slash and burn it shouldn’t just be one person out there to do the slash and burn we need to ensure there is enough water around and man to out the fire if it goes out and off thr limit. And before that we need to make sure we do the fire pass around it and make sure it is wide enough not to pass the fire to the other side.”

Voice of: Nelson

“I would hope that out leaders would come together just like they did for the COVID19 regulations and implement it and be strict about it. We are destroying this environment. What will we have for the future?”

Reporting for News 5, I am Paul Lopez.

PM Briceño Joins NEMO On Flyover in Toledo

The National Emergency Management Organization activated its operations last Thursday in Toledo District. Since then, NEMO has been partnering with Belize Defense Force soldiers to deploy aid and assist residents in putting out fires. According to NEMO officials, teams are being deployed to various communities on a regular basis. By their account, firefighting efforts run past midnight most days. NEMO’s National Coordinator Daniel Mendez and Oscar Requena, the Area Representative for Toledo West, held a press conference this morning in Machaca to provide an update on the efforts. There, Requena announced that Prime Minister John Briceno would be joining them on a flyover of the affected areas this afternoon.

Oscar Requena , Area Representative, Toledo West

“Right now it is really to get on the ground to see first hand what is happening to get a thorough assessment and evaluation and really to quantify the damage so as to be able to put together in place a plan to address the needs both short term and long term. Today the Prime Minister is going myself, Minister Perez, along with captain Mendez and other fire experts and NEMO personnel to get a first hand view of what the situation looks like, because as you are aware the Prime Minister was out of the country I believe he came in yesterday. So certainly we are all working together, all the Government agencies and even our partners and stakeholders are working together so that we can respond adequately to the situation on the ground. Fire continues to be a major problem every year in the Toledo District. I think this year has been the worst we have ever seen and certainly moving forward we need to find a way to put in place a very viable plan. A community based plan together with the Government agencies and all stakeholders to ensure that as much as possible this kind to occurrence is mitigated as much as possible.”

A Call for Law Enforcement Against Negligent Burning Practices

NEMO representatives and Area Representative Oscar Requena were also asked about growing concerns over the use of slash and burn practices by farmers. One reporter questioned what will be done by authorities to penalize farmers who act with a degree of negligence. NEMO says its priority is to first put out fires and provide aid for those affected. Requena says, it is time for farmers to revisit the issue of burning.

Reporter

“Not to point fingers at anybody but the reality in Toledo is that some of these fires are caused by humans, negligence, is the organization doing anything to find out who are these individuals and what will be done to avoid this from happening again?”

Kenton Parham, Toledo Coordinator, NEMO

“At this stage our priority is trying to contain and suppress the fire and look at the impact to farmers. If an agency wants to pick that up later on they might. I don’t know if that is something that might be very difficult to pinpoint on who but our focus is on suppressing the fires and getting aid to the affected population as quickly as possible after the assessments are done.”

Oscar Requena, Area Representative, Toledo West

“I am aware that there have been instances where it is actually people going in and lighting. What has to be done, and I agree with Mr. Parham, at this point the focus is on trying to contain the fires, trying to be as supportive to the community out there but we cannot overlook that side of the equation in that as community members we have to be more responsible in how we deal with fires. There are clear regulations in terms of what farmers must do when they go and light a fire. They have to create a fire pass. They have to ensure they inform the Ministry of Agriculture. They have to pick certain time to light the fire. They have to make sure they have enough help in order to contain the fire in the event it escapes. But really what has happened, to be honest, we have not seen enforcement of the regulations. I think the time has come for us as farmers, I am a farmer myself and I don’t burn, for years, I have over fifteen years of not burning and I think it is time for us as farmers to revisit the whole issue of burning.”

Stepfather Pleads Guilty and Remanded for Physical Abuse of Minor

Tonight, a violent stepfather is spending his first night on remand at the Belize Central Prison after pleading guilty to physically abusing a three-year-old child earlier this week. Footage of the repulsive incident sparked public outrage on Monday when thirty-three-year-old Devain Flores was seen getting off a motorcycle before kicking and hitting the little boy repeatedly. The Belize City laborer, who stands accused of mistreating the infant, appeared unrepresented before Magistrate Baja Shoman. The revolting episode prompted Commissioner of Police Chester Williams to show up to the lower courts this afternoon in his capacity as a prosecutor where Flores was brought up on two counts of cruelty to a child. Following Flores’ arraignment, ComPol Williams spoke with the media and explained why the charges against the perpetrator were later upgraded.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“It’s a very important matter I must say, it involves a three-year-old who was being abused, obviously by a thirty-three-year-old, and I think that when we have situations of such, the police department, as well as any other organization that has to do with upholding the rights of children, we must do our best in making sure that those persons are brought to justice. Over and over, we are seeing that our young people are being abused in various ways, shape or form and as a responsible organization we will always do our best in working in conjunction with other organizations such as UNICEF, Department of Youth Services, NCFC, et cetera. So we have to make sure we do what we can to protect our children, so we must send a strong signal to abusers of children that we are not playing, we are serious about this.”

Reporter

“Explain the process of how this was upgraded from common assault to these more serious charges.”

Chester Williams

“Well after having viewed the video footage, myself, I believe that the charge of common assault was inadequate. It was basically putting a slap on the wrist of the perpetrator and so I had directed the investigators to further work to gather more evidence and record more statements. That was done yesterday and I must commend the officers from the Domestic Violence Unit for responding quickly to my request. Having obtained the request from them, I communicated with the Director of Public Prosecutions and we both agreed that the charges should be upgraded from common assault to that of abusing a child, basically.”

ComPol Williams: “It will send a strong message.”

The child’s mother was initially reluctant to cooperate with investigators. When the gravity of the situation was explained to her, she had a change of mind. With Flores pleading guilty to both charges, the prosecution is now seeking a custodial sentence which carries a minimum of ten years in prison. Commissioner Williams says today’s successful conviction should send a clear message to perpetrators of child abuse.

Chester Williams

“We had to speak with the mother and explain to her the nature of what we are dealing with. You can’t be a mother and see that your child is being abused in such magnitude and want nothing. I don’t think that a woman should love a man more than how they love their own children and so she was spoken to and eventually she decided that she was going to cooperate with the police and she did. We got the statement from her and so we were able to make significant progress.”

Reporter

“And you got a conviction.”

Chester Williams

“Well of course, yes, the defendant pled guilty to the two counts. And so, as you have heard my submission to the court, I will be seeking a custodial sentence. I don’t think that this is an offense that requires a fine, as a matter of fact, the offense under Section Sixty, Subsection One of the Criminal Code clearly states that it has a minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment. But we do know that even though that is stipulated by law, the magistrate still has that discretion that they can exercise in not giving a custodial sentence and hence the reason I indicated to the court my intent to seek a custodial sentence when the day of sentencing comes.”

Isani Cayetano

“How stern a message do you believe that this now sends to any abuser of children out there?”

Chester Williams

“Well, I would want to think that it will send a strong message. There are many people out there who are constantly abusing children, many of which is not known to the public and I hope that they come more and more known to the public so that we can address them. It’s the only way that we can deal with the issue of child abuse.”

N.C.F.C. Condemns Child Abuse

The National Commission for Families and Children have spoken out to condemn the beating and abuse of children. In a statement released earlier today, the commission said quote, child abuse, in any form, is unacceptable and violates the fundamental rights of children to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment. As advocates for the rights and welfare of children, we continue to prioritize the protection of children and take decisive steps to prevent and address child abuse, end quote. The commission further went on to urge the public to raise awareness regarding child abuse, offer support to victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

San Ignacio Man Murdered in Victor Galvez Stadium

Tonight, police have another murder on their hands to solve. This time, the incident took place in San Ignacio. That’s where the victim, Jose Mejia, also known as Kocho, was stabbed overnight. The crime scene is a popular sporting facility – the Victor Galvez Stadium. Mejia was last seen with a friend socializing at the location on Monday night. His body was found with multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest. While Mejia’s friends are gripped by the news, police are trying to close in on who’s responsible and why he was killed. Mejia, an errand man who liked to drink, was not known to trouble anyone. The area where the incident happened is on a main road. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The body of Jose Mejia was found early this morning in the Victor Galvez Stadium in San Ignacio. Mejia had been stabbed to the neck and chest and left for dead. A pool of blood near a bench in the middle of the stadium showed where he took his last breath. A friend of his, Sahib Espat, told News Five that he saw Mejia earlier in the day, but nothing seemed awry.

Voice of: Sahib Espat, Friend of deceased

“I know him quite some years since I’ve been working with my dad. This is his place to be. He was working here with the neighbor, and I know him on the streets. All in all, he was a respected man, respectable person, always hailing people, a fun person, always full of jokes and stuff. And he used to come here in his free time, he used to come here smoking cigarette, come for lunch. My stepmom used to invite him for lunch and he used to be our friend here, family friend. Every day he used to pass on the street there, always giving us the time, and always a friendly person.”

Marion Ali

“And the last time you saw him?”

Voice of: Sahib Espat

“The last time I saw him was yesterday around this same time – around midday, maybe 1 or 2 pm. He passed there. I remember he hailed me. He was like, hey, yeah, Tuls, he tell me. And he crossed the street and ih seh I di come back, but from then, I never seen him again.”

Espat said Mejia indulged frequently in alcohol and thought that he had some undesirables as friends, but he did not expect to hear of his murder.

Voice of Sahib Espat

“In the night I never hear anything and two of my friends saw him and told me that they saw him drunk with another friend. And then in the morning I woke up to the bad news that it was him that who got murdered.”

Marion Ali

“Do you know if anybody was threatening him?”

Voice of Sahib Espat

“For the moment, I don’t know if he was being threatened or anything. But I know that with the friends and his company he had, they were not good company.”

Marion Ali

People known to police?

Voice of Sahib Espat

“People known for using drugs. And I think anybody under the influence of drugs are bad company, you know.”

So far, police have not detained any suspects for the murder and are investigating. Marion Ali for News Five.

Gun Proliferation Plaguing the Caribbean

In his capacity as First Vice President of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, Chester Williams says the proliferation of guns has been plaguing every country in the Caribbean. During last week’s A.C.C.P. conference held in Belize, ComPol Williams called out the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobago, Firearms and Explosives over the increased number of firearms coming into the region from the U.S. ComPol Williams says that he has been advocating for stronger legislation to crack down on the importation of illegal firearms at commercial ports.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I almost got into trouble with ATF because I am saying to them that the same way how the U.S. blacklisted us when drugs passed into our country and go into the U.S., even though they know we are doing our best to prevent it from occurring then who blacklist the U.S. when their guns are coming in from the U.S. into our countries and these guns are being used to kill our people? It is a fair comparison. But, I give them credit for the fact that I know that they are doing what they can, but I believe they can do more. One of the issues for me is that when we had the intersectional meeting in Maya last year we had the opportunity to visit the port in Miami and we were given a briefing in terms of what the port expects from persons who are sending packages abroad and there is little to nothing. I can go to the port today and send a package in a name, go back this afternoon use another name and go back this evening and use another name. So there is nothing there to ensure that the persons who are sending these packages are real people. What I am saying to them is they need to have some law within the U.S to regulate these things to ensure that persons cannot use fictious names to send packages abroad. Since the U.S is reluctant to do that we will have to do something in Belize and the Prime Minister has said to us that the Comptroller and I need to sit down to see how we can come up with some draft legislation in terms of how we can address this issue. Even in Belize we had this same issue. We have the candies that came in. Recently we have barrels that came in with guns.”

ComPol Proposes Belize Ban on Musicians That Promote Violence

There is also the issue of gangs in the Caribbean, a plague to most CARICOM nations. In an interview with the President of the A.C.C.P., Atlee Rodney, he stated that there is a direct correlation between music that promotes violence and the establishment of criminal organizations. ComPol Williams says that he agrees with President Rodney’s analysis. Taking it further, the commissioner of police proposed that certain musicians be banned from performing in Belize.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We can find that more in Jamaica and Trinidad. I think those are the two main areas we are seeing occurring. It is not far away from reaching our shores. We are lucky we don’t have that volume of musicians that Jamaica and Trinidad do have. But when we look at for example, Trinibad, even though Trinibad is not an artist, they are a group of DJs that goes around the Caribbean and perform, but when you look at the type of music they promote, they promote violence. And, in many instances when they do in or through the music, they promote say something, it happens. And I was shocked to see that we brought Trinibad to Belize during the Agric Show. While I do understand that promoters want to make money, there are other ways to make money without putting our country at risk. When you bring those type of people to our shores it is just to influence our young people to do certain things that we don’t want them to do. Here we are trying to say to our young people that there is a need to walk certain lines, to be law abiding, but yet we are going to bring people into the country who are going to be influential to influence them to be negative.”

Sabreena Daly

“What can we do about that though?”

Chester Williams

“We need to do what some for the countries in the Caribbean do, there are certain artists that can’t perform in the Caribbean. They are banned because of the type of music they promote.”

BREAKING: Deadly Cattle Disease Detected in Cayo

A deadly cattle disease has been detected in the Cayo District. A release from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) says that anaplasmosis, an infectious disease that is transmitted primarily by ticks and the re-use of blood-contaminated equipment such as needles, has been detected.

“We are aware of cattle mortality in the Cayo District and that we have been actively monitoring and supporting the farmers in the affected areas.”

The disease can affect cattle of all ages, with increased severity in poorly nourished, pregnant, nursing, or older animals. The risk of infection is higher when noninfected cattle are mixed with infected ones and when conditions favour biting flies and ticks.

Symptoms of anaplasmosis include weakness, weight loss, increased aggression, difficulty breathing, abortion, and anaemia, which may cause yellowing or paleness of the mucous membranes and thin, watery blood.

The situation in western Belize is currently contained and under active surveillance, not constituting an animal health emergency at this time.