Economy - Greater Belize Media

Shots Fired, Hostile Guatemalans Surround B.D.F. Soldiers

The Belize Defence Force is currently probing alarming reports of their soldiers being encircled by potentially hostile, armed Guatemalans at the Machakilha Conservation Post. This tense standoff occurred on September seventh, following the detention of several Guatemalan men by a B.D.F. patrol for illegal logging in the Columbia River Forest Reserve. In a bid to avoid bloodshed, the patrol commander made the contentious decision to release the men along with their chainsaw. This incident has brought to light serious allegations that Guatemalans have been bribing soldiers for years to overlook these illicit activities. Hipolito Novelo has been delving into these claims for the past three weeks. Here is his detailed report.

Hipolito Novelo, Reporting

On September seventh, a group of Belize Defence Force soldiers was surrounded by over ten possibly armed and hostile Guatemalans near the Machakilha Conservation Post. The last order the patrol received from Fairweather Camp before losing communication was to, “man your ground”. Soldiers report hearing two shots. They were outnumbered and outmanned. On September 28, we asked Minister of National Defence & Border Security Florencio Marin Jr. about it.

Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of National Defence & Border Security

“I don’t have the specifics. I do know that there was some aggression that we were able to work with the Guatemalan side to be able to bring that to a resolution. So I know sometimes when the, when the first news come out, they come out, you know, I mean, a little bit shady and all, uncertain, but I do know that we have managed to resolve that.”

But was the situation truly resolved? The reason these potentially armed and hostile Guatemalans encircled the soldiers was due to the detention of a group of Guatemalan men caught red-handed, illegally logging in the Columbia River Forest Reserve. The soldiers, dispatched to dismantle two wooden bridges constructed by the same Guatemalans, were alerted by the sound of chainsaws in action. Major Roberta Usher, the B.D.F.’s Chief of Staff, confirmed to News 5 that the bridges were indeed located within Belizean territory.

Major Roberta Usher, Chief of Staff, B.D.F.

“We can confirm that the legal infrastructure, including the bridges, were identified within the lease, and in response, the proper protocols aligned with the confidence building measures to ensure appropriate actions were taken. So, yes, we conducted operations and our teams encountered individuals and equipment at said locations. Whether or not they were surrounded is still under investigation.”

The soldiers arrested fifty-six-year-old Santiago Gomez and his seventeen-year-old son, both caught with timber six hundred meters inside Belize. A Guatemalan family, suspected of smuggling logs, was also intercepted nearby in a retrofitted pickup truck. The family was part of a larger illegal operation involving other detained chainsaw operators. Juan Jose Garcia, believed to be the on-the-ground boss, was arrested, but the mastermind, “Salvador,” remained in Guatemala. After the search, Lydia Ramirez and the minors were released and escorted to the border.

The other five men and their chainsaws were taken to the conservation posts. On their way, Garcia started a conversation with the patrol commander. During that conversation, Garcia tells the patrol commander, “Échame La Mano” which means “help me out.” News Five obtained an audio recording of a portion of the conversation.

Voice of: Juan Jose Garcia, Guatemalan

“Look boss, but help me out. You know, as I tell you, we are all human beings. What can I tell you? You suddenly appear here…at least I can do and visit you and we can talk and see if I can work or can’t work. We can talk and you can tell me if it is possible for me to work here. I am not going to work if it is not possible. But, we can talk and if you say I can work then I will work but if you tell me I cannot work and I won’t. Help me out.”

According to documents reviewed by News 5, Garcia allegedly tried to bribe a soldier multiple times, but the soldier refused. The shocking part? Garcia admitted to bribing commanders at the CP to continue his illegal activities, even describing who he has bribed. He claims he has been doing so for the past five years. Minister Marin says it’s the first time he has heard the allegations.

Florencio Marin Jr.,

“I mean, this is the first time because I know that every time we know of these bridges, except if for certain things that the OAS have to inspect, we immediately advise the general to be able to remove these illegal fortifications that are possibly, possibly put on the ground.”

Major Usher would not confirm or deny the allegations, saying that an investigation has been launched. The patrol commander who decided to release the 5 Guatemalans and 2 of the 4 chainsaws is facing disciplinary charges. He is being accused of failing to destroy the illegal bridges and, unofficially, of accepting a bribe. A search of the commander and his team revealed no money or illegal items. The extended version of this story can be found on Channel 5’s website. Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.

B.S.I. Wants to Introduce Pre-packaged Local Sugar to Belize

Sugar is one of Belize’s most prized commodities, yet recently, consumers have faced challenges in buying it from local supermarkets. Many customers have been turned away at the cash register, only to be told they can purchase just one or two pounds of sugar at a time. Despite assurances from Belize Sugar Industries last month that there was no shortage, the scarcity persists. Today, News Five’s Britney Gordon took a closer look at the sugar stock situation in Belize. Here’s her in-depth report.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

The sugar crop may have ended, but the dedicated team at Belize Sugar Industries Limited is still tirelessly packaging and distributing sugar. As one of the region’s leading sugar producers, Belize should have no trouble ensuring sugar is readily available for the domestic market. Yet, some retailers have imposed limits on how much sugar each household can buy at a time. This raises the pressing question: is there a sugar shortage? To address the speculation, the sugar suppliers provided us with an exclusive tour of their warehouse. Here’s what we discovered.

Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, ASR/BSI

“At the beginning of this week, we had approximately seven point five million pounds of plantation white sugar, and we had two point two million pounds of brown sugar. The monthly consumption of white sugar is approximately two point two million pounds. So what that means is that we have enough sugar for the next three point and a half months, and the monthly consumption for brown is around eight hundred thousand pounds. So similarly, We have enough supply to take a shoot at the end of December.”

Director of Finance, Shawn Chavarria, explains that the reports of a sugar shortage confounded the company until they realized that there was a larger issue at hand.

Shawn Chavarria

“We have heard reports that customers are complaining that they can’t find sugar in the shelves in the supermarkets. And so that is something that continues to worry us because as we’ve demonstrated here. There is enough sugar in our facilities. We are making it available. But somewhere along the supply chain line, the sugar is not always making it to the intended customer. And so that is something that continues to worry us.”

All signs point to sugar smuggling as the culprit behind Belize’s apparent shortage. One major incentive for smugglers is the price, which remains below the global market rate. Chavarria highlighted that the price of brown sugar has remained unchanged for over two decades, making it an attractive target for illicit trade.

Shawn Chavarria

“What we propose the government is that one way to help combat that is to package the sugar in retail packaging. Because that product will be much more difficult for anybody to try to smuggle.”

BSI has been exporting sugar under the Domino brand into CARICOM for about a year. Supply Chain Manager, Eldy Smith tells us that there is currently about one million pounds of this product in stock.

Eldy Smith, Supply Chain Manager, ASR/BSI

“I think that, they are very happy with this type of presentation in the car recall market. And I think that, we’ve got very good news from them, right? Especially since they’re saying that it’s, directly from a container, they can put it Onto the shelf.”

Implementing this proposed packaging would require adjustments to the current price control structure. BSI has suggested that the government deregulate retail packaged sugar while maintaining regulations on industrial sugar.

Shawn Chavarria

“The customer will have a benefit of getting a higher premium product because the sugar will be packaged. We have all the control from a quality and safety standpoint to do it here. So the consumer is assured that we are getting a product that is a high standard. We don’t have to worry how it was handled. They’re also going to get the exact weight because our scales are calibrated by the Bureau of Standards.”

BSI has proposed that the government introduce a margin for distributors and supermarkets. Under this plan, brown sugar would be priced at approximately one dollar per pound, while white sugar would be around one dollar and ten cents per pound on the shelves.

Shawn Chavarria

“So we would obviously have to sell lower than that to provide sufficient margin for distribution because that’s been another complaint distributors are saying that we don’t make enough to pick up the sugar here and distribute to a consumer then similarly retailers now they don’t have to worry about packaging it themselves hiring people to do that Is that already doing. So there markup is straight on the retail and we think that’s a price that consumers would be willing to pay because again, it’s a premium product. We would still have available industrial sugar, which would be for manufacturers, bakeries, people who make wine. So you essentially have two prices, one for retail, one for industrial.”

In previous efforts, BSI has struggled to adjust the sugar price index successfully. However, they are optimistic that the introduction of this new product will persuade the government to reconsider the benefits of modifying the current standard. If approved, BSI expects the product to hit the shelves by the end of the 2024/2025 crop season. Britney Gordon for News Five.

Sugar Cane Industry Suffers Labor Shortage

On Monday, the ASR Group and Belize Sugar Industries Limited made a groundbreaking announcement, revealing a record-breaking estimated price for sugar cane. As of September thirtieth, the average cane price for the 2024 crop is projected to be an unprecedented eighty-seven dollars and ninety-nine cents per ton, the highest in the industry’s history. This remarkable price surge comes on the heels of a challenging crop season, with B.S.I. facing significant labor shortages. In response, the company has been advancing towards automating parts of its assembly line. We reached out to B.S.I. for more insights into this development.

Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, ASR/BSI

“The cane price estimate we issued at the end of September was close to eighty-eight, eighty-seven point nine. That’s a new record price we’ve never had a price that high. A final price will be issued at the end of October, which will be for the final payment, which is due the first Monday of November. We know that farmers are very pleased with this price. We think it’s a demonstration of the investments that we’ve made in terms of expanding value added sugar, the port investments to lower shipping costs, and also the war market prices that have been increasing. So we’ve been hearing positive feedback on that and we’re. We’re hoping to see perhaps even as maybe smaller adjustment when the final price comes in at the end of October.”

Eldy Smith, Supply Chain Manager, ASR/BSI

“This crop, we did have severe labor shortages with our operations in these warehouses and boat warehouses. It is an intensive labor process that we do, right? So what we did is we strategized to be able to mitigate the labor shortages. And what we did is we were able to palletize this product. So our customers in the CARICOM are also dealing with this issue. And they are asking, they have already asked us to move into palletize slowly. I think the world will be moving into more optimized, automated processes. Because I think there are competitive markets out there. I think in Belize we have very competitive markets now, especially with the call centers, and so we need to ensure that we are prepared. And also because we’re as a company, we have a customer approach.”

How Will Sugar Cane Fungal Infection Impact Next Year’s Crop?

On Wednesday, we reported on a rapidly spreading fungal infection affecting sugar cane in Northern Belize. This infection causes the cane to yellow and wilt. While some cane varieties show resistance, over sixty percent of Belize’s sugar cane varieties are vulnerable and likely to perish upon exposure. It’s estimated that the infection has ravaged about three-fourths of the Corozal District in the past month. With the record-breaking sugar price announced on Monday, we spoke with Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance at Belize Sugar Industries, to understand the potential impact on next year’s crop. Here’s more on that.

Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, ASR/BSI

“That’s something that we’re still working with stakeholders. A task force has been created. With all the different stakeholders, including BAHA, CARDI everyone’s giving it its full support, given the sense of urgency behind this. We’re trying to assist in bringing experts who experts are in soil nutrition and also disease. So we’re trying to help with that. The key is to try to find out the strain, or the genus of this disease, and once we know that, then we are able to make recommendations to farmers on what is the control measures that need to be put in place, what biological control or formulas they need to do. And so that is the step that we’re currently doing. We’re gathering the samples to send them abroad to do that analysis so that we can then make technical recommendations to farmers to implement these measures. Because this is something that is really concerning at this point. The initial feedback is that this is being seen across the border as well. So it’s not something that’s just affecting our industry, but we need to ensure that we, as much as possible, try to minimize its spread. I think they still need to go and do that validation of how much fields are actually affected. And so I know right now SIRDI on feel officers from all the different stakeholders are trying to do that going assessment. But at this point, we still don’t have all the information. We do know that it does impact the growth, the quality reduces. And so what you will see is lower yields. Some fields could be lost, but until that validation is completed, we really don’t know exactly what is going to be the impact next.”

Transportation Within the CARICOM Single Market

Transport remains a critical hurdle for CARICOM in its quest to establish a single market. The movement of cargo by sea hinges on production volume, while air transport presents its own set of challenges. However, according to the Director of the CARICOM Single Market at the CARICOM Secretariat, various discussions are underway to tackle these specific transport issues. Here’s what he shared with us during our conversation on Wednesday at an event in Belize City.

Leo Preville, Director, CARICOM Single Market

“There are different discussions taking place right now. For instance, as a community there has been a study that has been commissioned through the Caribbean Development Bank, a whole regional transportation study, taking a look at areas we can commence with work immediately to solve the transportation problem. When you have discussions in the region, you have two discussions taking place. You have a discussion which says, you do not have sufficient transportation to move goods around. And then, the transport suppliers will say to you, no we have sufficient containers to move. We have it all there. It is available to you. However, they are talking about container loads as opposed to less than container loads and how do you accumulate goods in one country from different suppliers to form a container load. So we have a difficulty under production side within the region. There is an industrial policy being developed to address that. In the specific case of Belize, from yesterday’s discussion with the agriculture ministry, the issue was not with transportation of poultry products. The issue went beyond that and that is where at the political level there needs to be that sort of engagement. In terms of people movement, as we speak we have a multilateral air services agreement which if used as intended can help to provide solutions to our air transport movement in the region.”

Minister Habet Says BSWAMA Investigation Still Underway

In August, the Ministry of Sustainable Management revealed that an investigation was in progress regarding the disappearance of funds at the Belize Solid Waste Management Authority. The ministry’s press release indicated that the Belize Police Department would eventually be involved in the probe. Initially, the missing amount was reported to be around a million dollars, though various figures have since been mentioned. A source within the BSWAMA suggested that the funds were redirected to other projects within the office due to resource shortages. Today, Minister of Sustainable Development Orlando Habet informed reporters that he could not provide further details as the investigation is ongoing.

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development

“The person was I think put on three months leave. We can’t comment much on it because it’s still under investigation and it’s something that the commission will be dealing with. So we can’t interfere. We don’t want to bias any result from the investigation being done or the decision from the Public Service Commission.”

More Than 130 Teachers Have Not Been Paid Their Salaries

The Belize National Teachers Union has raised a red flag, revealing that over one hundred and thirty teachers have not received their salaries. Alarmingly, some have been without pay for as long as five months. What’s causing this dire situation? Union President Nadia Caliz admits that her team is still seeking answers. Today, she held a press conference, accompanied by several affected teachers, to shed light on their plight and demand urgent action.

Nadia Caliz, National President, BNTU

“This is the agreement that we had with the Ministry of Education that any teacher that needed to be removed off the system, the managing authority had to write the chief, Chief Gongora, and then she would address that up to the last time we checked, and this was like a week before payday, nobody got any notification that they will be removed or anything like that. And so when we learned on Thursday that a number of our teachers were not paid, we were like taken aback. But why is this so? Did the management submit what they needed to on all of that? But you see, as a responsible organization, we needed to do our own research, and that’s very important. Our investigation up to this point has revealed that our one hundred and thirty plus, because the numbers are still growing, you can’t find them any at all in the system. So, in order for those teachers to come off the system, somebody had to manually go in and remove them. So, who gave the other? That is our question. When we had an agreement, who disobeyed the agreement that we made with Minister Fonseca because he was in the meeting with us. Who disagreed? Who did that? Now, when you look at teachers suffering today, let me tell you what happened. And when you all started calling, I said, maybe this is God’s way for us to go. You know, begin to share with the Belizean public what educators are actually going through. A teacher this morning received a notification that her utilities will be disconnected and that spiraled from there. She had a breakdown.”

Teachers Working Without Receiving Salaries

We also heard from two teachers whose names have been removed from the government’s payroll system. Kimberly Lopez explained that she has not been paid by the government for the last five months. Janelle Cacho says she left the classroom in January after her license expired because she did not meet her one hundred and twenty CPD hours. And even though she returned to the classroom in June, she did not receive her salary until August. Now, she is still waiting for her September pay, while her home is facing foreclosure, as a single mom.

Kimberly Lopez, Primary School Teacher

“First of all, I want to say I haven’t been paid for five months. So, I haven’t been paid since May. Way before all of this happened, before my license got expired, I was sending in emails to verify how many CPD hours I had. I was waiting, waiting, when I finally got they told me that I only had thirty-two hours. Now you tell me, I’ve been teaching for years. Always doing workshops. How will I only have, have thirty-two hours? So I went into the system, find all my documents, like how my colleagues said. I went and I dig out on some boxes. I found my certificates. I send it in. And that’s how I ended up getting my hours. I had to be behind them until I finally got my license all the way in July. So until just July I got my license. So, since I got my license, I thought I’m going to get my salary back. When I waited, went back into the classroom, I still haven’t received any salary. So all these months I’m still waiting, no salary.”

Janelle Cacho, Primary School Teacher

“I did not get my salary until August, ending of August. Now bear in mind school reopens in September. And I was there, you know, trying to figure out how am I going to get my class ready. But I still managed to do something, you know, during that time there. But I received my salary until, until August. And of course, you know, it’s back pay, retro. So it was fully taxed, you know. So it’s like I was receiving just a pittance of what I should have had. So, for those months I have been out of a salary and it has caused just major distress and trauma and inconveniences on my part. You know, you have to function as a teacher but then, you know, as a person, how are you supposed to be functioning as a person to do your job if all of these things are hindering you. So it has been a really, really major setback and inconvenience for me over the past few months, you know, and I’m glad I’m still here, you know, but I think the ministry has to do better. There’s something happening there. I did not receive my salary for this month. I received in August. So I was surprised that I did not receive September.”

Nadia Caliz, “It is an Attack on Our Teachers and the BNTU”

President of the Belize National Teachers Union, Nadia Caliz, has placed the government on notice. She says, the union will not take this lying down. She described it as an attack on the union.

Nadia Caliz, National President, BNTU

“If Janelle doesn’t get paid, Janelle lose her home. And that is not something that is sitting well with us at all. She has a very nice loan officer right now who did not put her home out there. But it’s about to hit foreclosure. And then I’m thinking of the teacher that collapsed this morning. They see a system, oh, next month, for them it’s simple, because they have a salary. They don’t understand what it’s like not to have money.”

Reporter

“You are manually taking them off? Why?”

Nadia Caliz

“We don’t get it either. That’s the reason why I said it’s an attack on our teachers and an attack on the BNTU It is, right? So that’s the reason I’m saying that. So that’s how we view this situation. And we’re not going to sit here and take it lying down. Yes, as I said, we have been able to agree to a number of things, solve a number of issues. And we recognize all of that and we thank them, and we still have to sit down and discuss some more on some of these things, but no teacher in this country should work, not be paid at the end of the month. They should not be acting like beggars, begging for payment, begging for advance, trying to figure it out. And then on top of that, some of them are being insulted that cannot continue.”

Former Mayor Sharon Palacio Says She Is Not Sorry

In a bold and unapologetic stance, former Belmopan Mayor Sharon Palacio has defended her decision to allocate lands to impoverished citizens at significantly reduced prices during her time in office. In a detailed written statement to the media, Palacio passionately explained her motivations behind what has now been dubbed the “land giveaway” in the Capital City. She accused the current council of attempting to tarnish her legacy, which she proudly claims, “empowered the disenfranchised”. Adding a personal touch to the story, we also heard from one of the land recipients who has now agreed to pay the full market value for the property. He expressed his belief that the entire process was conducted with utmost transparency. News Five’s Paul Lopez brings us more to this developing story.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Former Belmopan Mayor Sharon Palacio has broken her silence on a land grab scandal that occurred in the Capital City under her leadership. The council issued dozens of lands in Innovabel Estate at rates that saw as much as ninety-five percent discounts. A leaked document from within the council reveals that many of Palacio’s relatives and former council colleagues received land at these discounted prices. In a statement to the media today, Mayor Palacio said, quote, “I was glad that I was able to help ordinary Belizeans who would never have been able to get a piece of land in Belmopan in general or at Innovabel in particular”, unquote. As we have reported, current Mayor Pablo Cawich has issued a public plea for these land title holders to visit City Hall and make the necessary arrangements to pay off the discounted balance. One individual on the list of recipients is Belmopan Resident, Kahlil Enriquez, who gave us an off-camera interview. He says that he approached the council about acquiring a parcel of land in Belmopan upon his return from studying overseas. He was offered a lot in Innovabel Estate.

Voice of: Kahlil Enriquez, Innovabel Land Recipient

“The initial deal was that the land was valued at twenty thousand dollars, and I would get a discount at twenty -five percent so my total payment would be fifteen thousand dollars. So, after paying fifteen thousand I would be given title to this property. But a lot of persons believe that I paid fifteen hundred dollars and received title for this land. That is simply not what happened. I made a payment arrangement with the former council, and I renewed that arrangement with the current council. I am committed to paying the full value of the land which is almost twenty thousand dollars. So, I have already paid towards this parcel which I intend to own soon. As the document presented to you shows, I have been making payments and I will not receive title until the entire sum, the entire value is paid. I don’t want the impression to be that I benefited from an illegal land transaction, because that is simply not the case.”

In her statement to the media, Mayor Palacio referred to these land distributions under her tenure as her legacy. She wrote, “I am not surprised that the current Mayor and his cohorts are investing time and energy trying to erase and minimize my legacy: that is empower the disenfranchised. I am also not surprised that lands which were ill gotten by the wealthy will never see the light of day. Poor people need land too”. Enriquez says he came forward to clear his name, given that it was on the leaked document.

Kahlil Enriquez

“From my understanding this is the actual price of the land and the council has been losing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the persons not paying their fair share for these properties. So I want to uphold my integrity and do the right thing by paying my fair share of what the land is worth, which is close to twenty-thousand dollars. That is what I believe I must do. I want to make it unequivocally clear that I did not participate in any land grab or transaction. I wanted to legitimately own my first parcel of land in Belmopan.”

Referring to herself in the third person, Palacio’s release further stated, “Mayor Sheran Palacio has not gained a single copper from any land allocated to any of the current owners”, her statement further noted. “As an altruistic stateswoman you will see that the recipients included persons from all ethnicities, color, gender and political persuasion”, she went on to say, adding, “you can check the records. And for this, I will stand firm unapologetically. My motto and mantra shall remain change from the heart. This was the spirit under which these lands were allocated”. She also encouraged these landowners to quote, “hold fast, band together, organize and get ready for whatever lies ahead”. And, what lies ahead is yet to be determined by current Mayor Pablo Cawich.

Pablo Cawich, Mayor, Belmopan

“It has not happened as yet. As you know the news just broke, or the details just broke out yesterday. So, no further discussions as with any thing with process or reproductions or anything like that.”

Paul Lopez

“Has these details pushed your team to consider any sort of legal recourse or court action with the former Mayor?”

Pablo Cawich

“As I have expressed recently, court action is not something we want to explore as yet. It is not something we want to explore until we are given the go ahead by our legal counsel. From the inception of this news with Innovabel issue we have harped on saying that our primary focus is to collect the proper funds that are due.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez