Tonight, we’re diving into a story that’s making waves — literally. Women are stepping up in the maritime world, not just as crew members, but as captains, engineers, and policy shapers. And it’s not just about equality — it’s about excellence. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with more on how women are helping steer the industry into the future.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The maritime world is changing — and women are at the helm of that change. Whether they’re navigating ships or shaping maritime policy, women are bringing fresh ideas and sharp skills that are making the industry smarter and more efficient. So, why does this matter? Because when women succeed at sea, the entire industry moves forward.
Jaeda Sutherland
Jaeda Sutherland, President, WiMAC Belize
“While the doors are slowly opening, our job now is to make sure that women have a fair chance to walk through them. Despite the progress being made, women remain underrepresented in the maritime workforce, especially in technical and leadership roles.”
Despite progress, women are still underrepresented in maritime — especially in technical and leadership roles. But here’s the thing: the industry is facing a serious talent shortage. And women are a big part of the solution. By welcoming more women into roles like seafaring, engineering, and command, the maritime sector isn’t just filling gaps — it’s unlocking new potential.
Valarie Lanza
Valarie Lanza, Deputy Managing Director, IMMARBE
“The history of women in maritime is rich and inspiring. From the first female captains to the women who worked in shipyards during wartime, our foremothers have shown us that resilience and determination can move mountains. Today, we stand on your shoulders, ready to take the helm and chart new courses. To the pioneers who have weathered the storm to pave the way, thank you. To the rising leaders charting new courses, we see you, and to everyone here today, the tide is turning. Let us make sure that it carries us all forward.”
And when we support women in this field, we’re not just creating jobs — we’re pushing for real gender equality. It’s a key part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. And it sends a powerful message: the sea belongs to everyone.
Alma Pinelo
Lt. Cdr. Alma Pinelo, Acting Vice Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
“The ocean covers seventy-one percent of the earth’s surface. Now imagine if women dominated seventy-one percent of the maritime industry and the maritime roles. Let’s strive to create a safe space for women to thrive and to become formidable partners in the maritime industry. The tide is turning and it carries her forward.”
It’s a bold vision — but one that’s gaining momentum. Creating safe, supportive spaces for women in maritime isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s smart business. And here’s something else: when men and women work together on ships, studies show they communicate better and work more effectively as a team. That means safer, smoother operations at sea. Isani Cayetano for News Five.
Belize City came alive this morning with the sound of sirens—not for an emergency, but in celebration. Emergency service teams from across the country gathered to kick off International Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week with a vibrant parade through the streets. Running from May 18th to 24th, EMS Week is a global tribute to the everyday heroes who provide lifesaving care on the frontlines. This year’s theme, “We Care. For Everyone.”, highlights the compassion and commitment of EMS professionals who serve their communities around the clock. The public is encouraged to take a moment this week to recognize and thank the paramedics, EMTs, and first responders whose dedication often goes unseen but never unappreciated.
It’s official—eleven village council slates across the country have already secured their seats without a single vote being cast. That’s the outcome from Sunday’s nomination day, where thirty-seven communities were set to nominate candidates for the upcoming May twenty-fifth elections. In Corozal, San Joaquin’s lone slate means an automatic win. Over in the Belize District, five out of six villages, excluding Double Head Cabbage, also saw uncontested nominations. The trend continues in Cayo, where Valley of Peace will go to the polls with just one slate, and in Stann Creek, Sittee River and Sarawee are also uncontested. Meanwhile, in the Toledo District, Boom Creek, Conejo Creek, and Midway Village all saw single-slate nominations, securing their wins by default. With three more rounds of nominations still to come, more uncontested victories could be on the horizon. We’ll be keeping a close eye on how it all unfolds.
The United Democratic Party is setting the stage for a major political reset. On Sunday, the Central Executive Committee met at party headquarters in Belize City to map out the road ahead. Among the key decisions are plans to hold constituency conventions starting in July, all leading up to a National Convention in October. The CEC also voted unanimously to allow expelled members to apply for reinstatement—provided they meet specific conditions, including a public apology and a pledge to uphold party values, as outlined in Article 11 of the U.D.P. Constitution. In the meantime, the current elected leadership will remain in place until the October convention. The party says it’s focused on unity and is encouraging all members to get involved as they prepare for what could be a pivotal moment in the U.D.P.’s future.
Good evening and welcome to this week’s installment of Sports Monday! I’m Paul Lopez, bringing you the latest and greatest from the world of sports across the nation. This past Friday, the energy was electric inside the Belize City Civic Center as the long-awaited Belize Premier Basketball League tipped off its inaugural season in grand style. The evening began with a patriotic march past, proudly led by the Belize Coast Guard, setting the tone for a night of unity and competition. All seven teams participating in this historic season made their presence known, parading across the court with pride, team banners flying high and jerseys gleaming under the arena lights. With the Tony Leslie Toucan Cup, the San Cas Mayan Cup, and the Benny’s Jaguar Cup all up for grabs, the stakes are high, and the excitement is just getting started.
Gilbert Gordon
Gilbert Gordon, Chief Executive Officer, B.P.B.L
“We believe that this premier basketball league is going to be beacon, it is going to be the light that transcends basketball to a different level for the next ten to fifteen years.”
It was a fun start to the night as Minister of Sports Anthony Mahler stepped up to take the ceremonial opening shot, but let’s just say it took a few tries. After missing his first six free throws, Mahler finally sank one, earning a big cheer from the crowd. But don’t let his warm-up performance fool you, the real action was just getting started. The Belize City Thunderbolts faced off against the EZ Investment Dream Ballers in a high-energy matchup packed with highlight-worthy plays and crowd-pleasing moments.
Dream Ballers’ Deshawn Brackett with a long range three early in the first quarter. He ended the night with nineteen points. Eyan Rene with the fast break on the other end to get the Thunderbolts on the score board. He scored fifteen points in this one. Victor Evans on fire in the third quarter nails a three-point shot. He finished at eighteen. The first quarter ended with Dream Ballers in the lead with twenty-points to their opponents twelve. The second quarter kicked off with a bang as Thunderbolts’ Tyrone Hall lit up the court. He nailed a three-pointer while drawing a foul, setting himself up for a rare four-point play—and that was just the beginning. Hall’s clutch shot sparked a dominant six-minute run, with the Thunderbolts racking up seventeen unanswered points. By the end of the quarter, they had outscored the EZ Investment Dream Ballers twenty-six to five, heading into halftime with a commanding thirteen-point lead.
Dream Baller s’ Daniel Conorquie stuck out like a sour thumb in the third, hitting four back-to-back three pointers. He made the first three over Matthew Young. Victor Evans switched on Conorquie but that was not enough. Evans on the other end, responding with a three-point basket. But, Conorquie was not quite done, again catching Young sleeping at the wheel. His fourth made three-pointer and fifth consecutive basket. He finished the night with twenty-four points. Victor Evans kept the momentum going in the fourth quarter, showing off his sharp shooting and helping seal the deal for the Belize City Thunderbolts. The final score? A commanding 108–81 win over the EZ Investment Dream Ballers.
Saturday night was packed with action across the country. In San Ignacio, the Western Ballaz cruised past the Capital City Kings with a 77–57 victory. Meanwhile, up north in Corozal, the San Pedro Tiger Sharks made a splash, overpowering the Corozal Cerros Suns 74–47. Week two of the league’s inaugural season continues this weekend, with the Punta Gorda Panthers set to make their much-anticipated debut.
And it wasn’t just basketball grabbing attention—over in Sandhill Village, softball fans were treated to a day-long marathon showdown. In the women’s championship match, Double Head Cabbage faced off against the Tiga Town Red Necks, who were first up to bat in the fight for the marathon trophy. Jada Moralez hits towards third base and made it safely to first. Sherice Moralez swung and sent a ground ball into the outfield. That led to Jada Moralez scoring the first and only run for her team in the starting inning. Double Head Cabbage did not score a single run in their first and second innings.
In the Tiga Town Red Neck’s second inning, Richard on third base made it across the home plate off a hit from Jada Moralez. That’s two runs for the Red Necks. Trailing 3–0 in the third inning, Double Head Cabbage sparked some hope with a clutch hit that brought a runner home and put them back in the game. But in the fourth and final inning, the Tiga Town Red Necks added two more runs to their tally. Double Head Cabbage answered with two of their own, but it wasn’t enough. The Red Necks held on for a 5–3 win, taking home the marathon trophy in a hard-fought women’s championship match in Sandhill Village.
Meanwhile, the Anthony Mahler Youth Tournament continued over the weekend with more exciting matchups. On Saturday, Sampson Academy edged out Ebony Lake with a narrow 1–0 victory at Berger Field. In the under-10 division, Belize United faced off against the Blazing Strikers in a tightly contested game. Azaire Gaynair scored for Belize United with a brilliant penalty kick that sailed past the keeper. But the Strikers struck early—Jayseon Dennison found the back of the net just two minutes into the match. The game ended in a 1–1 draw, with both teams showing impressive skill and determination. Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
Tensions are rising at Louisiana Government School in Orange Walk, where several parents are accusing a teacher of mistreating their children. The allegations include claims of emotional trauma, physical harm, and neglect. Despite bringing their concerns to both school officials and the Ministry of Education, parents say they’ve seen little to no action. One parent even reported receiving a death threat after speaking out. In response, the Ministry of Education issued a statement on Thursday, saying that one of the reported incidents was determined to be an accident. That conclusion was backed by a separate investigation conducted by the Belize Police Department. Today, the parent of the child accused of causing the injury spoke with News Five, confirming it was indeed accidental. She said the teacher involved had reached out to explain the situation and added that the injured child had previously been threatened by her son’s older brother. News Five’s Benita Keme-Palacio has more on this developing story.
Anisa Mckoy
Anisa Mckoy, Parent
“The teacher of my daughter. She sent me a voice clip stating that my daughter would be coming home in this kind of state because she was threatened at the school, and I went to the school. I wanted to clear the threatening piece because a threat is a threat at the end of the day, no matter who it comes from. So, I went to the school, and I was made sure, they made sure that this wouldn’t prolong. The father gave me his word in the office that nothing else would come of it, and he already spoke to his son, and my thing was when I was asked if I wanted to see the boy, the older boy, because the one that did the threatening is not the one that was injured; it is the older brother that did the threatening.They have two students in that classroom that saw what happened, and they were in the office, and they told the truth on what they saw. So yes, they did do their job and investigate from so many angles.”
While the Ministry maintains that the case has been closed based on its findings, affected parents say they still want full accountability
As concerns continue to mount at Louisiana Government School in Orange Walk, Education Minister Oscar Requena is assuring parents that the Ministry is taking the matter seriously. The controversy centers around a teacher accused of aggressive behavior toward students. On Thursday, the Ministry of Education released a statement saying that one of the reported incidents—where a student was injured—was found to be accidental, the result of students bumping into each other while playing. Speaking with News Five today, Minister Requena emphasized that the Ministry is actively investigating the situation and maintaining communication with concerned parents. He reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all students.
Oscar Requena, Minister of Education
“Yes, I am aware and i want to say that the Ministry of Education is actively investigating this matter and certainly we will get to the bottom of it.”
Reporter
“Has there been any communciation with the parents, because it seems like they’re still still complaining so what has been the dialgue there?”
Oscar Requena, Minister of Education
“I don’t know the details, but I know personnel from our ministry has been actively engaging the investigation, and I’m certain that there are going to be communications with the parents, the school, and anybody else who has to be involved.”
While the Ministry has addressed one incident, parents say there are several other concerns that remain unresolved. With several other complaints still unanswered, will the Ministry expand its investigation?
Tonight, growing outrage and heartbreak in San Pedro, as the death of thirty-two-year-old tour guide Selvin Sealy Jr. while in police custody has officially been ruled a homicide. A post-mortem examination confirmed that Sealy died from restraint asphyxia—intensifying calls for justice and accountability. Sealy, a well-known resident of the DFC area, was detained by police on the morning of Monday, May twelfth, after reportedly behaving erratically near Villa Abrazos. According to police, he had climbed a tree, claiming he was being chased by a dog. Officers say they subdued him when he refused to come down—but shortly after, they realized he was unresponsive. He was rushed to the San Pedro Polyclinic, where he was pronounced dead. Now, with the cause of death confirmed, Sealy’s grieving family is demanding answers.
Selvin Sealy Sr.
Selvin Sealy Sr., Father of Deceased (File: May 13th, 2025)
“I’m heartbroken about my son and I don’t wish this on anyone, it’s a really rough feeling. Even right now, I get emotional. The call came to my house about 7:30, somewhere around there, about 7:30, I was getting ready to go out and then I heard that my son was critical at the polyclinic in San Pedro. So I got the news and I got ready and I went there directly. In all the chaos, and all the situation, I saw my son lying dead on the table and it was a really heartfelt emotion for me. They told me that, someone at the police department, that he was at some, I think it’s like a private house, rental, pool, swimming [when] the security called the police to come and see. I don’t know what transpired from there. They do have videos which I would like to see and get for my personal satisfaction. But after that, in between, something happened when the police picked him up or so. That part, I would really like a clarification. And then they took him, it seems [like] because I heard [that] they were talking about they had him in a handcuff. They took him to the station and so forth. He was well in the morning because my other son saw him at 6:30, passing by the boats on the beach. It’s a human being, like everyone else. Somebody dies, your children somebody dies, you want justice because no matter how the person is… if he had committed a crime or something it’s different. I just want justice. I’m not pinpointing fingers, but my son died.”
Last month, Dean Flowers, President of the Public Service Union, called on the Auditor General to launch an investigation into the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He wants a clear look at how public funds were handled under the former minister’s watch. At the same time, Flowers and the P.S.U. are challenging a new proposal by Minister Mahler, who recently suggested cutting jobs in the Youth and Sports departments. The union argues the move could hurt workers and services. But Mahler insists the changes are necessary, saying restructuring is key to helping the ministry grow and succeed. Here’s what he had to say.
Anthony Mahler, Minister, Youth & Sports
“There should be audits for everything for statutory boards, that’s a normal process. And for government institutions, that’s a normal process. So we are working on those things and we’ll have to do what we have to do.”
Reporter
“We promise leadership one, we promise a plan that we will consult with people and two we will work, we will lead by example, minister Daly and I will lead by example and show that we can get things done. And it’s not rocket science for us to be able to ensure that we have the programs that can meet the needs of almost seventy of our population.”
Anthony Mahler
“We will provide a safety net in terms of restructuring. Between youth and sports, we have about almost eight million. I believe that with restructuring, with improving the efficiencies of the department, and the departments, we can accomplish a lot of things out of that money. Just the way we manage the money.”
Despite a few bumps in the road, Belize’s tourism industry is showing strong signs of growth—and the outlook for the rest of the year is promising. Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler shared that the country saw record-breaking visitor numbers in January, February, and April of this year. March was slightly down, but only because Easter fell in April this year, unlike last year when it boosted March’s numbers. Mahler recently met with major airlines and the U.S. Embassy, and the message was clear: an uptick in travel to Belize is expected after June.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
“I had a meeting yesterday with the US Embassy and we had a frank; open discussion and I believe that this is an opportunity for us. I think things are going to settle down. Last week Friday, I met with some of the major airlines that come to Belize and all of them are saying that they’re expecting an uptick after June. For the first four months of this year, we’ve seen record numbers, except for March, whereby last year March you had Easter in it and this year, Easter fell in April. And so, January was a record month, February was a record month, March, we were marginally down and April we had a record month. So, now it’s how we position ourselves. I believe the Mexican market is important. The Canadian market is important. South America is going to be important and the regional aspect of it. But air connectivity is also important, so we have some contracts on the table and hopefully we can get those worked out before the end of the year whereby we have new carriers coming into Belize.”
