Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler says he’s completely unaware of any plans for a massive resort development in Belize allegedly linked to convicted Australian crime boss Bassam Hamzy. The proposed project, reportedly named “Boss City”, is said to include stadiums, towers, waterways, and residential areas, with a multibillion-dollar price tag. But when asked about it, Mahler was clear.
Britney Gordon
“Sir, are you of the reported plans by convicted Australian crime boss, Bassam Hamzy, to develop a multibillion-dollar resort in Belize known as Boss City? It’s set to be equipped with stadiums, towers, waterways, and residential areas.”
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
“Ahuh?”
Britney Gordon
“Are you aware of it?”
Anthony Mahler
“Absolutely not.”
Britney Gordon
“What is your immediate reaction to the revelation that such a proposal has been tied to Belize’s real estate sector?”
Anthony Mahler
“I know nothing about it so I can’t speak to it. Usually, if they are going to have that level of investment, we would know. This is the first I’m hearing about it. I’ll check with the people at the Belize Tourism Board and the hotels department to see if there is such a thing. But, you said a billion-dollar investment?”
Britney Gordon
“Yes, a multibillion-dollar investment.”
Anthony Mahler
“So, from you hear that, you know that da fool.”
Britney Gordon
“Given the criminal background of the individual behind the project, what safeguard does Belize have to prevent illicit actors from entering the tourism and investment sector?”
Anthony Mahler
“Well we have a stringent program that we go through in terms of screening people. Like I said, yes we want investments, but we want quality people to invest in Belize.”
A shocking incident on Holy Thursday has sent ripples through Belize’s aviation industry, prompting swift and serious changes to domestic airline security. In the wake of this unprecedented event, the Belize City Municipal Airport and other domestic terminals have significantly ramped up security. Effective immediately, all passengers and personal items must undergo mandatory screening before boarding. Physical searches may also be conducted, and law enforcement presence has been increased at airstrips nationwide. Earlier today, we caught up with Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler, who emphasized that these measures are not just reactive, they’re part of a broader commitment to ensuring the safety of all travelers. He noted that while Belize has long enjoyed a reputation for safe and efficient domestic travel, this incident has underscored the need for proactive, modern security protocols.
Anthony Mahler
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
“911 was the same situation, but I have to travel. I don’t like traveling because of all the stress that you go through when you go through security, but I prefer piece of mind and I prefer that the measures are put in place rather than just having faith.”
Several key agencies fall under the Ministry of Tourism, Youth & Sports — including the Belize Tourism Board, the Border Management Agency, and the National Sports Council. Since the People’s United Party returned to power after the March 12th elections, the government has been in the process of reshaping all statutory boards. That includes the ones overseen by Minister Anthony Mahler, who’s now responsible for guiding these bodies through a fresh round of appointments and restructuring.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
“We have Dr. Vincent Palacio chairing the BTB. You have Mr. Dufy Nunez chairing Border Management and you have Mr. Pete Lizarraga chairing the National Sports Council. All capable individuals that could provide the necessary leadership and that will provide the necessary leadership for those organizations and we’ll continue to see good things come out of those organizations.”
This May, News Five is on a mission to uncover something we don’t often talk about, the Bright Side of Grief. And what she’s discovering might just change the way we think about loss. Grief isn’t always about death. Sometimes, it starts with something less visible but just as painful, the loss of love, safety, or a sense of belonging. That’s the kind of grief Sergeant Fredrick Gordon knows all too well. Now the chaplain of the Belize Police Department, Sgt. Gordon’s early life was scarred by trauma and abuse. But his story doesn’t end in darkness. Instead, it’s a powerful testament to healing through faith, resilience, and a deep commitment to serving others. Tonight, Sabreena Daly brings us Gordon’s story — a reminder that even the hardest journeys can lead to the most meaningful destinations. On this week’s episode of The Bright Side, we see how pain can be transformed into purpose.
Sabreena Daly, Reporting
Healing doesn’t always follow a straight line, and, for Sergeant Fredrick Gordon, it began long before he ever put on a uniform. Now the chaplain of the Belize Police Department, Sgt. Gordon is known for offering comfort and guidance to others. But behind his calm presence is a personal story shaped by grief, not the kind that comes from losing someone, but the kind that comes from never having what you needed in the first place. As a child, Gordon faced instability, abandonment, and a deep yearning to feel loved. That emotional weight followed him into adulthood, sometimes quietly, sometimes painfully. But through it all, it pushed him toward something greater: hope.
Fredrick Gordon
Sgt. Fredrick Gordon, Chaplain, Belize Police Department
“Being in an environment where you witness people being stabbed, robbed, shot at; individuals, constantly in and out of jail or on the news. And so I started to ask serious questions about life and that caused me to venture down a path that I would say would be dark. It was full of confusion and complexity. And not having other siblings that I could draw out concerns and so forth, I started to look for love in the wrong places and ended up hurting myself even more than I could have imagined.”
By the time he reached high school, Gordon had already lived through more than most people face in a lifetime. His grief wasn’t just emotional, it was shaped by real, raw experiences: loss, violence, and abuse. Among the most painful chapters was being molested, a trauma that left deep scars and reshaped his sense of self.
Sgt. Fredrick Gordon
“During that earlier stage of trauma, I experienced molestation, I experienced victimization. There was a whole lot of stuff that I was going through and when I reached high school, I started to have individuals from my class and within my school environment who were going through the same thing that I had to try to consolidate, even though I had experienced or was still going through some of the same things.”
Grief therapist Tina Cuellar says that early trauma, especially abuse, often leads to emotional patterns that follow survivors well into adulthood.
Tina Cuellar
Tina Cuellar, Mental Health & Certified Grief Therapist
“Usually when there’s some form of childhood trauma, they felt the loss of abandonment from the parent, or the adults around them didn’t protect them. And they will yearn for that for many years, they will look for that in relationships. But not only look for it, when they feel any sense of it being lost, that major fear of abandonment and loss will start surfacing.”
Sergeant Fredrick Gordon’s story didn’t end with pain, it began there. As he grew older, the weight of his grief didn’t break him. Instead, it became the foundation for something greater. Through faith and a calling to serve, Gordon found purpose, first as a police officer, then as a chaplain. Today, he stands beside those who are hurting, not just as a protector, but as someone who truly understands. The same grief that once left him searching for peace now fuels his mission to help others find it.
Sgt. Fredrick Gordon
“The level of anger and frustration and disappointment and grief in life’s challenges, that life threw out at me, I decided that I’m going to take that and transfer it into positive energy and everything that the enemy intended for evil, I’m going to work it out for my good.”
Tina Cuellar
“When you think of loss and acceptance and grief you want to at some point come to a place where you can honor what happened which means acknowledging it, accepting it but ask yourself what have I learned and how can I take that to help continue help myself and in some cases be able to help others for sure.”
For Gordon, healing didn’t come all at once, but it came with meaning. His faith gave him the words to understand his pain. His police uniform gave him a mission. Together, they became the tools that helped him turn sorrow into strength. Today, he stands at a powerful crossroads where healing meets service.
Sgt. Fredrick Gordon
“We’re taking care of everybody else’s needs, but who’s taking care of the officer’s needs? And so that human humanitarian mindset started to pop up back in my head. And as I was studying to be a clergyman at the time, so I decided to make requests to the then commissioner asking if I could be the chaplain for the department to bridge the gap to community transformation and to foster a spiritual alternative within the scope of the department to bring about change.”
Sgt. Fredrick Gordon
“The Bible says sorrow may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And the sorrow strengthens your testimony because if everything just happens good, then there is no lesson learned. But when you go through betrayal and heartache and pain and frustration, it puts you at a point where you are strengthened inwardly to affect people outwardly.”
From sorrow to strength, Sergeant Gordon’s life shows that healing isn’t the absence of pain, but the choice to rise with it and maybe you could even use it to lift others along the way. Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.
His journey is a powerful reminder that grief can take many forms and that healing is possible, even when the wounds run deep. In serving others, Sgt. Gordon found a path to mend his own heart. This is more than a story of survival. It’s a story of transformation.
Belize’s teachers are turning up the pressure, calling for an 8.5% salary adjustment to help offset the rising cost of living. But government officials are signaling that change won’t come overnight. Minister of Labor Florencio Marin Jr. addressed the issue this week, acknowledging the educators’ demands and affirming that their voices have been heard. However, he made it clear that this isn’t a decision that can be made with the stroke of a pen. Marin emphasized that the matter is now in the hands of the negotiating teams, representatives from both the government and the unions, tasked with finding common ground. While the teachers remain firm in their call for fair compensation, the road to resolution appears to be a process of dialogue and deliberation.
Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of Labour
“I think you’ve heard the Prime Minister saying that he’s nominated a team thatgonna actively engage with them for discussions to see how they could come toa solution to this process. So, I think we just have to wait out how thatconsultation would work with the teachers and with the team from Cabinet tobring about a solution to that. I don’t want to jump ahead of that consultationprocess. So let’s find out what results that will lead to and then from there ourministry would participate where necessary.”
As negotiations continue, the nation watches closely. Will the government meetthe teachers halfway, or will this become another drawn-out standoff?
But the teachers’ plight is not just about salaries. Today, economist Doctor Phillip Castillo weighed in, pointing to inflation as a critical factor. He says the government must also focus on reducing the cost of living, especially food prices, which continue to strain household budgets across the country.
Phillip Castillo
Dr. Phillip Castillo, Economist
“You want to look at inflation, meaning that I’m very familiar with persons in the B.N.T.U. and I’m very familiar with the level of expertise that they bring to their analysis. I’m certain that they would’ve crunched the numbers. They’ve looked at inflation over the past years. The issue with Belize’s inflation numbers, whereas the overall number may be very low, for example, I think we are at 1.4%, but the food component of that is extremely high. I think the food component is around 15 point something percent. So what’s happening in Belize then is that food expenditures have been substantially going up far more than the average level of prices on goods and services. And it’s based on that the unions are making their demands that food inflation has been going up. So what government may want to do, if there’s something that government can do to reduce food prices or to keep food prices from not rising as fast as just about everything else, then that could mitigate some of the wage demands that teachers are making.”
Two southside men have been formally charged in connection with the brazen murder of a San Pedro fisherman. The victim, twenty-six-year-old Zinedine Pinelo, was gunned down last Friday and now, two suspects are behind bars, facing the most serious of charges. Twenty-eight-year-old Dashay Williams of Neal’s Penn Road and nineteen-year-old Kaylen McFoy of Hunters Lane were arraigned earlier today, jointly charged with Pinelo’s murder. The courtroom saw tense moments as Williams, who had been detained under the recent State of Emergency, told the magistrate he’s been suffering from a lodged bullet wound and has not received medical care. The Senior Magistrate ordered that Williams be taken to the K.H.M.H. for immediate medical attention before being remanded to the Belize Central Prison—where both men will remain until their next court date on July second. It’s a case that’s drawing attention not only for the crime itself, but for the conditions under which one of the accused claims he’s being held.
The government’s latest move to curb gang violence has already resulted in the detention of forty-six suspected gang members, who have been transferred to the Belize Central Prison. The State of Emergency, which took effect last week, is expected to last for one month, but officials say it could be extended if necessary. Authorities argue that this measure is vital to restoring public safety in areas plagued by escalating violence. But not everyone is convinced. Critics are calling the State of Emergency a ‘Band-Aid solution’—a temporary fix that fails to address the deeper, systemic issues fueling gang activity. They point to a lack of long-term strategies, limited economic opportunities, and inadequate community support as root causes that remain unaddressed. So, what’s the real plan to tackle violent crime in the long run? That’s the question we put to the Commissioner of Police, Doctor Richard Rosado, during a press briefing on Wednesday. Here’s his response and what it could mean for the future of crime prevention in Belize.
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
“Our effort has always been three-fold, prevention, intervention and the enforcement strategy. The intervention aspect of it, we rely on our stakeholders, we rely on the leadership intervention unit, they have been instrumenting in terms of the opportunistic programs, in terms of the mediation and the other intervention programs and support services. So, we rely on that. We primarily focus on the prevention aspect of it and the enforcement aspect of it. All three levels must be coordinated and communicated with one another for it to be effective.”
On Wednesday, Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith took center stage, and she owned it. With sharp language and a deep command of policing protocols, Smith impressed the public during a press conference where she emphasized the importance of following the rules under the current state of emergency. But the spotlight on ASP Smith didn’t end there. At just eighteen, she joined the Belize Police Department straight out of sixth form. Seventeen years later, her dedication paid off. Just three days ago, she was promoted to Assistant Superintendent and this week, she stepped into a new role as staff officer in the Office of the Commissioner of Police. From rookie to rising leader, Smith’s journey is a testament to hard work, discipline, and a passion for public service. News Five’s Paul Lopez sat down with her to learn more about the woman behind the badge. Here’s that story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
At eighteen, most teens are thinking about college, getting their first car, or planning their next night out. But Stacy Smith had something else in mind — a badge and a calling. While her peers were exploring early adulthood, Smith was stepping into the world of law enforcement. Her goal? To serve and protect her country.
Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“Several factors inspired me to become a police officer, chief among them being that I have always known the import of public service and wanted to be a public servant. I have always been someone who knows the importance of discipline. In my younger years I was a brownee, a girl guide, with Ebeneezer Methodist School under the leadership my godmother Ms. Marion Paul, so that aspect, I was a prefect at school. I guess that is the school police.”
For Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, the call to serve runs in the family. Her father, the late Charles Good, was more than just a law enforcement officer, he was a legend. Known for his fearless stance against injustice and a military career that made him a household name, Good was a force to be reckoned with. It was his guidance that set Smith on her path. He encouraged her to join the Belize Police Department and she did, proudly continuing the legacy he left behind.
ASP Stacy Smith
“So I would have entered in 2007. I like to tell people, throughout my policing career I worked at both extremes of the department, because in my first set of posting I was a community policing officer and I was that for about three years and just before that I worked at an operational unit, a heavily centered operational unit. So, while I was working there and throughout my years I always saw the need for us as police officers to better equip ourselves to provide a better level of service to citizens and to be confident in the way we carry out our duties.”
In 2017, life threw Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith a curveball, a deeply personal and traumatic experience that forced her to step back from the job she loved. For a time, the uniform took a back seat as she focused on healing and spending more time at home. It was a difficult chapter, but one that revealed a different kind of strength: the courage to pause, reflect, and rebuild. She pursued an associate’s degree at Wesley Junior College in paralegal studies.
ASP Stacy Smith
“While doing my studies, my lecturers in the persons of Miss Mckenzie and Darell Bradely, whenever they would see my script they would insist upon me that I should further my studies and not just remain at the level of a paralegal certificate.”
She spent three years in Barbados studying at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, making a lot of financial sacrifices to complete her studies there. Smith then completed two years at Norman Manley Law School, before returning to her duties as a police officer.
ASP Stacy Smith
“With knowledge comes a certain level of confidence and you don’t take on a bombastic approach when you are confident in what you can or cannot do. So you are able to deliver what must be delivered to the people.”
From sergeant to inspector, Smith has steadily climbed the ranks of the Belize Police Department. Just three days ago, she earned her latest promotion to Assistant Superintendent, a milestone that reflects years of dedication and discipline.
ASP Stacy Smith
“Over the years I have seen more and more women join the department. When I joined my group of squad sisters was just six, now we are taking in fifty female officers at a time, even more. The department certainly recognize that there is a need, there is a place for females within the department. I have seen over the years, most recently being placed in key positions. We have a deputy commissioner of police in the person of Ms. Bodden being a female. Unfortunately, the only thing I have not seen over the years is a female being place at the high command of an operational unit. I think there is still some little residual stigma for it, but I certainly believe with time we will move there and certainly under the command of this new commissioner who I expect to carry out the vision of the past commissioner as it relates to representation of females within the department.”
What makes a good police officer? According to Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, it’s not just about wearing the badge, it’s about how you carry it. Her favorite quote is, “every adversity presents an opportunity to do good”. It’s a simple but powerful reminder from a leader who’s built her career on exactly that principle. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
We turn our attention to the nation’s finances, and the numbers are raising eyebrows. The proposed national budget for this fiscal year has raised concern among economists and politicians alike. At a whopping 1.78 billion dollars, the total expenditure is nearly four hundred million dollars more than what the government expects to collect. That’s a significant deficit—and one that’s not unfamiliar. Belize has historically operated with a budget shortfall, but this year’s gap is drawing sharper scrutiny. Economist Doctor Phillip Castillo says the problem isn’t just the size of the budget, it’s where the money is going. He points to high spending on salaries and non-contributory pensions as key drivers of the deficit. According to Doctor Castillo, trimming these costs could help close the gap. And it’s not just economists sounding the alarm. Leader of the Opposition, Tracy Taegar-Panton, voiced her own concerns during an appearance on “Open Your Eyes” on Tuesday. After reviewing the figures, she questioned the sustainability of such a large spending plan. So, what does this mean for you, the taxpayer? And how can the government balance the books without cutting essential services? News Five’s Marion Ali breaks down the numbers and explores the implications in the following report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Belize is planning to spend a whopping $1.78 billion this fiscal year, but nearly half of that will go toward government salaries and pensions. And that, says one local economist, is simply too much. Dr. Phillip Castillo, an economist and lecturer at the University of Belize, says the country can’t afford to keep pouring such a large chunk of its budget into paying public workers and retirees. In an interview, Dr. Castillo pointed out a troubling issue: some people are still getting paid even though they’re not formally employed. He believes the government needs to take a hard look at its payroll and cut off payments to those who shouldn’t be there.
Phillip Castillo
Dr. Phillip Castillo, Economist
“What jumps out at me is the inordinate expenditures on wages and salaries and pensions, Now the way to handle that, meaning that – the unions – they’ve accused basically government of having a host of most workers. That’s a low hanging fruit you could easily ascertain. I’m certain that the government could initiate an investigation to ascertain if there are ghost workers on its payroll. If there are, you certainly want to move them. And you certainly want to prevent them from – to ascertain the process by which ghost workers came on your payroll and then you want to adjust that, legally or otherwise.”
According to Castillo, removing so-called “ghost workers”—people who are still being paid despite not actively working—could significantly reduce the country’s wage bill. And the numbers are no small matter. When he presented the national budget, Prime Minister John Briceño revealed that forty cents of every dollar the government spends goes directly to salaries and pensions. Last year alone, that added up to over half a billion dollars. Castillo says that kind of spending isn’t sustainable.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Government spending on salaries for its estimated fifteen thousand workforce, all teachers and public officers was five hundred and three million dollars with an additional hundred and thirty million dollars spent on pensions and ex-gratia payments. Put it differently, fifty-two cents of government spending goes to salaries and pensions. Forty-three cents on every tax dollar was spent on salaries and pensions.”
According to Castillo, the current pension system is putting heavy strain on the national budget. He says that if the government reforms how pensions are paid out, it could drastically reduce those costs and help chip away at the country’s four hundred-million-dollar deficit.
Dr. Phillip Castillo
“I have always been an advocate for contributory pensions. Belize’s pension scheme is non-contributory, and that makes it unsustainable. You really want to make your pensions scheme contributory, and then not only does that make it sustainable, but by paying contributor pensions, it means that public officers could then advocate for pensions to be tied to some kind of inflation or cost of living adjustments.”
Earlier this week, Opposition Leader Tracy Taegar-Panton shared that the figures presented in the budget are signs of challenges ahead. She raised a red flag about how the national budget is being spent, pointing out that once the government covers its massive expenses and debt payments, there’s only a small slice of the pie left for the things that really matter, like education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Tracy Taegar-Panton
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Leader of the Opposition
“Forty percent is for recurrent expenditure; thirty percent – infrastructure development; eight percent – debt payments; so that’s eighty percent of the budget is gone. There’s twenty percent that should now be divided into areas that concern the Belizean people: education, health, social safety net programs for the most vulnerable in our communities, housing. These things are big things for people who are struggling every single day to put food on the table.”
While the Prime Minister touted an eight-point-two percent growth in GDP, not everyone is buying it. Panton pushed back, saying that kind of economic growth just isn’t visible to the average Belizean struggling with day-to-day costs.
Tracy Taegar-Panton
“Where is it? And who has the benefit of that eight-point two percent growth in the G.D.P?”
Paul Lopez
“It’s in the tourism sector – jobs.”
Tracy Taegar-Panton
“So what happens to the productive sector? What are we going to address the energy crisis that is imminent in this country? What are we doing to prepare for the trade wars and the impact that will have on small economies like Belize? What are we doing to expand our exports to CARICOM and to Mexico and to Taiwan? Where are the New Growth industries and what are we doing and what do we have planned to support these New Growth industries to take root, so we can diversify our economy?”
As far as loans go, Dr Castillo said there’s nothing wrong with borrowing, if it their interest rates are affordable.
Dr. Phillip Castillo
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with borrowing money if you’re borrowing from cheap sources. Then you’re using that money for productive purposes to build your – to enhance your productive capacity. It’s always a challenge if you’re borrowing for recurrent expenditures. I’m not certain if that is being done, but if you’re borrowing for capital expenditures for capital projects, and your sources of financing are fairly low, it’s low-cost financing. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.”
Castillo said he anticipates a fiery debate of the budget, and he will be able to weigh both sides of the debate. Marion Ali for News Five.
