It’s been just over a week since the family of Selvin Sealy received the devastating news; he had died shortly after being arrested in San Pedro. Their worst fears were confirmed when police ruled his death a homicide and suspended the officers involved. A post-mortem revealed that Sealy died from restraint asphyxia, meaning he couldn’t breathe properly while being held down during the arrest. Now, the family’s grief has turned into a call for justice. We spoke with Sealy’s sister, Victoria Sealy, who, despite her heartbreak, is urging Belizeans to stay strong and united as the family pushes for answers and accountability.
Victoria Sealy, Sister of Deceased
“Recently, my brother passed away, unfortunately. I just want to give encouragement to Belize, the country. Tomorrow is never promised and it’s hard, but I just want to give encouragement in this time of hardship that, like I said, tomorrow isn’t promised, and just live every day loving your family and true happiness and true assurance of where you’re going after that is found in Jesus Christ. And that’s all I would like to share with the country of Belize.”
Belize is once again making headlines for its leadership in conservation. This week, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust, better known as PACT, rolled out a major investment in the country’s natural future. With twelve million dollars committed over the next three years, and nearly eight million already disbursed, PACT is partnering with fifteen agencies to protect twenty-eight of Belize’s most treasured protected areas. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust, better known as PACT, is leading the charge when it comes to conservation in Belize. With strategic investments and strong partnerships, PACT continues to play a key role in protecting the country’s natural resources and building a more sustainable future.
Abil Castaneda, Executive Director, PACT
“The work that we do, that you do in conservation that it is a selfless commitment, it is a selfless dedication and passion and the truth is when all is said and done, we will look back, we will have pioneers and new commers and we want to be a part of that story, of the Belizean story in conservation.”
PACT is continuing its mission to protect Belize’s natural treasures. On Monday, the organization awarded a total of twelve million dollars in funding to fifteen co-management agencies. These groups are responsible for overseeing twenty-eight protected areas across the country.
Milagro Matus, Chairperson, PACT
“We come together today to celebrate the dedicated co-manager organizations that are at the very heart of our national conservation efforts. These organizations which are protectors of biodiversity, champions of communities, guardians of our ecosystems and partners in shaping a resilient nature positive future for Belize. This award ceremony is an opportunity to highlight the significant investments being made through PACTS conservation investment strategy 2.0.”
Fifteen agencies were honored as they officially signed on to a major conservation partnership with PACT. Representatives from each agency were on hand to receive their awards during a special ceremony. The agreement, which spans three years, marks a significant investment in Belize’s environmental future. During the event, PACT disbursed an impressive seven million dollars toward the total value of the project. Prime Minister John Briceño, speaking at the ceremony, emphasized the growing urgency for conservation efforts worldwide, highlighting Belize’s continued leadership in protecting natural resources.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Around the world there is this urgency of conservation and it has never been as clearer than ever. People are truly realizing how important conservation is, not only to themselves, but to planet earth. This is so much more we can do in this world, there is so much we can accomplish and in many instances it vexes me, it makes me upset. When we were in Scotland and I was interviewed I blurted out that we are doing our part, the big countries are not doing their part. The reporter pointed out what I said to Boris Johnson and he had to admit sheepishly that it is true, they are not doing their part to help us to protect mother earth for all of us.”
Minister Orlando Habet emphasized the importance of Belize maintaining its position as a pioneer in the global conservation movement. He praised the Protected Areas Conservation Trust’s latest initiative, Conservation Investment Strategy 2.0, calling it a bold step forward in protecting the country’s natural heritage. Minister Habet says the strategy reflects Belize’s commitment to sustainable development and climate resilience, ensuring that both people and the planet benefit from smart, forward-thinking investments.
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development
“It is also excitement times with in conservation and protected areas management here in Belize. With the highly anticipated Project Finance For Permanence Initiative to be launched later this year and with the newly established partnership between PACT and the Belize Fund also poised to become an avenue for further resource mobilization and support for the national protected areas system. The future is bright for conservation, indeed it is.”
The organization says its latest funding isn’t just backing NGO co-managers, but also community groups and government agencies. The focus? Building climate resilience. PACT says these investments are aimed at helping Belize’s protected areas adapt to the growing challenges of climate change, ensuring both ecosystems and communities are better prepared for the future. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
A group of former commissioners from the People’s Constitution Commission is speaking out and they’re not happy with the final draft of the report that was handed over to Prime Minister John Briceño. In a strongly worded letter to the PM, the group laid out a list of serious concerns. They say they’ve raised these issues before with P.C.C. Chairman Anthony Chanona, but feel they were ignored. Among their complaints: poor handling of the process, questionable record-keeping, and what they call a misuse of the “consensus principle”—something they argue isn’t even part of the law. The group also claims that not all commissioners were given access to the full report, and that the final document doesn’t reflect a thorough or fair analysis. In fact, they say many commissioners never even approved it. The letter was signed by eight former commissioners representing unions, women’s rights advocates, and LGBT organizations. But not everyone agrees. Former media commissioner Louis Wade pushed back, saying the signatories weren’t part of the Technical Thematic Committees—the groups that actually shaped the report. In a written response, Wade said, (quote), While I do not support all the recommendations, the ones submitted reflect the voices of the Belizean people, based on the national consultations. I believe the process followed the law and was approved by vote, (end quote). The former commissioners are now asking for a sit-down with Prime Minister Briceño before the end of the month to explain their objections in more detail.
Over the weekend, Digi Park in Belize City came alive with culture, innovation, and international cooperation as the European Union hosted the second edition of EU in the Park. The event transformed the park into a vibrant hub of learning and cultural exchange, showcasing more than twenty EU-funded projects in areas like energy, healthcare, and climate action. It also celebrated over thirty years of partnership between the EU and Belize, with cultural displays from several EU Member States. The collaboration didn’t end there. On Monday, both sides sat down for a high-level dialogue, reaffirming their commitment to deeper cooperation. Key topics included Belize’s interest in joining the Schengen visa waiver list and the EU’s Global Gateway Investment Agenda, aimed at boosting investment in digital transformation, climate resilience, transport, health, and education.
The stage was set, the lights were bright, and creativity was flowing today at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts, where hundreds of primary school students gathered for this year’s National Festival of Arts. But this year’s celebration comes with something extra special; after more than two decades, the literary arts are back in the spotlight! From poetry to short stories, young writers are finally getting their moments to shine. And that’s not all, an inspiring visual arts exhibit is also turning heads. Tonight, we take you inside the festival that’s bringing Belize’s youngest talents to center stage. Kim Vasquez, Director of the Institute of Creative Arts, shares her excitement over showcasing these talented young artists.
Kim Vasquez
Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Arts
“Simultaneous Festival of Arts happening across the country. And we also have some exciting news. We have the literary arts returning to the Festival of Arts after a very long break, almost two decades. I think the last time we had the literary arts a creative writing publication was back in the late 1990s. And so that had gone dormant for a while in the Festival of Arts and we were determined to get it, that this was going to be the year we got back creative writing in the National Festival of Arts. And this morning we presented a publication with the participation of forty-four students from both primary and secondary, short stories and poetry. But for us it’s also making sure that the Festival of Arts is as inclusive as possible. And this is why it was so important for us to have the literary arts. We heard one of the young writers earlier today said that this means a lot to them because they feel included finally. And we are also seeing as, as well more participation with the visual art we have today as well. The launch of the Festival of Arts National Visual Art Exhibit upstairs in the gallery. And we have, again, that’s from preschool. Participating up to secondary, we have over eighty pieces of art on display. And the wonderful thing about the Festival of Arts Art exhibit is that it is viewed mainly by their peers because all next week we have the Golden Showcase of the Festiva of Arts, which is the highlight, and whenever they’re done performing and they’re done inside the theater, third, they go up and they look at the art and they can give that support to their peers as well.”
On Wednesday, the Belisle Art Gallery opens its doors to the Visual Arts Exhibit which features an inspiring collection of paintings, sketches, woodwork, and handicrafts created by Secondary school students.
The fallout from a recent court ruling on the 2020 state of emergency continues and now, veteran attorney Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley is saying the implications could be far-reaching. According to Bradley, the sixteen claimants awarded compensation for unlawful detention may just be the beginning. He believes that anyone detained under a state of emergency, past or present, could be entitled to similar payouts. Bradley also dismissed the idea that a conflicting ruling from another judge should distract from what he calls a clear message: rights matter and violating them has consequences.
Dickie Bradley, Attorney-at-Law
“Both the PUP and the UDP have started out using state of emergency to fool people that we are fighting crime and we nuh the run no joke and we wah lock up them for more time, and lock up more of them. Anybody the talk about Bukele, that criminal from next door is looking at the wrong direction. Crime is caused because there are social and economic problems and lot of times they go together, social and economic problems. It is unfortunate that the monies the government will have to pay is so small. The smallest one is twelve thousand and most are eighteen and twenty, some twenty-five thousand. And the judge says a vindicatory damage each one will get seven thousand dollars more and their legal fees will get paid by the government. They could appeal all they want. They will lose. This is a signal to us that not because we find a lee possible solution to start violate people rights, when you start to violate rights it just grow and grow. Some people suggest you should start with six months. You are a journalist and you know what I know because they talk to you too. People that have nothing to do with gun lock up right now. Those people who are in prison right now, if the procedure is the same procedure that was under the UDP, which it likely is, all of them entitled to get a money, this one month one, if they were wrongly put together. And you know we need to change in the constitution, the governor general she is being called out and she has to say that as the law require that I am satisfied these people have, because it turns out to be a lie. You tell the GG all of them are criminals and she sign a thing and it is not true.”
Bradley also criticized the political use of SOEs, warning that both major parties have used them as a show of force rather than a real solution to crime. He says the real root of violence lies in deeper social and economic issues, and that violating rights only makes things worse.
Tonight, there’s heartbreak in the education community as family, friends, and former students mourn the sudden loss of Brian Castillo. The forty-two-year-old Education Officer with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology tragically lost his life this morning in a golf cart accident on San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Castillo was reportedly driving a rented golf cart when it collided with a fence. He was rushed to the polyclinic but was pronounced dead shortly after. The Ministry of Education has issued a heartfelt statement, honoring Castillo’s years of dedicated service and the lasting impact he made on students, colleagues, and communities across Belize. Described as kind, humble, and always willing to help, Castillo’s legacy is one of compassion and commitment. ASP Stacy Smith has more on the tragic incident and the investigation is now underway.
Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“On Monday nineteenth May, at approximately four nineteen a.m, information was received of a road traffic accident on First Street in the San Pedrito area of San Pedro, where a male person was driving a orange in colour four-seater golf cart. The police responded, and upon arrival at the scene, it was observed that a male person of dark complexion was seen lying face up on a stretcher, and police observed that vehicle cart had a small dent consistent with a collision. The male person was identified as Brian Castile and the body now awaits a post-mortem.”
Britney Gordon
“So around what time did this incident occur?”
Stacy Smith
“The information was received around four nineteenth a.m .”
Britney Gordon
“And what kind of injuries did he sustain at the his incident?”
Stacy Smith
“The extent of the injuries that was shown, at least the visible injuries as the post-mortem would be able to conclude is just minor injuries. Let me be clear. He was observed bleeding from his head and motionless.”
Britney Gordon
“There was there any alcohol involved?”
Stacy Smith
“There is nothing on the scene to indicate that, however a post-mortem will be able to identify if that is the case.”
There’s sadness tonight within the Belize Police Department and the wider community following the passing of Corporal Leroy Flowers, a respected officer with more than thirty years of service. Flowers, who once served as the personal security officer to former Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber, passed away on Saturday after suffering a stroke a few weeks ago. In a heartfelt tribute, Faber described Flowers as a man who “served with distinction, integrity, and quiet strength.” He added that Flowers was not only a dedicated officer but also a kind and dependable person whose calm presence brought comfort to those around him. Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith also extended the department’s condolences, honoring Flowers’ long-standing commitment to public service.
Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“The department wishes to extend its sincere condolences on the passing of a very consummate police officer in the person of Carle 439 Mr. Leroy Flowers, who has been with the department for over thirty years. Mr. Flowers have worked in specialized unit in the department, and even on his day off, he would volunteer his service to the fire department. So the department and the country, by extension, has certainly suffered a loss in the passing of Mr. Flowers, and we extend our sincere condolences to his family. And to all those persons who love and would’ve interacted with him.”
Tonight, a powerful call to action from Belize’s fishing community. The Belize Flats Fishery Association is turning up the pressure on the government, demanding it honor its promises to protect the country’s fragile marine ecosystems. At the heart of the issue—mangroves, marine life, and the livelihoods that depend on them. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Last month, folks in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, scored a major win. The government stepped in and hit the brakes on the controversial Cayo Rosario development. That stop order came from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing—and for many residents, it felt like a long-overdue victory. Now, this fight isn’t new. Since 2018, the community’s been pushing back hard against plans to build over the waters of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Cayo Rosario, a tiny island in that protected area, is privately owned—and the developer’s been trying to get this project off the ground for nearly a decade. But thanks to constant public pressure, it’s been delay after delay. Still, the Belize Flats Fishery Association says delays aren’t enough. At a press conference this morning, they raised the alarm again, warning that Belize’s mangroves and marine ecosystems are still under serious threat. Dr. Addiel Perez from the Bonefish Tarpon Trust broke it down, explaining just how much is at stake.
Addiel Perez
Dr. Addiel Perez, Bonefish Tarpon Trust
“Studies in Belize have shown that coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems when there are mangroves and sea grass nearby. This means that the less mangroves, the less sea grass, the less biodiversity there’s in coral reef ecosystems. So this means, right, that the livelihoods that depend on these ecosystems would be adversely and affected in the long term. And with that, of course, the economies that these ecosystems generate.”
Perez claims that over the past decade, San Pedro Ambergris Caye has lost hundreds of acres of land, directly impacting the habitats of surrounding wildlife and contributing to an unsustainable tourism model. Phillip Leslie of the San Pedro Tour Guide Association explained that development projects receive consistent pushback from stakeholders, not because they are against development, but due to the lack of transparency and consultation regarding them.
Phillp Leslie
Phillp Leslie, San Pedro Tour Guide Association
“Environment and development can go hand in hand if you know to manage it right. If you know to plan it. Right now, developers come in and they have this idea, I don’t know where they learned it, where they could come in, take everything down, put in buildings, and then plan. When you can work around that and manage it properly. We have always said this, if Cayo Rosario is privately owned and they want to develop, make plans of development for that island, we are upset because the plans are including outside of the island, which is on the protected area, which is on the conservation zone.”
The Belize Flats Fishery Association maintains that this issue cannot be overlooked any longer and demands immediate action from the government. Janelle Chanona, Vice President of Oceana, explains that when decisions are made without consultation, industry stakeholders like fishermen and tour guides are the first to feel the impact.
Janelle Chanona
Janelle Chanona, Vice President, Oceana Belize
“We are collectively impacted by these decisions, so we should be collectivelyparticipating in these decisions. And unfortunately, when it comes to development, particularly at sea, because you know, we say outta sight outta mind, but it’s also happening terrestrially. But we don’t know about things happening until Mr. Billy drive past somewhere Mike di try go fishing somewhere, Mr. Addiell and, and Mr. Norman they fly over di look dong and see something and then you go investigate. And then it seems like there’s this constant anti-development position. But I think what is clear is that what you’re seeing is this resistance to always being the last to know, because we will be the first fi pay.”
In Belize, the law is clear, any project that could significantly impact the environment must go through an Environmental Impact Assessment, or EIA. It’s a process designed to catch potential harm before it happens. But according to local stakeholders, that process is being sidestepped. Phillip Leslie, of the San Pedro Tour Guide Association, is calling for change. He says it’s time to bring the public back into the conversation. For him and others on the front lines, it’s not just about paperwork, it’s about protecting livelihoods, ecosystems, and the future of responsible development.
Phillp Leslie
“When we look at development, a lot of it must include an EIA and part of an EIA says that you should go and talk to the public, do a public consultation. Whereas users get an opportunity to show, listen, this development will affect me. How will I be placed in a way that I am not going to lose? But they don’t do that. And then you end up putting a development and outplace users, we, the users are getting tired of being. Kicked down the lane.”
The BFFA concluded with a call to the government to halt dredging and excavation activities that are taking place on Sandfly Caye, which is a prime spot for many fishermen in the area. Britney Gordon for News Five.
The BFFA maintains that it is against development, but encourages responsible investments and transparent, community-based planning.
In a social media update that’s catching attention across the country, the president of the Belize National Teachers Union, Nadia Caliz, took to Facebook last night to deliver a key message to educators. Her post sheds light on the current state of talks between the union and the government, an update many have been waiting for. In her post, Caliz laid out the next steps for the B.N.T.U., including a vote later this week that could shape the union’s next move. This comes after last week’s big meeting between the Joint Unions Negotiating Team and the Briceño administration. She made a promise and now she’s following through. The union leader is circling back with members, delivering the much-anticipated update on what came out of last week’s crucial talks with the government.
Nadia Caliz
Nadia Caliz, President, Belize National Teachers Union
“I know that in my last meeting I said to you that we will be meeting with membership on Monday and you all will be voting on the different options. Given the number of questions the council and myself have received, we realized that it’s very, very important for us to go back to the drawing board. So council will be meeting tomorrow night, we’re looking at all the different options. They will be educated on how to properly guide you and then on Wednesday we will be meeting with you, meaning every branch will have branch meetings online. Voting in these proposals will then take place on Thursday. You will vote via the BNTU platform, so if you’re not yet registered on our new database, you have between tomorrow and Thursday morning to get yourself registered. You need a valid, valid email address because we’ll send that link directly to you. With that I say goodnight and please look forward, stay tuned, to hearing from us as we continue to agitate, advocate, negotiate for what is rightfully ours.”
The conversation is far from over, and Caliz is making sure teachers are in the loop every step of the way.
