Penner Says Boycott Love FM Interviews…Not the Race

With the annual La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge set to begin, the Belize Canoe Association is weighing a boycott of interviews with broadcaster Love FM.

This follows a change to the race’s finish line just weeks before the event, which the association says was made without any consultation.

Speaking at a meeting with paddlers and supporters, Vice President Elvin Penner said teams should instead work with other media outlets to ensure sponsors and athletes continue to receive coverage.

He argued that alternative media would follow paddlers wherever they choose to gather after finishing and called for a unified stance to send a message ahead of future race planning. “I suggest we do something like this to make a real stand,” he said.

Penner also told paddlers to start and finish the race as designed, regardless of protests or disagreements. “You started the race, but you need to follow the rules of the race,” he said, warning that violations could lead to disqualification.

Despite tensions, he confirmed the association will not boycott the race itself. “But the most important would be to boycott the interviews and give the interviews to all the other media houses,” he told paddlers.