A pregnant tapir was killed in a road collision early this morning along the Philip Goldson Highway near Whitfield Estate, according to the Belize Zoo. With assistance from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing, the animal was removed from the roadside. A necropsy later confirmed she was carrying a calf, making the incident a tragic loss of not one, but two of Belize’s national animals.
The Belize Zoo noted that this area has seen rapid development and widespread land clearing in recent years, leading to a rise in wildlife-vehicle collisions. Similar incidents have occurred in the past, including the death of a tapir calf in the same area in September 2015.
Tapirs are endangered and hold national significance in Belize, making their protection a matter of both environmental and cultural importance.
It’s a terrifying situation for one Belize City family tonight. Police have issued a wanted poster for Sir Hugh Andrewin, who’s accused of trying to set his ex-girlfriend’s house on fire, not once, but twice. It all started after a breakup on Wednesday. According to the young woman’s mother, things escalated quickly. That same night, Andrewin allegedly returned to the home on Flamboyant Street, turned on all the stove burners, and set a couch on fire. The family managed to put it out, but just hours later, around four a.m., he reportedly came back and lit a curtain from outside the house. As of news time, Andrewin is still on the run, and the family says they’re living in fear, unsure if he’ll return again.
Voice of: Hanisha Castro
Voice of: Hanisha Castro, Fire Victim
“My daughter and her ex-boyfriend had a dispute had dispute in the morning and then she ended the relationship and wanted him out of the house. He refused and later int eh evening we called the police to come and assist us to remove him from our premises. Upon hearing us making the call to the police he ran away. At that time the police didn’t come so he went and at ten p.m. he came back and then he opened the burners of my stove, he opened the gas tank fully and then when he was laving I saw him light my sofa with a blue lighter and that was the first fire.”
Paul Lopez
“So it sounds like he was intent on burning down the house with everyone inside.”
Hanisha Castro
“Yes everyone inside, because that is his trend. He is a bitter person. Whenever his girlfriend would leave him he would go an burn down their houses. That is a trend he always do. This morning the twelfth of June at four a.m. he returned. This time he light my living room curtain from through the window. He open the window and light the curtain and the couch catch. So me being in a little dose smell smoke. I get up into flames and smoke. I had to take out my grandchildren and try out the fire. We manage to out the fire with water from the bathroom. They didn’t tell me that how they catch him or anything. At this point all I know he is still out there ready to jump again. A restless night indeed because to tell you the truth I nuh sleep yet.”
Castro says she was given the run around by the police on Thursday night when she sought to make a report. They finally took her report after the second incident occurred.
Remember the Port of Magical Belize? Two years ago, it was at the center of a political firestorm, including a Senate Special Select Committee tasked with investigating how it all came to be, thanks to a controversial Definitive Agreement signed just before the Barrow administration left office in 2020. That deal, quietly inked by former Minister Erwin Contreras, sparked outrage, legal scrutiny, and even got publicly trashed by Prime Minister John Briceño himself. The validity of the Definitive Agreement was even questioned in a legal opinion by King’s Counsel Ben Juratowitch, a preeminent lawyer who represents Belize at the International Court of Justice. Well, guess what? It’s back. After months out of the spotlight, developer David Gegg and his team are making a fresh push. They recently presented a new pitch to the Prime Minister and his port advisors, highlighting what they say are major advantages, both operational and environmental, over the existing Port of Belize. So, is the Port of Magical Belize getting a second chance? Backed by global giants like Royal Caribbean and Hyatt, Portico argues that Belize deserves a cruise port that reflects its natural beauty, not one that leaves tourists with memories of concrete and cargo. And it seems the Prime Minister is listening. We’ll have more on this in our subsequent newscast.
It looks like some rough waters may be ahead for Belize’s tourism industry. While the Ministry of Tourism is reporting a modest one percent increase in visitor arrivals for the first five months of the year, May didn’t bring much to celebrate. Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler says the months ahead could be even tougher, and there’s more. Canada has just issued a travel advisory, warning its citizens to exercise extreme caution when visiting Belize due to safety concerns. So, what does this mean for one of the country’s biggest economic drivers? We spoke with Minister Mahler to get some answers.
Anthony Mahler
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
“From the first five months we have seen we are up by one percent. May was a bit soft and I think the next couple of months will be difficult. But we will do everything we can to make sure the numbers don’t go down or don’t go down much at all. I just got back from a conference for hotels and the talk was about the uncertainty all around us and what that creates is a drawing up of liquidity. People’s 401 K has been destroyed for the most part and they don’t have that liquidity in their own lives to take luxury vacation like what Belize offers.”
Reporter
“And Canada issued a travel advisory against Belize. How do you feel about that?”
Anthony Mahler
“There are times when these things are done for reasons other anything happening in the country. I don’t see uptick in crime. But it happens and we have to continue navigating that. It is not an easy thing to push an industry like tourism forward especially in these troubling times of global uncertainty.”
There’s a growing wave of community pride and protest in Placencia tonight. Residents and their village council are standing firm, calling on the government to return a beloved beach spot, Placencia Point, back to the public. Once the heart of cultural celebrations like Lobster Fest, the beach is now privately owned. But earlier this week, the council made its move, writing to the Deputy Prime Minister and urging action. And yesterday, locals took their message to the sand, signs in hand, voices united. We caught up with Village Chair Warren Garbutt, who says talks with the government are already underway. So, could Placencia Point soon be back in the hands of the people?
On the Phone: Warren Garbutt, Chair, Placencia Village Council
“So we actually wrote before before the little actions yesterday we had written and I have to say that we have a very supportive area representative in the Honorable Rodwell Ferguson and the Lands Department, they have always been really receptive to us meeting at the meeting with us to try to find solutions.”
Britney Gordon
“And I understand you have a meeting scheduled coming up. Can you tell me about that?”
Warren Garbutt
“Okay, so the meeting the meeting was actually held the meeting was held and I must say it was a very productive meeting. We do not yet have a final resolution. That is something that will take a little time, but it was a very productive discussion we had with the CEO and our area representative. And by next week Wednesday, I believe we should have some, concrete solution on the position of the government as it relates to the point beach.”
Britney Gordon
“This was the CEO of lands?”
Warren Garbutt
“That is correct.”
Britney Gordon
“Okay. And has there been any discussions with the owner that bought the land? I understand last time that they were offering a price to compensate them for the loss of the land. Has there been any progress with those discussions?”
Warren Garbutt
“That is not really for the council to decide. That is a position I believe that the government would take if they see fit. So we have been in no discussion with the property owner regarding the cost or finding value of the property. That’s really for the Ministry of Natural Resources and for the property owners to decide.”
Earlier this year, a major shift in U.S. foreign aid sent shockwaves across the Caribbean. In January, the United States pulled out of the Global Fund, cutting off critical grant access for health services throughout the region. And the impact has been immediate and severe. Among the hardest hit? HIV and AIDS treatment facilities, lifelines for thousands who rely on them for testing, medication, and support. Since the funding loss, eighty percent of these centers have reported disruptions in care, struggling to keep their doors open and their services running. So, what does this mean for Belizeans living with HIV? And how is the country stepping up to ensure that no one must face their diagnosis in fear or shame? News Five’s Britney Gordon has that story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Every year, HIV-related illnesses claim the lives of about six hundred and thirty thousand people around the world. And here in Belize, more than three thousand, seven hundred people are living with the virus. For them, access to life-saving treatment isn’t just important, it’s everything. But now, that access is under threat. Since the U.S. pulled its funding for HIV care in the Caribbean, the safety net that many relied on is starting to unravel. Kimberly Simpson has been living with HIV for nearly seventeen years. She says the funding cuts are more than just numbers on a page—they’re a frightening glimpse into a future where people like her may no longer get the care they need to survive.
Voice of: Kimberly Simpson
Voice of: Kimberly Simpson, HIV Positive
“ That’s our life you’re talking about, you know, without our ARVs. Eventually, your system will drop back. You know, the HIV will eventually turn into it because you’re not on treatment. And like I said, it will also put a toll on you mentally because then you know what it’s like. You know that you won’t be able to no longer get your medication, something that you need to survive off. And then imagine if you also have kids, you’re not only trying to live for yourself, but you’re trying to live for your kid. And your loved ones who is a part of your life also.”
New data is raising red flags in the fight against HIV in Belize. According to the Chair of the National AIDS Commission, only eighty percent of people living with HIV know their status, and of that group, just half are receiving the antiretroviral treatment they need to manage the virus. A recent survey by UNAIDS and PANCAP reveals that disruptions to HIV prevention and testing services are widespread across the region. These services are critical to keeping the virus under control and moving closer to the goal of ending AIDS.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Chair, National AIDS Commission
“The global fund to fight HIV and tuberculosis, mostly HIV gets one third of its funding from the United States. Now, if they are about to cut that funding, it’s going to significantly affect the global funds’ reaction to the HIV struggle throughout the Caribbean. And I can tell you that here in Belize, although we have made some progress, we absolutely are not where we want to be.”
According to the UN, eighty percent of HIV care organizations are now facing significant reductions in services, a development that could have far-reaching consequences for those relying on consistent medical support. The situation extends beyond healthcare. Social protection services, which provide vital support to vulnerable populations, have experienced a seventy-five percent disruption. Meanwhile, sixty-seven percent of human rights groups have also been affected, raising concerns about the broader impact on civil liberties and advocacy efforts. Kendale Trapp, Executive Director of the Empower Yourself Belize Movement, acknowledged the challenges but emphasized that his organization’s core services remain intact. However, he stressed that access to medication remains critical to the overall care of individuals living with HIV.
Kendale Trapp
Kendale Trapp, Executive Director, Empower Yourself Belize Movement
“The most important part is bringing them to the real, the realization or accepting that I am HIV positive and the ARV that the Ministry of Health is providing can save your life. And that having an HIV diagnosis is not the end of the world..”
For twenty years, Belizeans have received free HIV medication, thanks to support from the Global Fund. But now, with a third of that funding cut, the government is figuring out how to keep this critical care going. The silver lining? A backup plan has been in the works. Since the Global Fund reviews its support every cycle, Belize knew this day might come and has been preparing for the possibility of losing the grant entirely.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
“The National AIDS Commission, along with the Ministry of Health, we have put up a cabinet paper. And basically what we’re saying in that paper is we are asking for all hands to come back on deck. Because we have a still a serious situation on our hands and we need everybody to cooperate. Asking of course for the cooperation of key ministries, education, human development, and especially the Ministry of Health. And then of course our community service organizations and NGOs.”
Living with HIV comes with its challenges, from social discrimination to the physical toll on the body. Kimberly hopes that a financial burden does not become an additional stress.
Kimberly Simpson
“Imagine I’m already there early in the morning, tired, sometimes hungry, because then you know you have to wait to go and do tests or whatever like that, and then it’s a bit stressful. You get frustrated. Sometimes I find myself even wanting to give up, like, you know, I should just go home and just leave it at that. But then when I think about how far I’ve come, I just try to gather the strength to get that patient. But not everyone is like me”
Regional leaders need to step up now, before we see a rise in HIV deaths or new infections. These treatment centers aren’t just clinics; they’re the heart of the fight against HIV. Without them, the entire response system starts to fall apart.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
“We did bring to the attention of the Prime Minister and Cabinet that where the funding may reduce or dry up from the global fund countries will have to step up and fill that gap. And like I said, a third of the funding of the global fund comes from the United States. So we have to be prepared in all our Caribbean countries, not just Belize. We have to be prepared now to step up and fill the gap, the funding gap. That is likely to happen.”
The U.S. pulling back its support from the Global Fund has left a huge gap and it’s one we simply can’t afford to ignore. If we don’t act fast, we risk losing decades of hard-won progress in reducing HIV-related deaths and slowing the spread of the virus across the region. Britney Gordon for News Five.
When it comes to improving healthcare, there’s one tool that’s often overlooked but absolutely essential, data. From tracking disease trends to shaping smarter policies and even developing new treatments, data is the backbone of a strong health system. That’s why this week, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization, brought together health sector stakeholders for a two-day datathon right here in Belize City. The idea is to get everyone on board with a unified, ‘One Health’ data platform, one that connects the dots between human, animal, and environmental health. News Five’s Paul Lopez was there and has more on how this data-driven approach could transform the way Belize tackles health challenges.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Right now, the Ministry of Health and Wellness uses the Belize Health Information System to track health data, but it doesn’t include information from all the health organizations across the country. That’s a big gap when it comes to making smart decisions about public health. To fix that, the Ministry has teamed up with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to host a two-day datathon. It aims to bring everyone together and work toward a single, unified platform where all health data can be shared and used to guide better policies and services. Leading the charge is Dr. Andrei Chell, the Director of Policy Analysis, who says this is a big step toward a more connected and informed health system for Belize.
Andrei Chell
Dr. Andrei Chell, Director of Policy Analysis, MOHW
“The main objective of this datathon is to put the ministry of health as the stewards of health data governance. So we are trying to look at digital health transformation. We are moving towards that digital era of modernizing our health system. We as a ministry has that mandate to ensure what data we collect meets the quality of what we need and that data will inform our policies, our actions, which translates to the better health outcome we want to give to the entire Belizean population.”
In September 2024, the Ministry of Health and Wellness launched its Clinical Data Exchange Platform. The web-based system provides access to institutions and organizations across the country to input key health data on a single platform. Digital Focal Point at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Juan Carlos Sarabia shared more.
Juan Carlos Sarabia
Juan Carlos Sarabia, Digital Health Focal Point, MOHW
“This datathon we are doing for these two days helps a lot because it is also to introduce to the different stakeholders and ministries and units that we do have a system where data exchange can happen. And it is not just the exchange of data, it is also to create dashboard, reports and KPIs for the different institutions and ministry of health and wellness. Having a full understanding of what is going on in the country, especially with health is good for us and this system does provide us with the capacity to do so in a timely manner.”
Dr. Andrei Chell
“Being that this is the first datathon, of course there will be more collaborations with PAHO and these institutions. But a long-term goal is to create that multisectoral collaboration, strengthen that multi sectoral collaboration. As I mentioned, it is not only the job of the ministry of health but all our partners here today. The goal is to strengthen health governance, to strengthen digital health transformation.”
So, what exactly are public health experts collecting when it comes to health data and how much of it should be shared on one national platform? That’s the big question at the center of this week’s discussions. Of course, some people might be wondering, ‘Is my personal health information safe?’ It’s a fair concern. But according to Sarabia, there’s no need to worry, security is a top priority.
Juan Carlos Sarabia
“So the CDEP was built in a very secured platform, meaning that different institutions will have to subscribe to it in order to access data. And it is not just access to data. It is what agreement can be made with eh ministry of health and wellness as to what data can be shared about the patient. They way the system is built, it is hosted in the CITO network. It is difficult for any data breach to happen. They have high security. CDEP does come with a user access, authentication and audit. We do control who is able to access, when, and even audit. We control what the users are doing with the system.”
Dr. Chell made it clear: the big goal here is to make sure the ministry takes the lead when it comes to managing and protecting the country’s health data. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
As Belize’s population grows older, a silent crisis is taking shape, one that’s often hidden behind closed doors. Elder abuse is becoming a serious concern, and the numbers are more than just troubling. According to the National Council on Ageing, one in six older adults in Belize is likely to face some form of abuse: whether it’s physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, or even financial. What makes this issue even more heartbreaking is that it often happens at the hands of those they trust most, family members or caregivers. In close-knit communities, where speaking out can feel impossible, many elders suffer in silence. And with no national system in place to track these cases, it’s hard to know just how widespread the problem really is. Tonight, we take a closer look at why raising awareness about elder abuse isn’t just important, it’s urgent.
Ix-Chel Poot
Ix-Chel Poot, Exec. Dir., National Council on Ageing
“So one of the things that we do see is that as we become older, we become almost invisible. We stop interacting as mush with the community and people stop asking us what are the things that we need. So, by educating older persons about their rights and the different types of abuse, we strengthen their voice. By having organizations out here like Helpage, we give them a network to connect to so that there’s more visibility. So it’s extremely important for all of us, as we’re ageing, that we are able to engage, remain a part of the community. That’s why the popups are in a public space, so it’s to capture you, bring you out and let you see what is in place for you. I just like to encourage all our viewers to be mindful of the older persons in their life, take an interest, check up and be aware of some of the challenges that older persons face.”
In a world where health emergencies can strike without warning, being prepared isn’t just important, it’s essential. That’s why this week in Placencia, the Pan American Health Organization, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, hosted a powerful three-day workshop focused on Risk Communication and Community Engagement, or RCCE. The goal? To strengthen the ability of public health professionals and community health workers to communicate clearly and effectively during crises, especially in the face of threats like pandemic influenza. Participants didn’t just sit through lectures. They rolled up their sleeves and dove into real-world simulations, tackling outbreak scenarios and learning how to craft messages that are timely, culturally appropriate, and most importantly trusted by the communities they serve. This initiative is more than just training. It’s laying the groundwork for a national RCCE plan, a blueprint to ensure that when the next health emergency hits, Belize is ready to respond with clarity, confidence, and compassion. And as the country continues to face evolving threats, from natural disasters to infectious diseases, PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Health and Wellness are making it clear: empowering communities through communication is one of the most effective tools we have.
Tonight, fear is gripping immigrant communities in Ireland, including Belizeans, after a disturbing outbreak of racially motivated violence. What began as a peaceful vigil in support of a young assault victim quickly spiraled into chaos over the weekend. Following the arraignment of two teenage boys of Romanian descent, anti-foreigner vigilantes hijacked the demonstration, unleashing a string of violent attacks. Homes were vandalized with fireworks, bricks, and even homemade bombs. Some buildings were burned to the ground, targeting neighborhoods with large ethnic minority populations. Among those affected are Belizeans living in Ireland. We spoke with Melvin Flores, a Belizean who’s called Ireland home for the past twenty years, to get a firsthand account of what’s happening on the ground.
Melvin Flores
Melvin Flores, Belizean Living in Ireland
“ I’m not afraid. I’m concerned because, I’m still an active member in the media. I’m a media researcher, so I spend a lot of time researching stuff. But for me to go out there and document what’s happening, I’m putting myself at risk because I’m gonna be targeted as one of those other people. So it has gotten so bad that immigrants were here, they have to had put, have to be placing on their doors we are Filipinos or we are not, or we are not Romanians or we are English, so that their house is not gonna be attacked. The population of immigrants living in Northern Ireland who have made space their home. It’s only about, it’s only about three point four percent of the immigrants here. So we are the extreme minority. So it’s a mixed place that there’s there’s people from China, which is approximately 9nine thousand five hundred people. People from other parts of mixed ethnic groups, which is from fourteen thousand four hundred people of Indian descendants. About eleven thousand and Belize lies on the case of the maybe zero point something percent. But we are here. Unfortunately, that because this perpetration has been done, committed recently, it’s about foreigners. So do we lie we in the category here, like here I have a, I have my wife, I have my son, and it’s like they make you vigilant. They make you want to very vigilant of where you are. What do you say? Because of the repercussion of what could happen if you’re in the wrong place.”
