Photo: (l-r) Vivian and Jon Ramnarace (bottom) David Ramnarace
BELIZE CITY, Wed. Jan. 3, 2024
The year 2023 has come and gone, and the redistricting ordered by the then Supreme Court has not started. The report presented to the National Assembly by the Elections and Boundaries Commission before the deadline of July 17, 2023 is yet to be debated. Members of the current administration and the Opposition as well as the Claimants, the Belize Peace Movement, expressed their objections to some of the contents (recommendations) in the leaked report. They have returned to Court to move the process forward. The Redistricting Task Force first met on February 21, 2022. —-
The Briceño Administration fulfilled its promise of increasing the minimum wage to $5 at the start of the year. There were reports that some employers cut back on work hours to reduce the increased cost.
And while the minimum-wage increase was good news for some workers, on the crime front, the nation entered 2023 reeling from the news of the double murder of brothers Jon and David Ramnarace in Belmopan. Their partners were also injured, with Jon’s wife, Vivian Ramnarace, left fighting for her life. She would succumb 15 days later. The case was made even more chilling when police shortly after, charged one of their own, the notorious police corporal Elmer Nah, for the crime. He is still before the court, awaiting the start of the preliminary inquiry due to multiple delays. The prosecution has been taken over by Special Prosecutor from Jamaica, Terrence Williams. Nah was dismissed from the Police Department in December 2023, with the Commissioner of Police Chester Williams accepting that there is a possibility that the move could be challenged. However, he said they cannot have an officer in their ranks whose mere presence instils fear. Other police officers who were accused along with Nah of assisting in the Bladen drug plane landing were also dismissed. That case also continues in court.
In a first, the Commissioner of Police allowed attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley to peruse the Fareed Ahmad case file to prove that the Police Department had not engaged in a cover-up for Elmer Nah, who has been accused by some individuals of being the shooter who executed Ahmad. Bradley said that none of the witnesses pointed to Nah being at the scene. Attorney Arthur Saldivar said a client of his placed Nah at the scene. However, his witness statement omitted that observation. Saldivar said the witness could have been intimidated.
Prime Minister John Briceño unsuccessfully sued the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow, for defamation over comments about the facilitation of drug plane landings. Barrow was awarded costs.
As to Barrow’s own internal party politics, he admitted having failed to get the members of the United Democratic Party’s National Party Council to see that former Belmopan area representative John Saldivar’s continued involvement in the UDP as a standard bearer would have a damaging effect on the party. He had called for a criminal charge to be pursued against Saldivar for his private use of a Coast Guard vessel donated by the U.S. Embassy. No charges were brought.
Back to drug plane landings, in the first week of January 2023, the Belize Police Department successfully fended off a suit from two former police officers, David Chi and Norman Anthony, who were accused of, then freed from charges of, facilitating a drug plane landing on September 9, 2018. They had sued for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.
Reports of tension in the citrus industry emerged in the first month of 2023 over the payment for citrus at $14 per box. Feeling it to be too low compared to world market prices, growers preferred to leave the fruits on the trees.
While the decision was handed down on December 16, 2022, it did not emerge until January 2023 that attorney Sharon Pitts had won a civil suit that sought to have her return land compensation in the sum of $400,000. In dismissing the claim, Justice Lisa Shoman proclaimed that there was no evidence that Pitts acted in bad faith, and both she and the UDP government at the time agreed to compensation.
The idea for a Commission of Inquiry into the sugar industry up north was first floated at the start of 2023. By the end of the year, the members had been named, but a chairperson had yet to be announced for the work to start.
Still up north, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Jose Mai informed the public at the start of 2023 that Belize had made its first export of soybean meal after being a net importer of soybean products for animal feed since the late 90s.
When several Heritage Bank customers fell victim to a phishing scam, businessman Lascelle Arnold chose to withdraw his money from the institution. The police investigation into the scam did not yield any concrete results as to the perpetrator/s, but they did indicate that no inside involvement was suspected.
Prime Minister John Briceño reassigned Minister of State, Hon. Ramon “Munchie” Cervantes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration to the Ministry of Sustainable Development. He called it a strategic decision and denied allegations that it was due to questionable behaviour.
On January 11, the Government signed an MOU with Taiwan for the construction of a $33 million hospital for Ambergris Caye.
Residents of Alta Vista, Stann Creek, suffered through significantly deteriorated water quality due to land development by a teak tree owner. The businessman agreed to supply the village with water that would be transported by trucks. It was determined that he had not obtained environmental clearance.
On January 12, Cabinet announced its approval for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement to ensure that the public has greater say on development projects that could impact the environment and to ensure environmental justice. The Senate approved ratification on February 10. However, Minister Courtenay said there would be a delay in ratification until Costa Rica sorts out its own position on ratification. After condemnation from the UBAD Educational Foundation and subsequently, the Belize Network of NGOs, Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay signed the ratification instrument on February 27.
In January, the Statistical Institute of Belize announced that census figures would be released in June, but the year has concluded without that happening.
With the Government not finding a replacement for retired Auditor General Dorothy Bradley, she was reappointed to that post on a two-year contract. She was sworn in on January 13.
Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow announced that he had inked a deal with Disney to produce a documentary on his life.
The National Fire Service started offering emergency response as part of its services. The president of the Public Service Union would report later in the year that a request from the firefighters for a salary adjustment was being ignored.
After being asked to provide responses to accusations of license violations, Countach Technologies Ltd., a Cayman Island company which said it is a shareholder in Brads Gaming Group Ltd., threatened international arbitration if Brads’ gaming license was revoked. The Briceño Administration proceeded to do just that, ending Brads’ license effective May 2. Much to the severe disappointment of buyers, Boledo would not restart under government ownership until December 1, 2023. Brads has gone to court seeking damages for the 7 years remaining on the license. The attorney for Brads, Senior Counsel Dean Barrow, revealed to Amandala in December that authorities are auditing Brads for tax payments.
Famed veteran Belizean footballer, Deon “Pussy” Flowers succumbed on January 19 to injuries received in a traffic accident a few days earlier.
In January, insurance companies jointly announced that as of March 1, 2023, insurance premiums would increase, with the steepest increase being for motorcycles. On another note, insurance companies reported that the payout for Hurricane Lisa damages was around $60 million.
William Dawson, who headed the Leadership Intervention Unit (LIU), passed away on January 25. Dawson’s work with at-risk youth in Belize City earned him much respect and along with his partners, they were able to achieve some successes in addressing the periodic flare-ups of gang violence in the Old Capital. He was replaced by Dominique Noralez on her return in June from the University of the West Indies, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree.
At the end of January, it emerged that, as part of the re-delineation of the boundaries of 7 of the 9 municipalities, issues had arisen between San Jose Succotz and Benque Viejo. Authorities said they were working with both sides to resolve the differences.
In January, the Ministry of Economic Development announced that grant funding of BZ$1.3 million had been approved by the Green Climate Fund to investigate the feasibility of flood protection measures to address the kind of severe flooding seen in the Cayo District during Eta and Iota in 2020.
On January 30, for the first time, the Joint Public Accounts Committee (JPAC) held its hearing in public. In another first for the JPAC, on December 5 it called the Prime Minister to address concerns that financial reports were not being completed in a timely manner.
The Briceño Administration inaugurated the Blackberry Ridge Community at the start of February. Fifty people received keys to starter homes that the Government said were built at a cost of $45,000 each.
In a shocking revelation to the populace, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced on February 2nd that they had agreed to resettle a Guantanamo prisoner, 42-year-old Majid Shoukat Khan of Pakistan. He was a former member of Al Qaeda who answered to the man believed to be the mastermind behind the 911 attacks.
And while Khan’s entry into the country was greenlighted in February, there was also increasing scrutiny of the treatment of Haitian nationals arriving with all their required documentation but who were being arbitrarily detained overnight. On March 29, the Minister of Immigration, Eamon Courtenay, announced that the Government would introduce a visa requirement for Haitians despite them being CARICOM nationals. Courtenay said that the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas allows for such a measure under Article 226 (a). On that same day, Minister Courtenay informed that at the close of the amnesty program which had started in August 2022 and concluded in March 31, 2023, only 12,500 applications had been received.
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) called for a proper justification of an increase in the Prime Minister’s transport allowance from $1,300 per month to $4,000. The Cabinet Secretary explained that the increase was due to the need for timely replacement of parts and maintenance and also the fact that the PM uses his own private vehicle.
An increase in the salaries of judges similarly caused a stir in the Public Service. The then Attorney General, Magali Marin-Young, explained that the increase was to bring judges’ benefits in line with those in other Caribbean countries.
On February 5, John Saldivar won the UDP’s standard bearer convention in Belmopan. His challengers were businessman Emil Torres and former defense CEO, George Lovell. The voter turnout was 1,914, and Saldivar received 901 votes.
Following an image of police lining up high school students kneeling against the Pallotti High School fence, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said perhaps it is time to consider policing high schools to prevent nasty fights.
Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel made a historic visit to Belize on February 13, becoming the first Cuban president to visit Belize.
The price of bananas began increasing this year. Minister of Agriculture Hon. Jose Mai explained that it was due to the increasing cost of getting into the farms to select the bananas, taking them to ripening houses and then distributing them. Production for export also decreased by 600,000 boxes or more.
After an increasing number of encounters gone wrong between police and persons living with mental illnesses, trainings were held for police officers to assist with the management of such patients. There was also talk of the establishment of Crisis Management Teams to respond adequately.
On February 15, the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Workers Union decided to hold a short-pants peaceful protest amid ongoing talks with authorities concerning medication and supply shortages and other issues.
At the same time, some members of the Public Service Union called in sick while their own leadership continued negotiations with the Government regarding the reinstatement of increments, an outstanding Collective Bargaining Agreement and pension reform. —-
In mid-February, the Ministry of Transport announced a plan for the modernization of public ground-transportation by 2024 beginning with buses, then busitos and finally taxis. —-
The Leader of the Opposition complained in February about the selection of a foreign Chief Magistrate upon the departure of Sharon Fraser. The Attorney General responded that there had only been one applicant from Belize.
The UDP’s Caucus for Change, led by John Saldivar, expressed support for Moses “Shyne” Barrow to lead the party into the next general elections. This was cemented by a vote of the National Party Council on March 29. He was endorsed at a National Convention on August 13. The event was not attended by Hon. Patrick Faber. The latter was announced as the standard bearer for Collet at the end of April after Ian Jones, who had previously been endorsed to run, finally agreed to step aside.
In February, there was great concern in the Placencia Peninsula, which experienced a critical BWS water shortage. It prompted a meeting of tourism stakeholders to search for solutions and a call to residents to conserve water. As a remedial measure, BWS had to make two daily trips to Dangriga with bowsers contributing 30,000 gallons toward the 50,000-gallon shortfall.
The Ministry of the Public Service notified in February that it was working to get Belize ranked again by Transparency International. Belize has not been ranked since 2008, as it only provides two sources of data when a minimum of three of thirteen is required.
Belize’s U-19 Male and U-21 Female national volleyball teams made history when they qualified in February for the underage category of the Continental Volleyball Championships organized by the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA).
Two cane farmer associations wrote the Prime Minister requesting an increase in the price of brown sugar, which has not seen an increase since 2001, and of plantation white sugar, which was last increased in 2015. The position was subsequently supported by Belize Sugar Industries (BSI), but Government did not acquiesce, saying it would have a ripple effect on other products. The BSCFA shared a different opinion, saying that while cane farmers would stand to benefit, the same could be achieved if BSI paid the farmers a fair price for their cane. On March 7, they held a demonstration in Belmopan at Independence Hill while Cabinet was in session, to drive their message home regarding their demands for a new commercial agreement. Cabinet then reported that a Sub-Committee headed by Hon. Kareem Musa would be established to try to get the parties on a collaborative path. On March 9th, Cabinet announced that it had approved a Commission of Inquiry into the sugar industry.
At the start of March, Cabinet also approved the creation of a Sub-Committee on inflation chaired by Hon. Jose Mai. On March 10, legislation was introduced to allow for public officers to assist the Supplies Control Unit with ticketing stores not complying with price control regulations.
The land title for the Belama Phase 4 Fiesta Park was handed over to the Belize City Council by Freetown area representative Francis Fonseca. Shortly after the People’s United Party came to power, it was revealed that the land for the community park and two adjacent parcels had been transferred into the name of a private foundation named Freetown Community Foundation in the months leading up to the November 2020 general elections.
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Andriy Melnyk, visited Belize during a multi-country tour to seek support to stop the war initiated by Russia in February 2022.
Following an appeal by the Ashcroft Alliance company, Waterloo Investment Holdings, the Minister of Sustainable Development, Hon. Orlando Habet convened the three-member tribunal to hear the appeal. It included Justice Patricia Farnese as chairperson. Waterloo proceeded to object to the appointments of all the private sector representatives after a couple resignations.
Six months after the re-launch of the Visiting Justices Program at the Belize Central Prison in September 2022, it was reported that there had been no resumption of visits. Prison CEO, Virgilio Murillo shared that the JP Association had not yet designated the JPs who would be part of the program.
On March 8th, after multiple meetings, the Prime Minister confirmed that Government would unfreeze increments for public officers and teachers in April rather than July, as planned. Negotiations would continue regarding the return of the withheld increments. As it relates to pension reform, new entrants into the public service were to begin contributing to a pension scheme this year, but that timeline has changed.
On March 10, the Central Bank announced the appointment of an Administrator for the St. Francis Xavier Credit Union, citing a culture of unaccountability at the management level, among others. It said the appointment was necessary to protect the equities and interests of members.
Prime Minister John Briceño’s third budget, presented on March 10, was for expenditure totaling BZ$1.496 billion. The Prime Minister announced at that time that NHI would be expanded from Southside Belize City to the Orange Walk District later in the year with an allocation of $7 million. Coverage was also expanded to 500 police officers who work in precincts 1, 2 and 4 in Belize City.
Following a campaign by Seidy Quetzal called “Don’t Tax My Femininity,” the Government announced that the taxes on feminine hygiene products would be removed as of April 1. However, it took some more months before approval was received from the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development to waive the Common External Tariff on female sanitary products. The Supplies Control Unit at the end of the year said it would determine if stores were complying with the tax removal.
A devastating fire at St. Matthew’s Government School destroyed a building that housed eight classrooms and offices. The cause was determined to be old wiring and an old, overloaded breaker.
Adding to the increasing inflation pinching the pockets of Belizean consumers, the price of chicken products increased by ten cents in the third week of March. There was also the scarcity of plantains and limes, the price of which skyrocketed to a dollar per lime.
The Minister of Transport, during the budget debate, announced a pilot project involving electric buses from Belize City to Cayo to be designated initially for public officers in their daily commute. It was scheduled to start at the end of the year, but had not yet come on stream by then. Minister Ferguson, who also holds the sports portfolio, informed that they were conducting studies and drafting plans to upgrade the historic MCC Garden in Newtown Barracks in Belize City. Meanwhile, also during this year’s budget debate, UDP Albert area representative, Hon. Tracy Panton observed that no increases were planned to strengthen the government bodies that ensure good governance, despite the PUP campaigning on a robust good governance platform to ensure accountability and transparency.
Apart from Haitian nationals, Belize authorities saw an increase in arrivals of Brazilians. A group of 22 Brazilians were detained at a hotel in Corozal on 23rd March. They were charged for immigration offences.
At the end of March, the Government approved a $264 million expansion for the Philip Goldson International Airport.
In April we learned that the fee for e-passports introduced in October 2022 was 400% higher than the previous standard fee. In the case of the 10-year passport, which previously cost $50; the cost went up to $200. The fee for passports for minors went from $30 to $150.
Taiwan president, Dr. Tsai Ing-Wen visited Belize for a second time. She arrived on April 4 and signed a technical cooperation framework agreement updating the countries’ technical cooperation agreement of 1996.
Cabinet approved the return of ADO and FDN buses to transport visitors to and from Mexico and Guatemala, respectively, beginning on May 1. Meanwhile, talks with Taly Corporation to bring public transportation to San Pedro fell through.
Of 108 cyclists who started the 93rd Holy Saturday Cross County Cycling Classic, Oscar Quiroz, Jr. emerged as the winner of the race. Cory Williams placed second. A Belizean had not won the race since 2018. Also making history, Belizean American Demetrie Meyers won two Gold medals for Belize at the 50th CARIFTA Games that were held in Bahamas. Meyers is trained by his father, Gregory Meyers, at a public park in the U.S.
April also registered the untimely and unexpected passing of Police Communications Director, ASP Fitzroy Yearwood. He had been admitted at the hospital after suffering a stroke on Easter Sunday.
Convicted American fraudster Lev Dermen, from whom politician John Saldivar said he had accepted campaign financing, received a 40-year sentence for fraud in the U.S.
The Ashcroft Alliance followed through on notices of seeking international arbitration in the case of the denied Port of Belize cruise tourism terminal and cargo expansion project.
April 2023 saw an increase in forest fires as compared to previous years. The hazy atmosphere was unbearable for many, and later in the month, the National Fire Service said about a dozen structures had been destroyed by fire.
On April 13, Ruth Shoman was elected president of the Belize National Teachers’ Union. However, due to a sustained challenge by some union members about her past, Shoman issued a letter of withdrawal from the post which she later retracted. The attacks continued even after she assumed office on July 1st, and she eventually resigned on September 1. Jorge Mejia is acting as national president until new elections can be held for the post.
A Non-Profit Organizations Bill 2023 approved in the Senate on April 19 had raised significant concern from the NGO community and was also frowned upon by the Bar Association in a legal opinion. Nonetheless, the bill was passed as part of a group of bills that the Government said had to be passed by May in order for Belize to be in compliance with international obligations regarding anti-money laundering and terrorist financing.
There was a tense flare-up on the ground down south on April 20 between the villages of Laguna and Yemeri about the demarcation of their village boundaries.
At the conclusion of the trial of former police constable Kareem Martinez, on April 21, High Court Justice Antoinette Moore found him guilty of the murder of 14-year-old Laddie Gillett. On May 24 he was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The trial started on January 27 and featured a visit to the scene on a beach in Placencia. During the trial, Justice Moore ordered that a police officer who testified in the case be investigated for perjury.
In a shocking case, on April 25, 31 students, primarily from St. Luke Methodist Primary School in Belize City, and 7 adults had to be rushed to the KHMH after consuming, unbeknownst to them, gummies and snacks laced with marijuana. Thankfully, none of the children were admitted in critical condition. It was later revealed that an exhibit keeper for the Police Department had put out the gummies for disposal and they ended up being circulated by dumpsite pickers. The exhibit keeper, 38-year-old Mario Bustillos, was later charged for causing harm by negligence. It was also revealed that the gummies had arrived in a barrel that arrived in the country in the name of an interdicted police officer, but the Police Commissioner said the barrel was never picked up. —-
This year, the Department of Youth piloted a program called the Mountain Pine Ridge Challenge, where at-risk youth from across the country were to be housed at Mountain Pine Ridge for an initial period of four months and then return for a 2-year development program.
Ex-partner of Andrew Ashcroft, Canadian Jasmine Hartin pleaded guilty to manslaughter by negligence in the shooting death of Superintendent of Police, 42-year-old Henry Jemmott. She made the decision after a sentence indication by High Court Justice Ricardo O’Neil Sandcroft that she would likely not face a custodial sentence if she pleaded guilty at that time in the process, rather than going through a trial. On 31st May, she was ordered to pay a fine of $75,000 and do 300 hours of community service.
After an apparent fall-out between Minister Rodwell Ferguson and his CEO, Marconi Leal, Adele Catzim-Sanchez was named the new CEO of Transport, Youth and Sports in May.
A shootout in Rural Corozal which left one man dead, led to reports that Mexican cartel members had come across the border to perpetrate the crime. However, there was never any confirmation. Shortly after, the Government announced that additional funding to the tune of $1 million would be provided for enhanced security in the north. In the incident, a Ford Escape was pursued by a white GMC SUV on the road from Progresso, Corozal leading to the Pueblo Nuevo Ferry. Witnesses at the ferry said the weapons used appeared to be machine guns.
On May 5th, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 no longer qualified as a global emergency.
A Heritage Bank ATM was stolen from Burrell Boom Village on May 8. In December, there were multiple robberies of Heritage ATMs including on the Bullet Tree Road, Roaring Creek Village, Fabers Road Extension and Ladyville.
In May, tension flared up at the waterfront when stevedores chose to return to their CBA-outlined work hours, as opposed to a two-gang, one ship operation for the MV Aries, in order to put pressure on Port of Belize Ltd. to comply with a Tribunal order that PBL and the Christian Workers Union negotiate a redundancy payment for stevedores due to the bulk-sugar operation having been transferred to the Port of Big Creek in July 2021.
Famed Belizean singer, songwriter, composer, choreographer, dancer and playwright, Bella Carib, passed away on May 10 in the United States.
BSI mounted a legal challenge after the Government introduced regulations requiring the company to pay Fairtrade premiums to farmers, and disclose certain financial information, among other requirements. Because BSCFA had not received Fairtrade premiums for two years, Cabinet approved a subsidy of $1 million to be used for fertilizer to improve crop yield. This remained one of the issues of contention between BSI/ASR and the BSCFA, who later in the year requested that BSI become conveyor for Fairtrade premiums.
On May 19, the Briceño Administration presented a loan motion for a $90 million 150-bed tertiary level care hospital in Belmopan. The funds are being received from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a term of 20 years. The proposed project was called a white elephant by the KHMHA Workers Union, who said the money would be better invested in existing public hospitals and human resources.
Also at that House Meeting, the Civil Assets Recovery and Unexplained Wealth bill was passed to allow for the recovery of proceeds of unlawful conduct while in office.
Leonora Flowers replaced Evan “Mose” Hyde as the president of the Christian Workers Union. She was elected at an Annual General Meeting on May 20th.
The Department of Transport notified owners of electric motorcycles or scooters that those vehicles should be registered and licensed to operate on our roadways.
On May 18, Waterloo wrote the Prime Minister complaining that Freedom of Information Act requests on the Port of Magical Belize project, particularly for disclosure of the Definitive Agreement of October 2020 signed by Erwin Contreras, were being ignored.
On May 22nd, the Citrus Growers Association reassured stakeholders that, notwithstanding claims of the imminent collapse of the citrus industry, it is, in fact, rebounding from the many challenges it faced in the last decade.
BEL announced toward the end of May that it will no longer charge customers high fees ($5,000 plus) to connect to the grid if they are in remote locations. The new policy is intended to spur customer growth.
The Portico Definitive Agreement was leaked on 25th May. It was called “trash” by former UDP Attorney General, Michael Peyrefitte, and it was torn up by the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives on June 16 in a symbolic gesture, signaling that his Cabinet too had distanced itself from the agreement – shocking in its exemptions and incentives. Briceño came under fire after it was revealed that earlier in May, his Ministry of Finance had presented the Definitive Agreement in its entirety alongside supporting legislation to Cabinet, urging their approval for it to be taken to Parliament. Minister of Tourism, Anthony Mahler revealed that he had not been properly consulted prior to the agreement being taken to Cabinet. For its part, apart from information requests, Waterloo pulled out all the stops and asked the Ombudsman to investigate Erwin Contreras and then, ultimately, the company sued him over his signing of the Definitive Agreement.
In May, the Minister of National Defence confirmed reports that villagers in Toledo were mounting resistance to the destruction by the Belize Defence Force of clandestine airstrips.
In June, Cabinet approved a $54 million bond for the Belize Tourism Board, which controls its own revenue.
The written stage of the Belize-Guatemala ICJ case closed on June 7 when Belize delivered its rejoinder. Belize authorities expect the date for the oral hearing to be made known by this year June.
At the end of June, Attorney General Magali Marin-Young returned to private practice. She was replaced by Anthony Sylvestre.
Belize athletics great, Ernest “Junia” Morris passed in June. He competed in 100 and 200-meter races in the 1970s.
Stake Bank Enterprises Limited reported a win at the Court of Appeal, which overturned a High Court decision that Stake Bank’s application for judicial review of Environmental Clearance granted to Portico Enterprises Limited was not filed within the prescribed time.
Also in June, the national coordinator of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), Retired Colonel Shelton DeFour, was replaced with Retired BDF Captain Daniel Mendez, who previously served as disaster risk management specialist at the Ministry of Sustainable Development.
The National Sports Council also saw a change at the top with Iris Centeno being named Director in place of Ian Cal.
Following three years of no local cases, the World Health Organization certified Belize as malaria free in June.
Also in June, it was exposed that people were buying gun licenses; and in one case, there was the deliberate misrepresentation of the information provided for the required security background check. The revelations led to comprehensive reform via legislative amendment that took the power of gun license approvals from the Commissioner and placed it in a three-member board. The board had yet to be constituted by year’s end. The board will have the authority to conduct an audit of the gun license register.
Anglican Priest, Canon Leroy Flowers passed away on June 25th due to illness. He had been hospitalized in May.
After the stevedores issued the required 21-day notice of strike action, the Minister of Labour, Hon. Oscar Requena reconvened the Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal to address the non-compliance by PBL with the Tribunal’s order of January 2022 regarding a redundancy payment.