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  • Onderzoek naar verdwenen kwik nog altijd zonder resultaat

    Onderzoek naar verdwenen kwik nog altijd zonder resultaat

    Nearly half a year after more than 500 kilograms of mercury went missing from the Geyersvlijt police station in Suriname, the official investigation into the high-stakes disappearance has yet to yield any concrete results, Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Security Harish Monorath has confirmed to the country’s National Assembly.

    Addressing lawmakers on Tuesday, Monorath stated that the probe remains ongoing, with investigators currently working to analyze new sets of data from alternative channels, a process that is expected to take additional time. He added that he has received consistent updates on the case from the police corps commissioner, but this response failed to satisfy members of parliament, who are demanding full transparency around what happened to the toxic, controlled material.

    Mahinder Jogi, a legislator from the ruling VHP party, pushed back hard on the minister’s update, noting that the case has been open for several months with no clear answers to fundamental questions: how the mercury was able to disappear from a guarded police facility, where the material is currently located, and which individual or group is responsible for the loss. Jogi questioned whether senior officials are intentionally withholding information from the legislature, arguing that the government cannot continue to deliver the same vague update to parliament indefinitely.

    Rabin Parmessar, leader of the opposition NDP faction, echoed these concerns, raising a series of unanswered questions about the conduct of the investigation. Parmessar asked what investigators have learned from the police station’s security camera footage, which officers were on duty during the window when the mercury went missing, whether any cameras were deliberately disabled, and whether all required protocols for the storage and security of seized hazardous material were properly followed.

    Parmessar emphasized that it is critical to avoid creating a public perception of lack of transparency, particularly when the incident involves the national police force. “Members of the public have to be able to trust that materials held in police custody are kept secure,” he said, “We need to be open and honest about what has gone wrong here.”

    Defending the slow pace of the probe, Monorath reminded lawmakers that complex criminal investigations often require extended timelines, pointing to a prior high-profile case at the same Geyersvlijt station where 90 kilograms of cocaine disappeared from a police safe. In that case, it took more than a year before a suspect was identified, the minister noted.

    Monorath also clarified the division of responsibilities in the case, stating that management of all seized goods falls under the authority of the police corps commissioner, while the criminal investigation is led by the Public Prosecution Service. The minister added that any breaches of integrity within the Suriname Police Corps will not be tolerated, and any officers found to have violated rules will face both criminal and disciplinary action. He also noted that decisions to release individuals detained as part of the investigation are not made by his office, but rest with the Public Prosecution Service, the investigating judge or the broader judiciary.

  • Corporate tax windfall raises urgency for faster reforms

    Corporate tax windfall raises urgency for faster reforms

    Barbados has recorded a windfall of more than $150 million in additional corporate tax revenue following the implementation of landmark global tax reforms, but industry leaders are sounding a warning that the Caribbean nation risks losing international companies to more operationally efficient jurisdictions unless it accelerates public sector modernization.

    The new tax regime, which includes the Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax paired with the OECD-led Pillar Two framework, sets a 15% effective minimum tax for large multinational enterprises and a 9% rate for domestic companies. Introduced to bring Barbados’ tax code in line with global standards and defend its domestic corporate tax base, the reform has already delivered a substantial infusion into the island’s public coffers, data from the Central Bank of Barbados confirms. The Mia Mottley-led administration plans to direct the extra revenue toward strengthening social safety nets, expanding regulatory capacity, and delivering direct economic relief to local citizens.

    However, the unexpected revenue boost has reignited debates over Barbados’ long-term competitiveness as an international business hub, with observers questioning whether higher tax rates will erode the island’s long-standing appeal to global corporations. Carmel Haynes, executive director of the Barbados International Business Association (BIBA), told reporters that while the tax overhaul initially triggered unease across the offshore business sector, overall investor confidence has held up better than early forecasts predicted. “Early projections of a mass exodus of foreign capital simply did not come to pass,” Haynes noted. “While there have been some companies that chose to relocate, we continue to see new business incorporations, so it would be wrong to write off Barbados’ attractiveness at this stage.”

    Central Bank data backs this assessment: after an initial uptick in non-renewals of foreign currency permits when the reform was first rolled out, renewal rates have since stabilized, and the island’s largest corporate taxpayers have opted to retain their local operations. “We have not seen a mass departure of firms over the 9% domestic rate,” Haynes said. “The fact that major taxpayers are still here and meeting their new higher tax obligations signals solid confidence in the market.”

    The impact of the new regime has been uneven across different industry segments. Highly mobile corporate structures set up primarily for tax minimization have faced the most pressure to relocate, but core sectors where Barbados holds established global market share have seen little disruption. Notably, the captive insurance industry, where Barbados ranks among the world’s top five domiciles alongside Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Delaware, has remained largely stable.

    Haynes pointed out that many multinationals choose Barbados for strategic advantages that go far beyond base tax rates, including the island’s extensive network of double taxation treaties that offer unique legal protections for firms operating in complex regional markets like Cuba and Venezuela. Now that the 15% global minimum tax has leveled the playing field across all participating jurisdictions, Barbados still retains key competitive edges over its Caribbean peers: administrative and corporate setup costs remain significantly lower than in higher-cost hubs like Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, and the island has long marketed itself as having a highly educated professional workforce that keeps labor costs stable while meeting global regulatory substance requirements. This skilled talent pool is paired with decades of regulatory stability and legal predictability, factors that continue to reassure long-term foreign investors.

    Even with these inherent strengths, BIBA is urging the government not to take existing investor loyalty for granted. With tax rate differences largely eliminated by OECD rules, non-tax factors — particularly administrative efficiency and speed of service delivery — have become the most critical differentiator for competing international business hubs. The association is calling on the Mottley administration to reinvest the new tax revenue directly into public service modernization, cutting bureaucratic red tape, and advancing long-delayed digital transformation projects. A top priority is full digitization of the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office (CAIPO), with local businesses calling for faster company registration processing, automated cross-agency data sharing to cut redundant paperwork, and legal recognition of digital signatures for corporate transactions.

    “When companies know their applications will be processed quickly, their questions answered and their needs met efficiently, we will outcompete other jurisdictions,” Haynes said. “We cannot rest on our past successes. We cannot assume companies currently operating here will stay indefinitely. We have to meet their modern needs and prove we want their business by delivering the highest quality services possible.” While some government agencies including Business Barbados and the Financial Services Commission have already started expanding staffing to improve service, Haynes warned that the pace of reform needs to accelerate sharply to avoid frustrating investors. “If companies get fed up with delays and leave, the damage will already be done,” she said.

    Looking ahead, long-term uncertainty around the global Pillar Two framework remains, driven by shifting geopolitical dynamics. The United States has not yet formally adopted the regime, facing growing domestic political pushback against global tax mandates, leaving open questions about whether the 15% minimum tax will remain intact over the next decade. “Geopolitical shifts could change the long-term trajectory of the global minimum tax regime,” Haynes noted. “It is still too early to tell if this framework is permanent, so we cannot yet know what its ultimate impact on Barbados will be.”

  • Teen’s Flight to Escape Bees Ends in Death

    Teen’s Flight to Escape Bees Ends in Death

    On August 7, 2026, a sudden and horrifying encounter with a swarm of bees left Belize reeling from an unexpected young death: 18-year-old autistic teenager Xue Liu drowned in the Belize River after jumping into the water to escape the stinging insects.

    The incident unfolded along the Philip Goldson Highway, just outside Belize City near the Whitfield Community, where Liu was traveling with her father. Both were attacked by the aggressive swarm, and in a panic to escape the bees, Liu leaped into the nearby Belize River. Her father suffered non-fatal injuries from the attack and was transferred to a local hospital for treatment, leaving emergency responders scrambling to locate the missing teen.

    Local rescue organization 501 Lifeguards was one of the first groups to answer the call for help, after an urgent appeal for assistance was shared on Facebook. Organization owner Andrew Gentle arrived on scene quickly, deploying a drone to scan the wide river from the air. Gentle noted that the river reaches depths of around 30 feet, with a surprisingly strong current that complicated search efforts from the start.

    The Belize Coast Guard soon joined the operation, bringing specialized diving equipment and a larger surveillance drone to expand the search. Additional resources from the Belize Port Authority and private boat owners also joined the multi-agency effort, with divers methodically combing the riverbanks and drones systematically covering the water’s surface while Liu’s family gathered on shore, waiting anxiously for news. Liu’s brother, who arrived after being alerted by a family member, spoke of his disorientation and fear in the immediate aftermath of the incident, saying he had no clear details of what had led his sister and father to the area that day.

    While search crews worked to locate Liu, a specialized bee removal team was dispatched to the site to clear the remaining swarm, which had already been cordoned off by local police with caution tape to prevent further injuries. Hours into the search, a coast guard officer made a grim discovery: he detected what felt like a foot and fabric consistent with pants under the water. It took search teams another half an hour to fully recover Liu’s body, bringing the agonizing search to a tragic close.

    First responders gathered to console Liu’s grieving brother, offering prayers and support as the family came to terms with their loss. Tevin Conorque, a lifeguard instructor with 501 Lifeguards, reflected on the difficult recovery operation, noting that even with years of training, recovering a young life lost is an emotional experience. “This is what we train for,” Conorque said. “Every time we hear someone has drowned, we feel it as lifeguards, and we will always show up to help any way we can.”

    Belize Coast Guard Commandant Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis, who was on site to support his diving team, spoke to the emotional toll of such recoveries for first responders. “It is never easy, especially when you are talking about losing someone so young,” Soberanis said. “After years of recoveries, it still hits hard, especially when you see the family waiting on the bank. It’s impossible not to be moved by it.”

    What began as an ordinary outing ended in unthinkable tragedy, leaving a family mourning a life cut far too short by a random, terrifying chain of events. The community has rallied around the Liu family in the wake of the incident, honoring the commitment of the multi-agency search team that worked tirelessly to bring the teen home.

  • Underage drinking concerns raised at Crop Over events

    Underage drinking concerns raised at Crop Over events

    As Barbados’ iconic Crop Over festival enters its peak summer season, the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) has issued an urgent warning over widespread failures to prevent underage access to alcohol at public festival events. Reports of minors purchasing and consuming alcoholic beverages without mandatory age or identity checks have prompted the public health agency to highlight the serious risks weak regulatory enforcement poses to young people across the island.

    NCSA counselor Mosiah Hoyte shared details of the agency’s on-the-ground observations with local outlet Barbados TODAY, confirming that the issue was detected during the festival’s busiest period, when young attendees gather at events where alcohol is sold and promoted extensively. “There is definitely a major concern about underage alcohol use throughout Crop Over,” Hoyte stated. “Right now, we are not seeing consistent, enforced policies requiring ID checks at festival venues, and as a result, we are directly observing underage drinking taking place across multiple events.”

    Hoyte pointed to a potential conflict between event operators’ commercial priorities and their legal and ethical responsibility to block alcohol access to minors. “Many vendors and organizers are focused on maximizing sales, and any transaction is seen as a good outcome for their bottom line,” he explained. “But this profit-driven approach comes at a huge cost to our young people. When underage drinking is normalized and easily accessible, it opens the door to a wide range of harmful, risky behaviors that can have long-term impacts.”

    The overlap between the Crop Over season and school summer vacations exacerbates the problem, Hoyte added, noting that minors often face reduced adult supervision during the break, giving them more freedom to obtain and consume alcohol. “In our culture, alcohol is tied to almost every social gathering and celebration, and Crop Over is no exception,” he said. “That normalization makes it even more important that all stakeholders step up to protect vulnerable groups, and young people and teenagers are exactly that – a vulnerable population that needs targeted protection.”

    Hoyte emphasized that event organizers have both a legal and moral obligation to enforce age limits: Barbados law explicitly prohibits selling alcohol to anyone under the age of 18. “Organizers need to go the extra mile to implement strict ID checks, not just to comply with the law and protect themselves from legal consequences, but to keep young people safe,” he said. The NCSA counselor also stressed that parental responsibility plays a critical role in addressing the issue, calling on caregivers to increase oversight of children and teenagers during the summer vacation period. “Parents need to take greater responsibility for knowing where their children are, what activities they are participating in, and what substances they have access to, especially during this unstructured break from school,” he added.

    The underage alcohol access uncovered during this year’s Crop Over is part of a longstanding, growing public health challenge for Barbados, recent NCSA data confirms. October 2025 research from the agency shows that alcohol experimentation among students increases nearly fivefold between primary school and secondary school, with adolescents now classified as an increasingly high-risk group for substance use. Earlier NCSA studies have also found that some children as young as 12 report having consumed alcohol, and public health officials have repeatedly named alcohol as the most commonly used substance among young Barbadians.

    For Hoyte, the problem extends far beyond the annual Crop Over festival, framing it as a systemic issue requiring coordinated action across all sectors of society to protect young people from early substance exposure and its long-term harms. “This is not just a festival problem – it is a broader public health issue that demands consistent, collective responsibility from everyone, from event organizers to policymakers to families,” he said.

    Attempts to reach Rudy Maloney, president of the Entertainment Association of Barbados – the trade body that represents festival producers and entertainment promoters across the island – for comment on the NCSA’s allegations were unsuccessful as of press time.

  • NHC looks to youth to fill construction skills gap

    NHC looks to youth to fill construction skills gap

    As Barbados ramps up national housing development across the island, a critical shortage of skilled construction labor has pushed the state-run National Housing Corporation (NHC) to accelerate targeted recruitment and skills training programs for young local workers, NHC General Manager Ian Gill announced in a statement Friday.

    Gill made the announcement during the official groundbreaking ceremony for a new 34-unit residential development in Deanstown, St. James. He emphasized that the ongoing boom in construction activity across Barbados has created an urgent gap in skilled talent that cannot be left unaddressed. “With the rapid expansion of construction projects nationwide, we are facing a looming shortage of skilled workers,” Gill explained. “Our goal is to train young enrollees quickly, so they can gain the hands-on expertise needed to bolster NHC’s workforce and keep our housing development targets on track.”

    To fill this skills gap, the NHC has partnered with two leading local technical training institutions: the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology and the national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program. The partnership has already yielded early results: the NHC recently hired 10 new young workers who completed their training through the TVET pathway, Gill confirmed, adding that building a pipeline of young skilled talent remains the corporation’s top priority.

    Among NHC’s most successful workforce development initiatives is the Barbados Construction Gateway Initiative, a program designed to train new entrants and connect them to long-term opportunities in the construction sector. Gill noted that dozens of program graduates have gone on to secure permanent contractor roles with the NHC, many of whom still work with the corporation today. The program even proved its value during the national response to Hurricane Elsa, when Gateway Initiative trainees stepped in to support emergency reconstruction work across the island. “It is an awesome initiative that has delivered real results for our organization and for young Barbadians looking for stable careers,” Gill said.

    Beyond workforce development, the NHC is also undergoing a broad internal overhaul of its planning division, integrating new digital tools and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to modernize operations. “Digitization has completely transformed how we approach planning and drafting work,” Gill explained. “New digital platforms streamline workflows, and even artificial intelligence can now assist with core drafting tasks, letting teams make adjustments faster and more efficiently than ever before.”

    The digital upgrade is part of a broader government mandate to expand the NHC’s role across Barbados’ public sector. Gill confirmed the Mia Mottley administration’s official intention to reposition the NHC as the central planning agency for all central government departments and state-owned enterprises. Under the new mandate, the NHC will take on responsibility for planning all public infrastructure projects across every government agency in the country, a mandate that corporation leadership is preparing to fully deliver on in the coming months.

  • 501 Lifeguard Team Praised After Tragic River Search

    501 Lifeguard Team Praised After Tragic River Search

    On August 7, 2026, a tragic drowning incident on a Belizean river has highlighted the extraordinary quick action and selfless dedication of local emergency response teams, who left their scheduled duties behind to aid a grieving family. The incident unfolded when a young woman jumped into the river to escape a bee attack, ultimately going missing underwater, prompting an urgent multi-agency search effort.

    Members of the 501 Lifeguard Team, which includes professional lifeguards and certified swimming instructors, were leading local swimming classes nearby when they received word of the emergency. Without hesitation, the team paused their scheduled sessions, mobilized immediately, and headed straight to the river to join the search. Despite the tragic final outcome, communities and officials across the region have widely praised the group for their rapid response and commitment to helping the affected family.

    Tevin Conorque, a lead lifeguard instructor with 501 Lifeguard, described the grueling conditions searchers faced throughout the three to four hour operation. “Honestly it was a little bit breathtaking due to the depth of the water. All we could have done was free dive and try to comb the area and see how fast we could get the body out of the water,” Conorque explained. “Due to the darkness of the water, it was intense to see. But we still pulled through. We had the faith and courage to get it out.” He added that recovering the victim’s body to return to her family, even after the tragic loss, offered a small measure of closure for the grieving loved ones.

    Andrew Gentle, owner and founder of the 501 Lifeguard Team, echoed Conorque’s comments, emphasizing that his team never hesitated to step in when a family was in crisis. “These guys were working, teaching swimming classes but they wanted to leave the classes. But I tell them we had to take three instructors out. But now, the whole team is here, all instructors are here,” Gentle said, extending his deepest condolences to the victim’s family. He also highlighted the team’s core mission of serving the community through shared compassion, noting that the team prioritizes public service even when it disrupts their daily work.

    As the search effort expanded, local police reached out to the Belize Coast Guard for additional support, and the agency’s trained dive team mobilized within minutes to assist. Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis, Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, outlined the coordination that went into the complex operation, noting that poor visibility and strong river currents created significant challenges for divers. “Whenever we do dive operations there are several things we have to consider. We look at the current visibility,” Soberanis explained. “But our guys activated with the assistance of other divers. Fortunately the young lady was found.”

    Soberanis also praised the collaborative effort between the 501 Lifeguard Team and the Coast Guard, noting that the combined expertise of both groups allowed searchers to locate the victim much faster than would have been possible otherwise. “With the lifeguards, internal to the coast guard, we have our own system of training when it comes to water operations and conducting these type of operation,” he said. “But we are always grateful for the type of assistance offered by other personnel who would contribute to the overall dive effort as we saw here today, a collaborative effort between coast guard divers in locating the body of the young lady.”

    Additional updates and further details on the incident will be released during the outlet’s scheduled newscast on Monday. This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television broadcast, with Kriol language statements rendered using a standardized spelling system for publication.

  • Cabinet Yet to Decide on B.T.L. Takeover of Speednet

    Cabinet Yet to Decide on B.T.L. Takeover of Speednet

    As the proposed acquisition of telecommunications provider Speednet by BTL continues to stir public and political discourse in Belize, one senior cabinet minister has confirmed that no official government decision has been reached, despite early backing from a key internal party faction.

    In comments reported on August 7, 2026, Cabinet Minister Thea Garcia-Ramirez made clear that she will not take a public stance on the deal until the full cabinet receives a comprehensive formal briefing, scheduled for the government body’s upcoming meeting next Tuesday.

    While the Northern Caucus of the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) has already held a vote and formally endorsed the acquisition proposal, Garcia-Ramirez emphasized that the caucus’s position does not equate to an official binding position for the entire cabinet. The minister, who personally attended and voted in that Northern Caucus meeting, walked a careful line: she acknowledged that all caucus members hold the right to express their individual and collective stances, but reaffirmed that the full cabinet has not yet debated or vetted the terms of the proposed takeover.

    Garcia-Ramirez also openly admitted that she currently lacks sufficient, verified information to form a considered opinion on the acquisition. In a candid remark about the flow of information inside the government, she told reporters that she, like many members of the public, has relied on local news outlets including Channel 5, Love TV, and Channel 7 to get updates on the proposal, rather than receiving official updates directly from government or party leadership. So far, all she has encountered are unsubstantiated rumors with no formal documentation or official presentation of the deal’s terms, impacts, or benefits, she added.

    “Everybody has equal rights to state their position. It is not a cabinet position. It’s the caucus, caucus is the one that is saying that they support the acquisition. I myself don’t really know very much about what has happened recently,” Garcia-Ramirez told reporters, noting she only learned of the caucus vote immediately after a separate cabinet meeting earlier this week. “I am unsure, and I’m unwilling to state anything further because I really don’t have all that information. It’s not within my grasp.”

    Once the formal briefing is presented to cabinet next week, Garcia-Ramirez says she will be able to conduct a full assessment of the proposed acquisition and share her official position on the deal.

  • Vellos Fights to Hold Political Ground in Corozal Convention

    Vellos Fights to Hold Political Ground in Corozal Convention

    As the countdown ticks down to Sunday’s internal People’s United Party (PUP) mayoral convention for Corozal Town, the small northern Belizean municipality has become the center of one of the country’s most closely watched political contests, pitting three-term incumbent Rigoberto Vellos against challenger Shajerie Rogers in a race rife with factional undertones.

    Vellos, who has led Corozal Town for three consecutive terms, has launched a public defense of his tenure, pushing back against what he frames as coordinated efforts to unseat him and derail his administration’s progress. In a public address posted to Facebook Thursday night, the incumbent mayor struck a defiant tone, emphasizing that he and his council have delivered tangible results for the town’s residents during his time in office. He stated he is not seeking special treatment and is fully prepared to go head-to-head with Rogers at the convention, but pushed back against the factional maneuvering that has marred the lead-up to the vote.

    Most notably, Vellos claimed that multiple public infrastructure and development projects developed in partnership with Belize’s central government have been abruptly paused or slowed in recent weeks – a move he suggests is politically motivated to sabotage his campaign ahead of the convention. “We keep a positive mindset, and we remain committed to working alongside the people of Corozal,” Vellos said in his address. “Our partnership with this community is strong, and we will keep moving forward together, no matter the challenges.” The three-term mayor added that local residents remain firmly in his corner, backing what he calls Team Rigo ahead of Sunday’s vote.

    The challenger, Rogers, has secured the public backing of Corozal Bay Area Representative Thea Garcia-Ramirez, a high-profile PUP figure whose support has framed the contest as a proxy battle between competing factions within the party. Ahead of the vote, Garcia-Ramirez pushed back against framing of the race as a divisive internal split, arguing that the contested convention is a healthy demonstration of democratic process within the party. She emphasized that regardless of which candidate wins on Sunday, she is ready to collaborate with the victorious ticket to hold the Corozal Town Council for the PUP in the upcoming March general municipal elections.

    Beyond the immediate contest, Garcia-Ramirez used the lead-up to the convention to sound the alarm about a pervasive issue in Belizean politics: systemic gender-based harassment and violence that discourages women from seeking public office. Speaking from personal experience as a female elected official, Garcia-Ramirez noted that political spaces in Belize still operate largely as an exclusionary “boys club”, where women candidates face disproportionate shaming, scandalmongering, and abuse – particularly on social media platforms.

    “Any country that chooses to shut women out of electoral politics does itself a profound disservice,” Garcia-Ramirez said. “It weakens the very democracy we claim to value, when half the population is sidelined from leadership.” She went on to praise the growing number of women stepping forward to run for office across Belize, noting that every woman who puts her name on the ballot moves the country closer to fair, equal gender representation in government. Garcia-Ramirez also highlighted that the PUP has deep bench strength in Corozal, with multiple qualified candidates stepping forward to run – a contrast she says to the opposition, which has struggled to field a full slate of candidates for the town council.

    The outcome of Sunday’s convention will shape the PUP’s nominee for Corozal Town mayor in the 2026 municipal elections, making the internal contest a critical test of factional power within the party and a key indicator of political dynamics in northern Belize ahead of the general vote in March.

  • State Loses Duck Run Land Fight, Damages Now Ahead

    State Loses Duck Run Land Fight, Damages Now Ahead

    In a landmark ruling issued on August 7, 2026, the Court of Appeal has dealt a decisive legal defeat to the national government in a high-stakes land dispute covering more than 1,900 acres of public territory in the Duck Run region. The case centers on a legal battle launched by the Minister of Natural Resources, Petroleum and Mining and the Attorney General against private firm Fowler Works Enterprises Limited, challenging the validity of four land purchase agreements the company struck with the previous administration.

    The origins of the conflict stretch back to 2020, when Fowler Works entered into the four deals to acquire the state-owned land for a planned large-scale sustainable agriculture and residential homestead development project. The company fulfilled its end of the agreement by paying the full $266,000-plus purchase price upfront. However, following a change in national government later that same year, the new administration refused to finalize the transaction by issuing the official land titles to Fowler Works.

    In its defense, the state argued that all four agreements were illegal and unenforceable under existing law. One key point of contention was that a single parcel of land included in the deal exceeded 500 acres, a threshold that the state claimed required formal approval via a National Assembly resolution that had never been granted. The government also claimed that the remaining smaller parcels violated internal land management policies.

    The Court of Appeal rejected every one of the state’s legal arguments. In its findings, the court clarified that while the state had failed to complete the required National Assembly approval process for the large parcel, that procedural oversight on the government’s part did not invalidate the existing contract. In clear, direct terms, the court ruled that the government cannot use its own failure to follow statutory requirements as a justification to back out of a binding commercial agreement. The court also found that Fowler Works had fully complied with all applicable procedural requirements for the smaller parcels, dismissing the state’s claim that the agreements violated internal policy.

    The ruling upholds the earlier 202X High Court decision that declared all four land purchase agreements legally valid, found that the state had breached its contractual obligations to Fowler Works, and ordered the case returned to the lower court to determine the amount of financial damages the government will be required to pay to the private enterprise. Fowler Works was represented throughout the appeal process by Senior Counsel Dean Barrow and associate attorney Agassi Finnegan.

  • A Single Shot, a Dead Teen, and Three Minors Now Accused

    A Single Shot, a Dead Teen, and Three Minors Now Accused

    A quiet residential neighborhood in Belize City has been left reeling from a shocking midday killing that has left one young man dead and three juveniles facing serious murder charges. On a Monday afternoon shortly after 1:15 a.m., 18-year-old Ewart Josiah Hernandez Jr. had pulled his motorcycle to a stop near Swift Hall on Vernon Street when two unidentified males approached him on foot. Without warning, one of the two produced a handgun and fired a single shot, striking Hernandez directly.

    Emergency responders rushed the wounded teen to a local medical facility for urgent care, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Belize City law enforcement launched a rapid investigation, leaning heavily on regional security camera footage to trace and identify the persons responsible for the attack. One suspect was taken into custody within hours of the shooting, while investigators carried out targeted search operations across the surrounding neighborhood to locate additional persons of interest. Multiple other young men from a nearby property were also brought in for questioning as detectives worked to piece together a clear timeline of the attack.

    After days of coordinated investigative work, police have formally charged three minors in connection with Hernandez’s murder: two 17-year-olds and one 15-year-old. While law enforcement has made rapid progress in apprehending and charging suspects, the community is still grappling with the senseless violence that unfolded in broad daylight, and one critical question remains entirely unanswered: what was the motive for the attack, and why was Hernandez specifically targeted?

    This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television news broadcast, with Kriol language portions transcribed using a standardized spelling system for publication.