Carib Scope

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  • Why Are Foreigners Filling Posts Qualified Belizeans Want?

    Why Are Foreigners Filling Posts Qualified Belizeans Want?

    A heated debate over judicial hiring practices in Belize has reignited after the country’s Association of Defense Attorneys publicly questioned why a string of recent judicial appointments have gone to foreign recruits while qualified, experienced local candidates are being passed over.

    The controversy centers on multiple open magistrate posts across the country, from Toledo District and Belmopan to Independence, San Ignacio, northern Belize, and Belize City. Association president Richard “Dickie” Bradley confirmed that all of these recently filled positions went to foreign applicants, despite the fact that dozens of eligible Belizean lawyers formally applied for the roles.

    Bradley pushed back against common arguments that local legal professionals lack the experience or qualifications to serve on the bench, noting that many domestic candidates are just as — if not more — experienced and credentialed than the foreign judges already appointed to senior judicial roles across the country. He pointed out that many Belizean lawyers attended the same legal institutions as the foreign judges currently sitting on the country’s highest courts, undermining claims that local candidates are unfit for service.

    Beyond questions of fair hiring, Bradley emphasized the unique role of the judiciary as one of the three core branches of Belizean government. He argued that foreign appointees may lack inherent familiarity with the country’s long-standing legal traditions, cultural norms, and local context that shape how justice is administered on the ground. Echoing a widely recognized ideological framing, Bradley noted that no individual operating within a national judicial system is fully disconnected from the cultural and social landscape around them — a factor that makes local experience an unreplaceable asset for judicial service.

    Importantly, the Association is not challenging the professional performance or inherent qualifications of the foreign magistrates already appointed. Instead, the organization’s core demand centers on increasing transparency around the national judicial hiring process, calling for clear, publicly defensible criteria that prioritizes qualified Belizean candidates for open domestic posts. As the conversation unfolds, pressure is building on the Belizean government to address concerns about equitable access to judicial roles for local legal professionals.

  • FLASH : The US Senate rejects the Democrat Bill to extend TPS

    FLASH : The US Senate rejects the Democrat Bill to extend TPS

    In a high-stakes vote that has upended the fate of more than 300,000 Haitian residents in the United States, Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan Democratic-backed bill on July 22, 2026, that would have extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian beneficiaries for an additional three years.

    The legislation, which had already cleared the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year through a bipartisan process, was brought to the Senate floor by Democratic Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Lisa Blunt Rochester, who requested unanimous consent to advance the bill. The attempt failed after Missouri’s radical right Republican Senator Eric Schmitt placed a block on the measure, just two days before TPS protections for current Haitian enrollees were set to expire on July 24, 2026.

    Schmitt defended his opposition in hardline remarks, arguing that the U.S. cannot function as an open-ended refugee camp and that what he framed as unauthorized residency requires immediate enforcement to remove individuals who have overstayed their permission to live in the country. This rejection marks a major setback for immigrant advocacy groups, which had pushed for the extension as Haiti continues to grapple with widespread political instability, gang violence, and natural disasters that make safe return impossible for most of the TPS holders.

    The bill’s path to the Senate followed a bipartisan vote in the House of Representatives back in April 2026, when House Democrats joined with a handful of House Republicans to advance the same extension proposal. That bipartisan momentum failed to translate to Senate approval, however, as partisan divisions over immigration policy derailed the legislation.

    Hours after the Senate’s rejection, the Federal Court of Appeals based in Washington stepped in to grant a temporary reprieve for the Haitian TPS holders facing imminent loss of their protections and work authorization. The court’s ruling ordered that all existing TPS protections for Haitian beneficiaries cannot be revoked before July 27, 2026, extending the status just long enough to align with the scheduled expiration of current work permits.

    The legal intervention offers only a short-term reprieve, leaving long-term uncertainty for the more than 300,000 Haitian residents who have relied on TPS to live and work legally in the U.S. for years. The outcome also adds to a years-long legal and political battle over TPS, which stretches back to a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that allowed the former Trump administration to move forward with revoking the protected status for Haitian enrollees.

  • Alex Noralez Stays Remains in Prison After Failed Stay Application

    Alex Noralez Stays Remains in Prison After Failed Stay Application

    A San Pedro educator convicted of sexual assault against underage students earlier this year will continue serving his prison sentence after a Belize court rejected his request to pause his sentence during the appeal process.

    Forty-seven-year-old Alex Jason Noralez, a resident of Barracuda Street in Boca del Rio, was handed an 18-month prison term in January following a guilty verdict on two out of three sexual offense charges brought against him. He was acquitted on the third count, and the judge ordered his two 18-month sentences to run concurrently, resulting in a total 18-month term of incarceration. Noralez has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the legal process, denying all allegations of wrongdoing.

    To secure release on bail while his appeal moved forward, Noralez filed an application for a stay of execution with the court as part of his initial appeal proceedings. That first request was denied on February 27, 2026, leaving Noralez in custody at Belize Central Prison where he has remained since his conviction.

    The appeal was scheduled for a hearing before Justice Candace Nanton on July 22, 2026, but the proceeding could not move forward as planned. Attorney Leeroy Banner appeared for Noralez, substituting for his original counsel Richard “Dickie” Bradley. Following the adjournment, the court set new deadlines for both legal teams to submit required court documents. Noralez’s legal team must file his formal grounds of appeal no later than August 14, 2026, and the respondent’s legal team has until August 28, 2026, to file their reply. The next hearing in the appeal has been rescheduled for September 25, 2026. Until that hearing, Noralez will remain in remand at Belize Central Prison.

  • Illegal Power Lines Pose Growing Safety Risk Across Belize

    Illegal Power Lines Pose Growing Safety Risk Across Belize

    By 2026, the persistent issue of unauthorized power connections and tampered electricity meters across Belize has evolved into a growing dual crisis, threatening public safety and straining the financial stability of Belize Electricity Limited (BEL), the country’s national power provider.

    What makes the problem particularly dangerous is the haphazard construction of these illegal lines across many communities. In high-risk zones, makeshift wiring is often strung directly through tree branches or left fully exposed in regions prone to seasonal flooding. This shoddy setup leaves local residents exposed to two major, life-threatening hazards: fatal electrocution and accidental electrical fires that can spread rapidly through residential areas.

    As the problem continues to shift between different districts across the country, BEL officials report that containing and resolving the issue has become increasingly resource-intensive, with operational costs to address illegal connections rising steadily. In a recent interview with reporter Britney Gordon, BEL Executive Chairman Lynn Young emphasized the utility’s deep concern over the crisis, confirming that the company is pursuing all available measures to curb electricity theft and unauthorized connections.

    Young declined to disclose specific enforcement strategies, noting that the operation amounts to a persistent cat-and-mouse game between utility inspectors and individuals setting up illegal connections. Revealing details about planned patrols or enforcement locations, he explained, would simply allow those responsible to shift their unauthorized setups to new areas. When asked to identify the hardest-hit districts, Young stated that illegal connections are widespread across the entire nation, with hotspots changing regularly based on local conditions.

    Beyond the immediate safety risks, the widespread theft of electricity is also taking a significant toll on BEL’s bottom line, and ultimately on the country’s law-abiding power customers. Young confirmed that uncompensated power drawn through illegal connections directly contributes to BEL’s financial deficits. Because the utility incurs production and distribution costs for all electricity that enters the grid, revenue lost to theft forces BEL to absorb higher operational costs, which eventually translates to requests for increased electricity rates for all paying customers. “It affects us and it affects all of us,” Young noted, emphasizing that the burden of electricity theft is shared by every customer who pays their monthly bill.

    This is not a new challenge for BEL. Back in 2022, the company first publicly reported annual losses totaling thousands of dollars from illegal connections, and launched an initiative to bring unregistered households into the formal grid through regularization. However, company officials noted at the time that underdeveloped basic infrastructure in many low-income and rural communities remained the single biggest barrier to resolving the issue long-term. As of 2026, the crisis has only grown more acute, highlighting the ongoing gap between infrastructure access and enforcement capacity across the country.

  • Thirty Years at the Bridge, Now Tony’s Barbeque Must Move

    Thirty Years at the Bridge, Now Tony’s Barbeque Must Move

    Nestled at the base of Belize’s BelCan Bridge for more than 30 years, Tony’s Barbeque has grown from a small roadside lunch stop into a beloved local institution, drawing generations of regulars and visitors alike for its signature smoked meals. Now, a major infrastructure renovation project for the crossing is forcing the decades-old eatery to pack up and move—and while its owners fully back the public works plan, conflicting official timelines have thrown their transition into disarray, prompting them to speak out this week to push for clear, coordinated guidance from authorities.

    The BelCan Bridge upgrade, led by the nation’s Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing (MIDH), requires all local vendors and businesses occupying space near the current structure to vacate the area to make way for pre-construction preparations. Co-owner Sarah Beck, who runs the restaurant with her husband, says the pair have no objection to relocating for the project, but competing deadlines from different government bodies have left them unable to plan their move effectively.

    Beck explained that back in April, MIDH issued a formal public notice ordering all nearby businesses to leave the site by May 7. But at a recent stakeholder meeting that included both MIDH representatives and officials from the Belize City Council, attendees gave a very different timeline. “In that meeting they told us that the bridge is not even going to be built until next year, and that the BelCan Bridge will be broken down after the Christmas holiday, so that will make the bridge available to the parade and whatever Christmas functions happen around that timeframe,” Beck said. “Thereafter, they told us we did not have to move until November. Possibly December and January.”

    The confusion dates back to May, when MIDH Chief Engineer Evondale Moody confirmed the agency had formally contacted Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner to coordinate relocations for four affected sites, including Tony’s Barbeque, other vendors near the local taxi stand, and a structure on the bridge’s south side near Belize Water Services. Moody noted at the time that Wagner had committed to working directly with affected businesses to coordinate their moves as quickly as possible.

    Thus far, the city council has made progress on identifying a new home for Tony’s Barbeque: a spot near the Cleopatra White Polyclinic, just a short distance from the restaurant’s current location at the bridge foot. But Beck and her team still have outstanding concerns about the suitability of the site, noting they want to ensure the new location does not block public pedestrian access, and that barbecue smoke from the kitchen will not create disturbances for the nearby polyclinic or surrounding businesses.

    When reached for comment on the conflicting timelines, Mayor Wagner emphasized that the city council is committed to supporting local small businesses through the transition, and that he had recently met with the Tony’s Barbeque owners to resolve outstanding issues. “We don’t want to see any entrepreneur out of business. We nurture and cherish all our entrepreneurs in the city,” Wagner said. “Tony has been a staple food outlet, barbecue outlet for many years and so I was able to speak with them this morning and have a clear pathway on how we will get past this little bump in the road. I look at it as a bump in the road.”

    Wagner added that the city recognizes MIDH’s responsibility to deliver the new bridge on schedule, and that public safety is a top priority for all parties involved. “At the same time, MIDH has its responsibilities as well to see the construction of the new BelCan Bridge, and we are also always looking at safety for residents,” he said. “So that discussion this morning was to really reassure them Ms. Beck and Tony, that the city stands ready to work along with them for relocation.”

    For the iconic eatery’s owners, the priority right now is not fighting the redevelopment project—it is securing a clear, coordinated plan that lets them relocate without closing their doors for good, and without creating disruptions for their new neighbors. As they wait for final confirmation on timelines and site details, the 30-year-old business remains open, serving regulars while preparing for the next chapter of its history in Belize City.

  • Stronger FOIA Law Proposed After Years of Weak Enforcement

    Stronger FOIA Law Proposed After Years of Weak Enforcement

    For more than three decades, Belize’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has existed on paper as a legal guarantee of public access to government records — but in practice, systemic delays, overbroad exemptions, and toothless enforcement have continuously blocked Belizeans from accessing information they are entitled to. Now, three decades after the original law was enacted in 1994, the Belizean government has tabled the most sweeping overhaul of the legislation in its history, a package of reforms aimed at tearing down longstanding barriers to government transparency. This report examines the failures of the current framework, the proposed changes, and what the reform could mean for public accountability in the small Caribbean nation.

    Under Belize’s existing FOIA framework, any member of the public seeking access to government records — from official spending documents to procurement contracts — must submit a formal written request, after which the relevant agency is legally required to respond within two weeks. In recent years, the country has seen a historic surge in the number of FOIA requests filed, according to Attorney General Anthony Sylvester, reflecting growing public demand for government accountability.

    Journalists, labor leaders, and activists have been at the forefront of this movement, using the FOIA to shine a light on public spending and potential corruption. But nearly all who file requests report running into insurmountable obstacles. Hipolito Novelo, digital editor at Greater Belize Media, has repeatedly turned to FOIA to obtain details about how taxpayer dollars are allocated and contracts awarded. Novelo argues that all information related to public funds should be proactively published via dedicated online portals for every government ministry, rather than requiring citizens to file formal requests just to access basic public information.

    Even when requests are filed, full disclosure remains rare. When Novelo sought records of COVID-19 vaccine-related government spending from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, he only received a small fraction of the information he requested, with most of the records withheld.

    He is far from the only one to face this outcome. In June 2026, Dean Flowers, president of Belize’s Public Service Union, filed a FOIA request with the Auditor General’s office seeking financial records connected to the high-profile Mira Millions and Ministry of Defense procurement scandal. Flowers’ request was stonewalled; the Auditor General refused to confirm whether she would review payment patterns through the Smart Stream financial system, identify financial officers involved in questionable practices, or release the names of any officials connected to the scandal.

    Social activist Jerry Enriquez encountered the same barrier when he requested records of taxpayer-funded legal fees for recent high-profile constitutional cases from the Attorney General’s office. His request was denied, with officials claiming disclosure would compromise ongoing cases and create unspecified risks for the Government of Belize. Even this report’s own author, investigative journalist Paul Lopez, hit a wall when he filed a FOIA request in 2025 seeking records of government office space rental payments.

    Independent analysis of Belize’s current FOIA regime confirms what requesters have experienced for decades: Belize’s law ranks among the weakest freedom of information frameworks in the entire Caribbean. Key flaws identified include near-inexistent penalties for non-compliance, a total lack of independent oversight to enforce public access rules, no requirement for proactive publication of routine public records like contracts and spending data, and exemption categories so broad they allow agencies to withhold almost any document they choose.

    Currently, when an agency classifies a record as exempt, requesters can file for a review with the national Ombudsman. But even if the Ombudsman rules in favor of disclosure, the office has no legal authority to force agencies to release records or bring criminal charges against officials who intentionally conceal public information. Any further appeal requires going through the High Court, a long and costly process that puts justice out of reach for most ordinary Belizeans.

    The proposed reforms aim to fix these gaps by drawing on successful transparency models from other jurisdictions. A centerpiece of the overhaul is the creation of an independent Information Commission — modeled after similar bodies in the Cayman Islands and Mexico — that would have the power to issue legally binding decisions ordering the release of records. Agencies or officials that refuse to comply with the commission’s rulings would face fines as high as $100,000, and could even face criminal prison time in severe cases of intentional non-compliance.

    The reform package also includes a requirement for the government to launch a national open data portal, where all public records including government contracts, departmental budgets, official asset declarations, and political financing records would be proactively published for free public access, eliminating the need for many FOIA requests entirely.

    Critics like Novelo remain cautiously skeptical, noting that for years, connected government officials have been able to block access to information at every stage of the process, even when requesters pursue costly court action. Still, the proposed overhaul marks the most significant shift in Belize’s transparency regime in a generation. For supporters, the FOIA is far more than just a procedural law: it is the foundation of open government, giving Belizeans a clear view into how their leaders make decisions and how their tax dollars are spent. Whether the reforms will deliver on that promise remains to be seen as the proposal moves through the legislative process.

    Reporting for News Five, Paul Lopez

  • Mayor Wagner Calls on Residents to Help Rewrite Liquor Rules

    Mayor Wagner Calls on Residents to Help Rewrite Liquor Rules

    A nationwide push to update outdated liquor licensing regulations is stopping in Belize City next week, with local leaders urging every resident, business owner and events organizer to bring their concerns and ideas to the table.

    The reform initiative, led by the Ministry of Local Government, targets longstanding community complaints that have gone unaddressed for years, including persistent late-night noise from nearby drinking establishments, unregulated open-air bar operations, unclear operating hour frameworks, and perceived inconsistencies in how license applications are reviewed and approved.

    Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner confirmed that the public consultation session will be held next Tuesday at the House of Culture, starting at 6:00 p.m. He emphasized that the entire reform process is rooted in the principle of community-led governance, designed to give ordinary people a direct stake in crafting rules that directly impact their daily lives.

    “Liquor license reform is a local government-driven initiative being rolled out across the entire country, and Belize City is a key stop on this national tour,” Wagner explained in a public address. “This session is an open invitation for residents to show up, engage in the conversation, and act as active stakeholders in shaping this critical reform.”

    The consultation forms part of a broader national outreach effort that will visit communities across Belize to collect diverse input before the revised regulations are finalized. This original news item is a transcribed excerpt from an evening television news broadcast, with Kriol language statements standardized into conventional spelling for accessibility.

  • Health officials mull colorectal cancer screening rollout – PM

    Health officials mull colorectal cancer screening rollout – PM

    During a public policy forum held Monday night at St Philip’s Princess Margaret Secondary School, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that the island nation’s Ministry of Health is currently conducting feasibility assessments for a national colorectal cancer screening program, a long-missing public health initiative that local medical leaders have repeatedly called for. The discussion was sparked by Dr. Marek Stobinski, a recently relocated gastroenterologist who practices at Bayview Hospital and a local private clinic, who used the forum platform to push for urgent investment in early detection infrastructure for colorectal cancer.

    After moving to Barbados, Dr. Stobinski told attendees he conducted a search to identify existing preventive public health programs where he could contribute his expertise, only to find no national colorectal screening framework currently exists. “I started looking for prophylactic programmes, and I cannot find any in Barbados, so I’ll be the biggest advocate for a colorectal cancer screening programme in Barbados,” he stated.

    The gastroenterologist emphasized that colorectal cancer is no longer an illness confined to older populations, sharing a recent case of an otherwise healthy 40-year-old patient he diagnosed with the disease to illustrate the gap in preventive care. “I had my concerns that we need to do something before the cancer spread, and it will be too late for treatment,” he added.

    Public health data confirms that early detection drastically improves outcomes for colorectal cancer patients: precancerous growths called polyps can be removed quickly before they develop into malignant tumors. Dr. Stobinski noted that removing early-stage polyps takes as little as 15 minutes in most cases, a simple outpatient procedure that prevents cancer from developing and spreading to other parts of the body.

    Prime Minister Mottley echoed the physician’s call for urgent action, sharing a personal and cultural touchstone to underscore the need for widespread screening. She pointed to the 1999 death of beloved Barbadian and West Indies cricket legend Malcolm Marshall, who passed away from colorectal cancer at just 41 years old. “How old was Malcolm Marshall when he died? You think he would’ve died if he had the screening and they did the surgery?” she asked attendees.

    Mottley also shared that she undergoes routine colonoscopies herself, explaining that timely polyp removal cuts the risk of developing colorectal cancer dramatically. “If you find the polyps and remove them, you do what? Minimise. Doctors tell me don’t ever use the word extinguish, but you minimise the chance of cancer to almost zero,” she said.

    Dr. Sonia Browne, the Member of Parliament for St Philip North and a practicing general practitioner, added another key consideration to the discussion: while launching a screening program is critical, ensuring consistent follow-up care for patients identified as high-risk remains a major systemic challenge. “The headache seems to be the follow-up when you do have, you found the patient,” she noted. Even so, she stressed that investing in upfront screening and early intervention is far more cost-effective than covering treatment for late-stage, advanced cancer that could have been prevented.

    Alongside the announcement about colorectal screening, Mottley revealed that the Barbadian government is also evaluating the potential introduction of GLP-1 receptor agonists, the widely used class of anti-obesity medications that includes semaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide. The government is currently weighing whether the long-term public health benefits of expanding access to these drugs outweigh their higher initial costs, the prime minister explained.

    Mottley argued that the government must avoid short-sighted cost-cutting that leads to higher health spending down the line, noting that obesity is linked to a range of serious, costly complications including amputations and kidney failure that require ongoing dialysis. “We’re not going to end up being penny wise and pound foolish, but we will be strategic in our deployment of resources to be able to help people help themselves and to save lives,” she said.

    The World Health Organization recently issued landmark clinical guidelines that conditionally recommend GLP-1 receptor agonists for long-term weight management in adults living with obesity. The global health body stresses that these medications must always be paired with lifestyle interventions including balanced diets and regular physical activity to deliver sustained benefits. Clinical trials confirm GLP-1 drugs help most patients lose 10 to 20 percent of their starting body weight by reducing appetite and persistent food cravings. However, the medications are associated with common mild to moderate gastrointestinal side effects, and most patients regain significant weight if they stop taking the drug.

    At the close of the forum, Mottley reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding preventive screening for three of the most common high-burden cancers: breast, prostate, and colorectal. “Because if you get in early, you do what? Give yourself a credible chance of recovery and full life again,” she said.

  • Belize City’s Electric Bus Revolution Gains Momentum

    Belize City’s Electric Bus Revolution Gains Momentum

    On July 22, 2026, Belize City celebrates the second anniversary of its pioneering e-Ride electric bus program, a initiative that launched amid widespread public doubt to become one of the municipal government’s most successful public transit projects in modern history.

    When the program debuted on July 22, 2024, it operated with just two pilot electric buses. Two years on, official data from the Belize City Council shows the service has delivered nearly 384,000 passenger trips, with more than 100,000 of those rides taken by senior citizens who access the service through a heavily subsidized $1 fare. Ridership has continued a steady upward climb, hitting record daily volumes as more residents embrace the clean transit option, while the program has already cut hundreds of tons of carbon emissions and slashed long-term operating costs compared to traditional fossil fuel-powered buses.

    Mayor Bernard Wagner shared that the program has outperformed every initial projection, delivering tangible benefits to both daily commuters and the local environment. “When we launched this, many people questioned if it would work for our city. Today, it’s clear this project has been a total game-changer,” Wagner said in an interview, updating earlier published figures that undercounted total ridership through the end of June.

    The program’s tiered fare structure – $3 for general adult riders, $2 for students, and $1 for seniors – is designed to cross-subsidize discounted rates for vulnerable groups, with full-fare payments covering the reduced costs for students and elderly residents. A independent feasibility study conducted by Dr. Curtis Voodoo, an e-mobility expert contracted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), compared the performance of electric buses against traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The analysis confirmed that electric bus operations cut overall costs by 41% compared to running fossil fuel-powered transit. The study also found that the two electric buses currently in service deliver carbon savings equivalent to removing 90 gas-powered passenger vehicles from Belize City’s roads every year.

    Public reception to the e-Ride program has been overwhelmingly positive, with particularly strong support from students, women, and senior residents. The program has even captured the imagination of local young people: 11-year-old student Emory loved the e-buses so much that he wrote a full children’s book about the service, a testament to its widespread cultural impact.

    Buoyed by the program’s early success and consistent profitability, the Belize City Council has already begun moving forward with plans to expand the e-bus network. The municipal government is currently in the process of acquiring three additional electric buses, which will be used to extend service to underserved neighborhoods including Central American Boulevard, Jane Ussher, Yabra, Pen Road, Fabers Road, and Belama Phases 4 and 5.

    Wagner noted that sourcing and delivering electric buses can take extended lead times, but expressed hope that the new vehicles will enter service before the end of his current mayoral term. The original two pilot buses were provided through a grant-funded program supported by the European Union, and the expansion will be fully funded by revenue generated from the e-Ride service itself, demonstrating the program’s long-term financial sustainability.

    This report is adapted from a transcript of a televised evening news broadcast.

  • Aviation Comes Alive for Twenty-Five Belizean Students

    Aviation Comes Alive for Twenty-Five Belizean Students

    On July 22, 2026, Belize made a landmark move to bridge the gap between classroom STEM learning and real-world industry careers, launching its first-ever STEM Aviation Camp hosted at Tropic Air’s Belize City hangar. Twenty-five students from across the country – coming from Belmopan, Corozal, and Orange Walk – gathered to get an exclusive, hands-on look at the diverse range of careers that keep the civil aviation industry operational, far beyond the well-known role of pilots.

    The week-long initiative is a collaborative effort between the STEMU Foundation and Deep Blue Avionics, designed to turn abstract STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts into tangible, engaging experiences for young learners. Jamie Usher, Vice-Principal of Student Affairs at Saint Catherine Academy, noted that the camp has already shifted students’ perspectives on aviation as a career field. “One of the best comments so far has been, ‘Wow, so I don’t only have to be a pilot,’” Usher shared. To date, the program has introduced participants to at least eight distinct aviation career pathways, including aircraft engineering, aviation maintenance, air traffic control, aviation firefighting, and even aviation-focused welding, a hands-on module facilitated by STEMU.

    The camp structure balances foundational classroom learning with immersive on-site experience. The program opened with two days of classroom instruction, where students mastered core aviation concepts, from the four fundamental forces of flight to the industry-standard phonetic alphabet used in all air communications. Now, students are applying that knowledge in real-world settings: they have already toured the municipal airport, with upcoming visits scheduled to the Belize Defence Force Air Wing and the national Civil Aviation Department to deepen their exposure.

    For many participants, the camp has already broken down long-held stereotypes about aviation careers. Damariel Aguilar, one of the student attendees, highlighted the impact of representation at the camp: “I learned that there are boys and girls who are pilots, and Ms. Terry from Deep Blue Avionics taught me that not only boys, but also women, can be pilots and engineers like her.” Other students shared key takeaways that reflect the camp’s broad curriculum: Skye Williams learned the core physics of flight, Abigail Rivero emphasized how the camp helps students make informed career choices, and Yuvaan Lalwani walked away with mastery of aviation’s phonetic communication system.

    Jarrus Mitchell, founder of STEMU, explained that the organization’s mission centers on expanding access to vocational and professional exploration in high-demand fields, including engineering, agriculture, healthcare, and information technology. “For the STEM aviation, the curriculum is really around the basic principles of aviation and what a career in aviation would look like, whether it’s an aviation firefighter, whether it’s a pilot, whether it’s an air traffic controller. Showing the kids these jobs and giving them something to aspire to,” Mitchell said. He added that while Belizean students are eager to explore these growing fields, hands-on learning opportunities have historically been limited. Many of STEMU’s programs in Belize are adapted from successful models in the United States, but adapted to address the unique gap in accessible industry exposure for young Belizeans.

    Organizers report that the inaugural camp has already exceeded early expectations, with strong cross-sector support from local aviation partners making the one-of-a-kind initiative possible. The camp’s leadership plans to build on this year’s success, expanding the program annually to reach more young learners across Belize and cultivate a new generation of talent for the country’s growing aviation industry.