Carib Scope

作者： admin

  • Raúl congratulates the Eastern Army on its 65th Anniversary

    Raúl congratulates the Eastern Army on its 65th Anniversary

    On the 65th anniversary of the founding of Cuba’s iconic Eastern Army, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, has issued a heartfelt commemorative message celebrating the armed corps’ decades of service, revolutionary legacy, and ongoing commitment to defending the island’s socialist project.

    The Eastern Army was formally established on April 21, 1961 — just two days after Cuba’s landmark victory over foreign-backed incursion at the Bay of Pigs, a moment that marked the first major defeat of U.S. imperial ambitions in Latin America. In his greeting, Raúl Castro recalled the urgent, defining order issued by then-Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz at the corps’ founding: “If we save the East, we save the Revolution!” The phrase underscores the Eastern region’s outsized historical and geographic strategic importance to Cuba’s revolutionary project, a priority that has shaped the army’s mission from its earliest days.

    Over its 65-year history, the Eastern Army — affectionately known by the nickname the “Lord Army” for its stature and reputation — has built its legacy far beyond traditional military operations. Raúl Castro emphasized that the corps’ standing stems not only from its military strength, but from its unwavering resistance to repeated enemy provocations and acts of aggression, as well as its long record of self-sacrifice in internationalist solidarity missions across the globe.

    A core contribution of the Eastern Army highlighted in the message is its role in advancing and implementing Cuba’s core strategic doctrine of the “War of all the People” — a framework that Raúl Castro noted remains particularly critical today, as the island faces persistent external threats to its socialist sovereignty.

    Beyond national defense, the Eastern Army has long been integrated into civilian support efforts across Cuba. Raúl Castro pointed to the still-raw public memory of the corps’ rapid deployment for search, rescue, and relief work in the wake of devastating Hurricane Melissa, followed by months of post-storm recovery work. This commitment to serving the Cuban people in times of crisis, he noted, is a core thread running through the entire history of the institution, and has earned the enduring gratitude of the Cuban public.

    In closing his message, Raúl Castro called for solemn tribute to the service members who have lost their lives in the line of duty, arguing that ongoing respect for fallen heroes reinforces the Eastern Army’s unshakable commitment to defeating any future act of enemy aggression. He extended formal congratulations to the corps’ founding members and all currently serving combatants for their service and achievements over 65 years, ending with a warm personal embrace to all members of the Eastern Army.

  • World Court to hear Guyana-Venezuela border controversy case next month

    World Court to hear Guyana-Venezuela border controversy case next month

    The decades-long territorial dispute between South American neighbors Guyana and Venezuela is set to enter a new, critical phase next month, as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will launch oral hearings on the merits of Guyana’s case starting May 4, Guyana’s Attorney General Anil Nandlall confirmed in an appearance on his weekly social media program *Issues In The News* on Tuesday evening.

    Nandlall, who will travel to The Hague to join Guyana’s legal team alongside the country’s co-agent Carl Greenidge and a cohort of international legal experts, noted the hearings are scheduled to run through the full week of May 4, and could extend into the following week if the volume of arguments and proceedings requires additional time. As of Tuesday evening, neither the ICJ nor Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued an official public statement confirming the hearing schedule or outlining Venezuela’s planned arguments for the proceedings.

    The dispute centers on the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award that established the formal land border between the two countries, which Venezuela has repeatedly refused to recognize. Caracas continues to claim sovereignty over the 160,000-square-kilometer Essequibo Region, a resource-rich territory rich in mineral deposits and old-growth forests that accounts for roughly two-thirds of Guyana’s total land area, as well as Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) stretching offshore from the region.

    The outcome of the case carries major commercial stakes for the global energy sector, as multiple major international oil companies hold active exploration and production concessions in offshore waters adjacent to Essequibo. Guyana first brought the case to the ICJ for adjudication on March 29, 2018, and energy industry stakeholders have been closely tracking its progress ever since.

    In January 2026, Darren Woods, CEO of US energy giant ExxonMobil – which leads development of the massive Stabroek Block offshore Essequibo that has already yielded more than 11 billion barrels of proven oil reserves – described the upcoming ICJ ruling as a “critical milestone” that will shape the company’s long-term investment and operational plans in the region. Last month, Nicole Theriot, the United States Ambassador to Guyana, announced that Washington stands ready to facilitate bilateral negotiations between Guyana and Venezuela to settle remaining maritime boundary disputes after the ICJ issues its final ruling, which is currently expected in early 2027.

    A key complication for post-ruling negotiations is Venezuela’s non-membership in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the international framework that governs maritime boundary delimitation. Unlike Guyana and neighboring Suriname, Venezuela has not ratified the convention, meaning any final maritime agreement will require direct bilateral negotiations between Georgetown and Caracas with no binding international legal framework to govern the process.

  • Jordan: Another side to elderly abandonment

    Jordan: Another side to elderly abandonment

    As Caribbean nation Barbados moves rapidly toward becoming a super-aged society, a senior government official has publicly highlighted the crippling financial burden of long-term elderly care that is pushing some desperate families to leave their elderly relatives at public hospitals after discharge. St. Peter Member of Parliament and Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector Colin Jordan shared these insights during parliamentary debate on the proposed Older Persons (Care and Protection) Bill, drawing on both direct conversations with struggling caregivers and his own personal experience caring for his late mother.

    Jordan told the House of Assembly that over the past four months, he has gained a new on-the-ground understanding of the harsh economic realities many Barbadian households face when caring for aging relatives. He cited one firsthand account from a family member who admitted to abandoning their elderly mother at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) following her medical discharge, after being caught in an impossible financial trap. If the family member stopped working to provide full-time care at home, they would lose their only source of income to cover living costs. If they stayed at their job, their salary was still too low to afford a professional in-home caregiver to take on the responsibility.

    The minister was careful to emphasize that his comments are not intended to justify or normalize the abandonment of elderly people at medical facilities. Instead, he said, it is long past time for policymakers and the public to acknowledge the steep financial barrier that stands between many well-meaning families and the care their older relatives need.

    Jordan drew on his own family’s experience to underscore the severity of the cost crisis, noting that he and his family were able to provide 24-hour in-home care for his mother until her passing only because he had the financial means and his mother received a sufficient pension. Without those advantages, he said, they would have been unable to deliver the level of care they wanted to give her. 24-hour professional care, he explained, comes with a prohibitively high price tag for most ordinary working households.

    “For those who want to take care of their elderly parents or other relatives, there is a significant cost, and that is one that we have to come to grips with and continue to find avenues where we can provide the care that our older people need, that they deserve, that they have earned through their work and their contribution to our society,” Jordan told the chamber.

    The minister also reminded fellow legislators that Barbados is on the cusp of being classified as a super-aged country, a demographic shift that makes systemic reform of elderly care infrastructure and financing an urgent priority. In an aging society, the question of how to deliver accessible, affordable high-quality care for older people becomes one of the most critical policy and social challenges a nation faces, he added. Beyond legislative changes, Jordan said the country needs a broader national conversation about the value of older Barbadians and individual and collective responsibility for caring for the aging population.

    The proposed Older Persons (Care and Protection) Bill, which is currently under review by the House of Assembly, aims to update legal and institutional frameworks to better protect and care for Barbados’ growing elderly population.

  • Air Quality Concerns Rock Belmopan Office Building

    Air Quality Concerns Rock Belmopan Office Building

    A dangerous carbon dioxide buildup linked to poor ventilation has sparked urgent health concerns at the David L. McKoy Building in Belmopan, triggering temporary evacuations of multiple tenants and highlighting years of unresolved infrastructure issues at the facility that first opened its doors in 2021. The Social Security Board (SSB), which manages the property, has launched an emergency response to address the hazard after receiving official reports of elevated indoor carbon dioxide levels.

    In an official interview with local outlet News Five, SSB representatives confirmed that the agency mobilized immediately once the issue was brought to their attention. Response teams quickly moved to trace the source of the contamination, evaluate potential remediation strategies, and open a formal tender process to implement a permanent, long-term fix for the recurring air quality problems.

    Reliable sources close to the situation have confirmed to News Five that two major tenants were forced to temporarily relocate their entire operations out of the building over the past several weeks. United Nations agencies based on the building’s second floor evacuated the space entirely, as did the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, which occupied the fourth floor. Notably, two commercial call centers operating from the first and third floors remained in the building through the incident, leaving their staff exposed to potential risks.

    Public health professionals have repeatedly warned that extended exposure to elevated carbon dioxide in under-ventilated indoor environments can lead to a range of severe short and long-term health outcomes, including headaches, fatigue, impaired cognitive function, and in extreme cases, damage to vital organ systems. SSB’s internal investigation confirmed that insufficient building-wide ventilation systems were the primary cause of the dangerous drop in indoor air quality.

    As an initial remediation step, SSB has already installed Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) systems and continuous air quality monitoring equipment on the second and third floors. Installation of identical ventilation systems is currently underway on the remaining first and fourth floors, with work progressing on schedule. SSB officials explained that ERV systems resolve poor air quality by cycling out stale, carbon dioxide-rich indoor air and replacing it with fresh outdoor air, all while retaining most of the energy used to heat or cool the building to avoid spiking utility costs. The agency added that it will continue to closely monitor air quality and system performance across all floors to ensure the hazard is fully resolved.

    The incident marks just the latest in a string of infrastructure problems that have plagued the David L. McKoy Building since it opened five years ago, raising questions about construction oversight and long-term maintenance planning for public sector properties in Belmopan.

  • Vendor Says CitCo’s Decision Ripples from Market Stall to Farm Fields

    Vendor Says CitCo’s Decision Ripples from Market Stall to Farm Fields

    For more than a decade, customers shopping for farm-fresh goods at Belize City’s iconic Michael Finnegan Market could count on one constant: a stall near the second gate stocked with vegetables straight from the Little Belize farming community. That familiar routine has been upended in recent weeks, after a controversial policy dispute forced long-time wholesale vendor Herman Freisen to abandon his spot and relocate to a new facility, sending economic ripples from the city marketplace all the way out to rural farming households.

    Freisen, a Mennonite wholesaler who has operated at the market for over 15 years, built his business around a consistent dual model: moving bulk product to smaller resellers on designated wholesale days (Tuesdays and Fridays), then selling directly to retail customers on Saturdays to clear remaining stock. That arrangement allowed him to keep prices low for everyday shoppers while delivering steady income to the farming families that supply his produce. But under new pressure from small retail vendors who say his Saturday retail sales undercut their own businesses, Freisen says he was told to end retail sales at the municipal market and ultimately forced to move.

    “We weren’t even given a grace period to let our regular customers know we were leaving,” Freisen explained. “I asked for at least one more Saturday to inform people, and that request was denied. We had no choice but to pack up last weekend and move to our new location at Pound Yard Market, a privately run facility where there are no restrictions on mixing wholesale and retail sales. We can still offer fair, competitive prices there that match what we charged at Michael Finnegan, but we’ve already seen a sharp drop in foot traffic and sales as customers adjust to the new location.”

    Freisen emphasizes that the harm from this disruption extends far beyond his own bottom line. Every decline in his sales translates directly to lower income for the small farming families in Little Belize that grow the vegetables he sells, putting unplanned financial strain on rural households that already operate on thin margins.

    The Belize City Council, however, is pushing back against Freisen’s account, denying that any formal order to relocate or end retail sales was ever issued. Market manager Delroy Herrera says the conflict is the result of long-simmering tension between wholesale and small-scale retail vendors over day designations at the publicly run market, and that the council has not yet made any final binding decisions on the dispute.

    Under existing municipal regulations laid out in Chapter 85 of the Belize City Council code, Tuesdays and Fridays are reserved exclusively for wholesale trade, while Saturdays are designated for open retail sales. Herrera explained that complaints have mounted from both sides for months: small retailers have been selling on wholesale days and forcing bulk vendors to cut prices, while wholesalers like Freisen that choose to sell on retail days are accused of undercutting smaller vendors who rely on Saturday walk-up traffic.

    “After a meeting with vendors on April 15, there was a lot of informal discussion among vendors, but the council never issued any formal written or official order telling Mr. Freisen he couldn’t sell here,” Herrera noted. “The issue is that Mr. Freisen often skips Friday wholesale days to make off-site deliveries, and he wants to make up those sales by selling retail on Saturday. But Saturdays are set aside for small retail vendors who buy their stock wholesale on Fridays and sell directly to shoppers to earn their own living. The council is committed to balancing the needs of both large wholesalers and the small, independent vendors who come into the city from areas like Bomba to make a living. Right now, we’re still working through the problem, and no final decisions have been made.”

    Councilor Evan Thompson echoed that position in comments to local media, confirming that the council has not issued any instructions blocking Freisen or any other vendor from selling at Michael Finnegan Market, calling any claims to the contrary inaccurate.

    The dispute has left both Freisen and his network of farming suppliers in limbo, as the vendor adjusts to his new private market location and waits to see if a resolution can be reached that would allow him to return to his long-time spot at the municipal market.

  • Thunder Bay mass shooting: Anglicans call for end to gunplay

    Thunder Bay mass shooting: Anglicans call for end to gunplay

    A shocking act of brutal gun violence has rocked the coastal community of Lower Carlton, St James, leaving three men dead, one person injured, and an entire nation grappling with grief and renewed calls for action to end the country’s escalating wave of gun crime. In the wake of Sunday night’s fatal attack – which unfolded when armed attackers stepped out of a vehicle and opened fire on a crowd gathered at Thunder Bay Beach Bar – the Anglican Church has added its powerful voice to demands for an end to persistent gun violence plaguing the island.

    In an official public statement released Tuesday, Bishop Michael Maxwell, head of the local Anglican Church, shared his profound sorrow over the senseless attack, extending heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims who are now navigating the pain of their unexpected loss. “On behalf of the entire Anglican Church, I extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families who are grieving as a result of this ruthless act of violence,” Maxwell stated.

    The bishop made clear that the church is deeply troubled by the growing string of gun-related criminal incidents that have shaken communities across the country. “We are profoundly distressed by the continuing gun violence that wounds our society and diminishes the sense of safety, dignity, and respect for life that ought to characterise our communities,” he added. His remarks come as the entire nation continues to process the shock of the St James shooting, an attack that has left three families bereaved, survivors injured, and many local residents living in heightened fear of further violence.

    In his address, Bishop Maxwell directed a urgent, compassionate appeal to the island’s young and middle-aged people, many of whom he says may feel pushed toward illegal activity as a way to cope with increasingly difficult economic and social circumstances. “We once again appeal, especially to our young and middle-aged persons who may feel that violence or illegal activity is the only means of survival in these increasingly difficult times,” he said. “We urge them to allow us to work alongside them in identifying and building more lifegiving alternatives – pathways that enable all of us to live peacefully on our island.”

    The Anglican Church, Maxwell emphasized, remains fully committed to expanding practical, on-the-ground initiatives designed to support young people whose lives have been shaped by challenging hardship. “Through mentorship, sports, music, and other developmental programmes, we seek to equip them with the values, skills, and support necessary to make life affirming choices and to access opportunities for meaningful employment,” he explained.

    Moving forward, the church plans to ramp up these efforts over the coming year, working in close partnership with local community organizations to create sustainable, viable pathways for personal growth. The goal, Maxwell said, is to give young people the tools they need to build dignified, purpose-driven lives without feeling forced to turn to illegal activity to make ends meet. Beyond programmatic work, the bishop confirmed that the church will continue to hold all those affected by gun violence, and the entire nation, in prayer as the country works through this period of deep trouble. “Our church will also continue to hold in prayer all those who have been affected, and our nation as a whole, as we journey through these deeply troubling times,” he said.

  • Retired CARICOM Official Warns Dispute Could Weaken Regional Work

    Retired CARICOM Official Warns Dispute Could Weaken Regional Work

    A bitter public dispute over the reappointment of CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett has fractured the usually cohesive facade of the Caribbean regional bloc, with a retired top official warning that the open conflict could cause lasting damage to the organization’s core mission. The standoff erupted after Trinidad and Tobago issued a stark public ultimatum in late April 2026: it will withdraw critical financial contributions to the bloc unless member leaders revisit the approval of Barnett’s second term.

    Trinidad and Tobago’s leadership has put forward two core grievances to justify its hardline position. Officials claim the bloc’s progress has ground to a standstill during Barnett’s first term, and add that Trinidad was denied any meaningful input when the decision to reappoint her was originally made. The position has pitted the twin-island nation directly against Belize, whose prime minister and foreign minister have both issued public statements unreservedly backing Barnett’s continued leadership.

    The unprecedented public airing of internal tensions has drawn a sharp warning from Ambassador Byron Blake, a former Assistant Secretary General of CARICOM who retired from the bloc after decades of service. Blake argues that the public fight over the secretary general’s appointment is likely a distraction from deeper underlying rifts, framing the leadership dispute as little more than a “smoke screen” for broader disagreements within the bloc.

    Even so, Blake stressed that the very fact the conflict has spilled into public view poses a severe threat to CARICOM’s functionality. In comments originally made during a televised evening broadcast, he noted that the organization has always historically resolved internal differences through closed-door caucuses and quiet diplomacy, and this open public clash over a leadership appointment has no precedent in CARICOM’s history.

    “A public disagreement with the sitting secretary general is almost suicidal,” Blake explained. “It means that the secretary general, who has to move among countries and among heads of government, will not get cooperation in terms of the programs and the activities. And that then would really be very destructive for the movement.”

    Beyond the immediate damage to ongoing initiatives, Blake added that the public dispute erodes trust in how CARICOM operates, casting doubt on the bloc’s ability to navigate internal differences to deliver collective progress for member states. He urged leaders to come to a swift resolution to the standoff, warning that prolonged division will only deepen harm to the regional integration project that CARICOM was built to advance.

  • NEBL Issues Suspensions, Fines After Chaotic Orange Walk Game

    NEBL Issues Suspensions, Fines After Chaotic Orange Walk Game

    Just one week after a high-stakes regular season matchup between the Belize City Defenders and the Orange Walk Running Rebels devolved into an on-court brawl that forced an early end to play, the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) has followed through on its promise of accountability, issuing a series of suspensions and fines to the involved players. The chaotic April 17 confrontation at the Orange Walk Sporting Complex, which unfolded in front of a live crowd of fans and officials, has drawn widespread criticism for violating the league’s core standards of conduct, and the newly announced penalties make clear the league leadership has zero tolerance for unsportsmanlike behavior.

    What was marketed as a thrilling, family-friendly night of elite basketball quickly spiraled out of control when tempers boiled over between the two squads, leading to aggressive physical confrontation between players. Multiple individuals left their designated bench areas to join the altercation — a clear violation of NEBL competition rules — and several disqualified players refused to exit the court or leave the arena after the fight broke out. Acts of physical aggression including striking, kicking, and pushing opponents marked the incident, leaving league sponsors, spectators, and governing officials deeply disappointed. In the immediate aftermath of the brawl, NEBL launched a full internal review and pledged to hold all responsible parties accountable, a commitment that has now resulted in formal disciplinary action.

    Multiple players from both the Defenders and the Running Rebels face penalties ranging from a one-game suspension to a ban for the rest of the 2026 NEBL regular season, with total fines across all disciplined players amounting to more than $5,000. In a break from standard league practice, NEBL officials confirmed that all funds collected from these fines will be donated to a charitable organization, which will be selected by the league’s central office.

    NEBL Commissioner Leroy Banner has already publicly apologized to supporters for the incident, acknowledging that the behavior exhibited during the game fell far short of the league’s expected standards and does not align with the NEBL’s core institutional values. League officials emphasize that these sanctions are not merely punitive; they are intended to send a clear message to all teams, players, and staff as the 2026 regular season enters its final stretch and the playoffs approach. By taking decisive action now, the NEBL aims to refocus attention on what matters most: high-level competitive basketball, mutual respect between opponents, and a strong, positive conclusion to the 2026 season. The penalties also reinforce the league’s commitment to its official mantra, “Basketball at its Best,” and work to rebuild fan confidence that the NEBL provides a safe, entertaining experience for attendees of all ages. This report was compiled from on-the-ground reporting by Isani Cayetano for News Five.

  • Dominican Republic and Haiti discuss security measures amid gang expansion

    Dominican Republic and Haiti discuss security measures amid gang expansion

    In a significant step toward addressing the spiraling security crisis engulfing neighboring Haiti, the governments of the Dominican Republic and Haiti have launched joint working committees focused on curbing the expanding power of criminal gangs and resolving shared cross-border security concerns. The collaborative initiative emerged from a high-level working meeting held in Santo Domingo, where Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez held in-depth discussions with Jack Christofides, covering the full scope of cooperative goals and on-the-ground operational details for the multinational Gang Suppression Force mission. A delegation of senior Dominican government officials and top security sector representatives also took part in the strategic talks, laying the groundwork for coordinated action against organized criminal violence.

    The current emergency in Haiti did not develop overnight. As global human rights organization Amnesty International points out, decades of deep-rooted political and economic fragility, rooted in historical systemic inequality, have created the conditions for criminal groups to flourish. This preexisting instability has been severely exacerbated by a cascade of recent overlapping crises: acute fuel shortages that have paralyzed basic public services, devastating natural disasters that destroyed critical infrastructure and displaced thousands of people, and the lingering socioeconomic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, these shocks have allowed gang-related violence to spread rapidly across most of Haiti’s populated areas.

    The security situation deteriorated dramatically following the 2021 assassination of sitting Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, an event that shattered already fragile governance and pushed political instability to new heights. Moïse’s successor, interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry, struggled to gain control over expanding armed groups that quickly consolidated their control over large swathes of the capital, Port-au-Prince. By 2024, international pressure and domestic outcry led to the formation of a new transitional presidential council, mandated to lead the country back to constitutional order and institutional stability.

    Today, Haitian national authorities remain under intense international and domestic pressure to advance security sector reforms, rein in violent criminal groups, and uphold fundamental human rights, as the country continues to grapple with persistent widespread violence and deep-seated institutional challenges that have left millions of ordinary Haitians facing daily insecurity.

  • King’s Baton Reaches Belize Ahead of Glasgow 2026 Games

    King’s Baton Reaches Belize Ahead of Glasgow 2026 Games

    Months ahead of the opening of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the global King’s Baton Relay has marked its latest stop in the Central American nation of Belize, bringing a celebration that weaves together local cultural identity, athletic legacy and environmental action.

    A core innovation of this year’s relay sets it apart from previous iterations: for the first time in Commonwealth Games history, all 74 participating nations and territories have received a customizable blank baton, which each community can design and decorate to reflect their unique national story. Belize unveiled its one-of-a-kind hand-painted baton to the public alongside the relay’s arrival on Monday, kicking off a full day of community-focused activities.

    The day’s events centered on a public relay run that traveled along Belize’s coastal corridor, finishing at the iconic Baron Bliss Lighthouse. The run featured enthusiastic participation from students of Saint Catherine Academy, who extended the event’s impact beyond athletic celebration by organizing an ocean cleanup campaign along the city seawall. Led by the school’s Oceana Wavemakers Club, the student volunteers collected plastic waste along the route between the lighthouse and their school campus, tying the Games’ spirit to tangible local environmental action. The initiative aligns with a core priority embedded in Belize’s baton design: protecting the nation’s rich marine ecosystems for future generations.

    In an interview following the unveiling, Leticia Westby, a board member of the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, broke down the layered meaning behind the nation’s custom baton and the day’s programming. “The core goal of pairing the relay with our cleanup effort is to remove harmful plastic from our coastal waters, so our oceans can be preserved for generations of Belizeans to come,” Westby explained.

    She walked through the creative choices that shaped Belize’s baton, noting that every design element ties to a key part of the nation’s identity. The baton’s base features the Belizean national flag, a clear marker of national pride. It also includes a depiction of the Great Blue Hole, Belize’s famous UNESCO World Heritage Site that draws visitors from across the globe, as a nod to the nation’s extraordinary natural heritage. The theme of ocean protection is woven directly into the design, reinforcing the message of the day’s cleanup campaign. To honor the nation’s ancient cultural roots, the baton also showcases the country’s unique Mayan heritage, with a depiction of ancient Mayan ruins and a reference to Pok-ta-Pok, the ancient traditional ballgame that the Maya have played for millennia.

    Notably, Belize holds a special connection to this centuries-old sport: the nation claimed the title of Pok-ta-Pok world champions just a few years ago, and the game remains an active part of modern Belizean cultural life. “Mayan civilization has been rooted in this land since before the Common Era, and their culture and traditions remain a core part of who we are as Belizeans today,” Westby added.

    The custom baton design was commissioned from local artist Keion Griffith, who worked to bring all of these thematic elements together into a cohesive, visually striking work of art. Following the arrival event, Belize’s week of Commonwealth Games-themed activities will conclude on Friday with a public Pok-ta-Pok match hosted at Jardin Pachamama Field, giving community members the chance to experience the ancient traditional sport firsthand.

    As the relay continues its journey across all 74 Commonwealth nations and territories ahead of the 2026 Games, each stop has highlighted how the event serves not just as a precursor to athletic competition, but as a global platform for celebrating cultural diversity, advancing local sustainability goals, and bringing communities together around shared values.