分类： society

More than two years after a devastating highway collision claimed the life of Oscar Rhodas in Belize, a High Court jury has delivered a guilty verdict in the high-profile case against Marvin Cal. Cal was charged with causing death by careless driving following the November 2023 crash on the Burrell Boom–Hattieville Road.

The nine-member jury spent just over two hours deliberating on the evidence presented before returning a unanimous guilty verdict. Prosecutors built their case around a series of witness testimonies and forensic evidence that contradicted Cal’s core defense: the defendant had long claimed he was only a passenger in the white Ford Ranger pickup at the time of the crash, not the person operating the vehicle.

Witnesses who were traveling on the road the day of the incident told the court they observed the white Ford Ranger overtaking a passenger bus at dangerously high speed, swerving unpredictably moments before impact. The vehicle ultimately lost control and collided with a grey Dakota pickup that was towing a utility trailer, according to court records.

Rhodas, who was traveling in the open rear bed of Cal’s pickup, was ejected from the vehicle during the crash and pronounced dead at the scene. Medical evidence presented during the trial confirmed Rhodas’ death was caused by severe, massive head trauma sustained in the impact. First responders also testified that they found Cal trapped behind the steering wheel of the wrecked Ford Ranger after the collision, requiring the use of the Jaws of Life hydraulic rescue tool to extract him from the wreckage — evidence that directly undercut his claim he had not been driving.

Following the verdict, Justice Derrick Sylvester revoked Cal’s pre-trial bail and ordered the defendant remanded into custody at Belize Central Prison. Cal is scheduled to appear for his sentencing hearing on June 16, 2026. Ahead of the sentencing and mitigation submissions, the court has ordered three official reports to be prepared: a victim impact statement detailing the harm caused to Rhodas’ family, a social inquiry report, and a report on Cal’s prior criminal antecedents. Under Belizean law, Cal now faces a maximum penalty of two years of prison time, or a fine, with the final sentence to be determined by the court based on all submitted materials.

Scheduled to take effect following an official agreement between national transport authorities and local bus operators, Belize is set to implement a new round of bus fare increases in 2026 — only the second adjustment of its kind over the past 10 years. The price change is formally attributed to sustained global fuel cost increases that have squeezed operating margins for private and public bus providers across the country.

Alongside the fare adjustment, officials and industry leaders have repeated a long-held pledge to deliver tangible upgrades to bus services, including modernized fleets, improved safety standards and more consistent scheduling. But for regular commuters who lived through the 2016 fare hike, this promise sounds all too familiar. A decade ago, similar commitments of improved service followed the last price increase, and many riders report that few meaningful changes ever materialized, leaving overcrowded routes, aging vehicles and unreliable timetables unchanged.

Current Transport Minister Dr. Louis Zabaneh and Belize Bus Association President Philip Jones are pushing back against that widespread skepticism, emphasizing that the 2026 agreement is structured differently to deliver on past unkept promises. In an interview, Dr. Zabaneh explained that the new framework distributes the financial burden of rising global fuel prices across three stakeholders: bus operators, fare-paying commuters, and the Government of Belize, creating a more sustainable balance than previous arrangements. He added that the agreement enforces existing performance conditions attached to operators’ road service permits, and that mid-next month, officials will open new discussions focused on upgrading rural and village bus routes, as part of a broader government strategy to modernize the national highway and public transit sector.

The core demand from commuters that has shaped ongoing negotiations mirrors what was raised a decade ago, when then-Transport Minister Edmond Castro highlighted rider concerns over safety, overcrowding, and unacceptably poor vehicle conditions. “If commuters are being asked to pay higher fares, even if only in some regions, they have every right to expect a better product from service providers,” Castro noted in past discussions that resonate with current public sentiment.

Thomas Shaw, a former president of the Belize Bus Association, echoed a long-held industry position that higher revenue is a prerequisite for service upgrades: “Progress always comes with growing costs, and at the end of the day, if communities want quality, reliable bus service, they have to be prepared to pay for it. If operators get the revenue they need to upgrade, they can deliver the better service commuters want.” Current association president Jones echoed that framing in recent comments, adding that “public transit is the lifeline for most Belizeans. Every operator is on board with this agreement, and we are committed to delivering consistent, high-quality service that gets better over time.”

Despite these renewed assurances, widespread skepticism remains among the riding public. After years of coping with overcrowded carriages, unpredictable schedules, and poorly maintained, aging buses, most commuters say they are adopting a cautious wait-and-see approach. While the leadership of the transport ministry and bus association has changed over the past decade, the core promise of service improvements tied to a fare hike remains identical — and for many Belizeans, that means their distrust remains unchanged too.

As 2026 Labor Day approaches in Belize, working households across the nation are grappling with a growing financial squeeze that has pushed long-simmering workplace grievances to the forefront of public conversation. Skyrocketing living costs, from spiking fuel prices that have translated to higher public transit fares to steadily climbing everyday bills, have stretched already tight paychecks to breaking point, turning routine household budget management into a precarious balancing act for thousands. It is this widespread strain that is shaping the tone of 2026’s national Labor Day events, organized by the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB).

Unlike ceremonial celebrations of years past, this year’s march and rally, set to take place on Friday, is framed as an urgent call for action rather than a simple commemorative gathering. Union members will not only carry flags and mark the symbolic occasion; they will amplify the unmet demands of Belizean workers, pushing for policy changes that address rising economic hardship and strengthened severance protections for employees. Organizers emphasize that this year’s message is clear: working people demand to be heard by national decision-makers, and they are prepared to make their voices heard in public. NTUCB President Ella Waight stressed that the rally is not designed for empty celebration, but to stand up against the mounting pressures facing Belize’s labor force and demand tangible change, not symbolic applause.

In details shared ahead of the event, Waight outlined the structure of the day’s activities: the march will kick off at 8:30 a.m. from Constitution Park, proceeding along a route to Birds Isle for the post-march rally. Participating union members will carry branded flags and custom banners, combining celebration of workers’ contributions to the nation with vocal advocacy for improved rights and working conditions. The NTUCB has expanded participation beyond traditional union ranks, extending invitations to a broad coalition of groups with shared grievances. The Belizean Cane Farmers Association, the Cuban Brigade working in the country, and two justice groups representing former employees of the national electricity board and Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) have all agreed to join the demonstration. Waight noted that these former workers have their own critical messages to share with the Belizean public, making their inclusion a natural fit for the event’s mission.

Organizers are projecting a solid turnout from both unionized and non-unionized workers, who have been encouraged to join the demonstration to add their weight to the call for reform. This year’s official Labor Day theme, “Workers’ Rights, Nation’s Strength”, anchors the rally’s core message: that the strength and growth of Belize as a nation is inherently tied to the protection and empowerment of its working population. Waight emphasized that the theme reflects a simple, foundational truth: Belize’s current economic and social development would not exist without the labor of working people, who build and sustain every sector of the country. As preparations wrap up, the rally stands as a unified display of working-class solidarity, bringing together diverse groups to demand meaningful action to address the economic strains hitting households across Belize.

In an act of grassroots defiance that has captured public attention across Belize, well-known local artist Bernard Cayetano, who performs and advocates under the pseudonym Unlmtd, has escalated his years of growing frustration with systemic government overreach and exclusionary policy from online rhetoric to on-the-ground activism. On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, the outspoken artist launched a lone picket on one of the nation’s critical travel arteries, the BelCan Bridge, where his peaceful demonstration briefly slowed cross-city vehicle traffic — a small intentional inconvenience that succeeded in drawing widespread public focus to his core demand for institutional change, summed up in his placard’s blunt, powerful slogan: “Enough is Enough.”

In an on-site interview with local reporter Shane Williams, Unlmtd pulled no punches in criticizing the current administration’s recent policy negotiations, specifically calling out a widely criticized agreement struck with bus operators that he says completely sidelined the needs and voices of ordinary Belizean citizens. Speaking in Belizean Kriol, the artist framed the country’s current political landscape as one where ordinary citizens are effectively held hostage in their own nation, with leadership making self-serving deals out in the open with no regard for public backlash.

Unlmtd questioned the widespread public reluctance to mobilize against what he describes as the ongoing exploitation of Belize and its people, noting that too many citizens are willing to wait out the five-year election cycle rather than sacrifice even a few days of work to push for change. He argued that the short-term economic cost of taking action pales in comparison to the long-term damage that will accumulate if residents do not stand up to demand better governance immediately.

When Williams pressed him on the fact that he stood alone on the picket line with no other protesters joining his demonstration, Unlmtd responded that all meaningful social movements begin with a single individual willing to take the first step. “I had to make the move and start this,” he said, characterizing himself as a bold actor unafraid of pushback rather than a passive bystander willing to accept the status quo. When asked how long he intends to continue his protest, Unlmtd made clear that he will return to the bridge every single day until tangible change is delivered, adding that those who do not wish to support his effort are free to ignore him and step aside.

Though the protest has caused minor disruptions to daily commuter traffic, early public reaction has been largely supportive. Passing motorists have frequently sounded their horns in solidarity and stopped to share words of encouragement with the lone demonstrator, signaling that his call for action resonates with a broad segment of the Belizean public frustrated with current governance.

This report is adapted from a transcribed on-air evening newscast, with original Kriol dialogue preserved as recorded during the live interview.

A beloved, high-profile Belize City dining destination finds itself at the center of a heated social media controversy, with owners stepping forward to categorically deny a string of serious accusations ranging from unauthorized imports to unsafe food handling and financial wrongdoing.

The viral online claims that erupted in late April 2026 pushed Midtown Restaurant and its owner Jhon Kelat to issue a public, point-by-point refutation of the allegations, as public scrutiny of the popular eatery grew steadily. Kelat emphasized that every allegation leveled against the business is entirely fabricated, and he has official documentation on hand to confirm the restaurant’s full compliance with all national regulations.

Kelat explained that much of the confusion around import procedures stems from the fact that only core management holds access to official customs and import permits, not the delivery and loading staff that shared the claims online. “These are totally false, targeted attacks on our company, and we are deeply disappointed to see this spread across social media without any fact-checking,” Kelat stated in an interview with News Five’s Shane Williams.

Beyond import allegations, the viral social media campaign also included claims that Midtown uses and stores spoiled meat, violating public health standards. Kelat addressed this by contextualizing the out-of-context video that was shared widely online: the footage captured a routine weekly after-hours pest control treatment, a standard preventive practice the restaurant uses to maintain cleanliness, not evidence of unsanitary conditions. After spraying, staff inspect the premises the following morning to identify areas that need additional monitoring and cleaning, a process designed to upskill staff and maintain high hygiene standards. “Anyone watching the full video can clearly see all insects are dead, and this took place after closing hours during scheduled cleaning, not during operating hours. Every restaurant follows this basic protocol,” Kelat added.

Kelat also clarified the viral image circulated as “spoiled meat”: the product shown is actually pre-cooked ribs pre-seasoned with mango sauce, which gives the meat its characteristic darker hue. A quick check of the supplier’s official website confirms the packaging matches the image exactly, proving the product is safe, unspoiled, and commercially produced as labeled. Claims that Midtown stores food in unregulated, off-book locations are equally misleading, Kelat said, noting the images shared online were selectively edited to fit a false narrative about the business.

According to Kelat, the entire smear campaign traces back to a disgruntled former employee who violated his employment contract by leaving Midtown to take a position at a competing restaurant. After Midtown notified the Belizean Labour Department and other relevant authorities of the contract breach, the employee’s work permit was canceled. This retaliatory campaign of falsehoods is the former employee’s response, Kelat argued. The social media page that published the allegations never reached out to Midtown for comment or requested to view the restaurant’s official permits and documentation, making the entire post unprofessional and unethical, he added.

Midtown has already confirmed it is fully willing to turn over all relevant documentation to government regulators and credible media outlets to clear its name. The establishment is also actively evaluating legal action against the individuals responsible for spreading what it confirms is knowingly false information. The unsubstantiated claims have taken an emotional toll on Midtown’s team of employees, who have worked for years to build the restaurant’s strong, positive reputation among local diners and visitors alike.

In a heartwarming ceremony filled with hymns, prayer, and room-by-room blessings, a long-held dream of homeownership became reality for a Belize City mother of one on Wednesday, April 30, 2026. After two years of patient waiting and faith, Shanice Castillo, who had spent years living in unstable rental accommodations alongside her daughter and sister, received the keys to her brand new home through a collaborative affordable housing program run by local nonprofit Hand in Hand Ministries and regional financial institution Heritage Bank.

Castillo first applied for the program back in 2024, and described the moment she got her acceptance call as a full-circle realization of the hope she had held for so long. “I applied for 2024, and I went and spoke to Ms. Shannon, and she told me to wait until she called me for a house visit,” Castillo recalled in an interview with local outlet News Five. “She called me for a house visit about a week later, and when I went in, she told me everything that I would need to do, and so far, we did all of that. When she called me again to say, ‘Ms. Castillo, you were accepted to get a house from Heritage,’ I was all excited, because I had already felt it coming, but I was just waiting for the call.”

Unlike many rushed housing assistance initiatives, Hand in Hand Ministries runs a rigorous, community-centered vetting process to ensure homes go to the families that need them most. The process includes initial interviews, in-person home visits to assess current living conditions, and collective case review by the organization’s team. Shannon Stewart, a program coordinator with Hand in Hand Ministries Belize, explained that the intentional screening process ensures every home delivered creates maximum impact for vulnerable communities.

“Normally what we do, we conduct interviews, and we also do interviews in the family homes because we want to get a better understanding of the living situation for the family,” Stewart explained. “Once we collect our necessary data, we take it back to the table and we discuss each and every case carefully because we want to ensure that the person that is chosen is the person that is most in need of the house, and at the end of the day, that was Ms. Shanice Castillo.”

For Castillo, the two-year wait never dimmed her optimism. She said she leaned on her faith throughout the process, confident that her turn would come when the time was right. “Well, I had patience. I waited, I prayed, I left everything in God’s hands, because through Him, all things are possible,” Castillo said. “So I left it in His hands, and when it’s my time, it’s my time. And this is my time, so I have my house, I am a homeowner. Thanks to Hand in Hand and Heritage Bank, I am more than happy and excited, can’t wait for moving.”

Castillo’s new home marks a major milestone for Hand in Hand Ministries, which has been delivering affordable housing to low-income Belizean families for more than two decades. Wednesday’s handover was the 562nd home the organization has completed overall, and the 10th delivered in 2026 alone. Stewart credited the organization’s long-running partnership with Heritage Bank for making this steady progress possible, noting that the bank’s commitment to community impact has only deepened over the years of their collaboration.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be able to work with an organization that looks out for the benefits of people that are in dire need,” Stewart said of the partnership. “The cooperation is great. Each and every year, Heritage Bank comes out with their team, they come out stronger each and every year. They take the time to just give back to our community, to people that are most in need.”

This coming Saturday, Castillo and her small family will move out of their rented accommodation and into their new permanent home — a fresh start that would not have been possible without the cross-sector collaboration between the nonprofit and financial institution. Reporting for News Five, Zenida Lanza contributed to this report.

In a verdict that has sparked widespread public discussion, Belize’s Supreme Court has acquitted 46-year-old Jose Menjivar, a resident of Corozal District, on charges of attempted rape of a 13-year-old minor. Delivered on January 23, 2026 by Justice Raphael Morgan in the case of *The King v Jose Menjivar*, the not guilty finding turned on a core principle of Belizean criminal law: the prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, even when the circumstances of the case are deeply disturbing.

The case traces back to an incident alleged to have occurred on the evening of April 26, 2023, in Corozal. The alleged victim, a 13-year-old boy protected by the court pseudonym “Q” to safeguard his identity, claimed that Menjivar lured him into his home, ordered him to undress and enter an enclosed outdoor shower, joined him naked, stated explicitly he intended to rape Q while touching himself, and physically blocked Q from escaping when he tried to flee. According to Q’s testimony, he was only saved by the sudden arrival of his uncle, who pulled back the curtain covering the shower entrance, found both the boy and Menjivar naked and wet, and immediately escorted the distraught, crying child home. Q’s mother contacted law enforcement that same night.

Prosecutors argued the incident fit the legal definition of attempted rape perfectly: the crime was only interrupted by the uncle’s unanticipated intervention, an external factor that legally satisfies the criteria for a criminal attempt under Belizean law. Consistent with Belizean procedural rules for serious violent and sexual offenses, the case was heard by a judge alone without a jury. In an unusual procedural turn, all 10 of the prosecution’s witnesses submitted agreed-upon testimony; their statements were entered into the court record without cross-examination, and the defense did not challenge the admissibility of the evidence. The defense presented no witnesses of its own, and Menjivar delivered an unsworn dock statement in his own defense.

In his statement, Menjivar denied all allegations, claiming he was physically incapable of committing the offense at the time of the alleged incident, citing a chronic prostate condition, lingering aftereffects of a mini-stroke, and an unhealed broken foot. He claimed official medical records would back up this claim. However, Justice Morgan outright rejected this medical defense. Agreed medical evidence only documented an abdominal ultrasound conducted months before the incident and a single orthopedic clinic visit in January 2023 – neither of which proved any physical incapacity in April 2023. More critically, in a police interview Menjivar did not contest, he explicitly admitted to standing in the shower with Q, a statement that directly contradicted his claim of being wheelchair-bound or otherwise unable to physically accost the child.

Even after throwing out Menjivar’s medical alibi, Justice Morgan was required to assess whether the prosecution’s evidence met the high legal bar of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. After a granular review of the record, he concluded it did not, for three key reasons.

First, the entire prosecution case rested exclusively on Q’s first-hand account of the events inside the shower. No other witness – not even the uncle who arrived at the peak of the incident – observed any of the specific acts Q alleged: that Menjivar forced him to undress, touched himself in a sexual manner, stated his intent to rape, or physically restrained Q from leaving. The uncle only confirmed he found the two naked together, nothing more.

Second, Justice Morgan identified material, credibility-damaging inconsistencies between Q’s testimony and his uncle’s account. Q claimed he first stopped at his grandmother’s house, found it empty, and accepted Menjivar’s invitation into his home while searching for a missing pair of slippers. By contrast, the uncle testified he watched Q ride his bicycle directly to Menjivar’s home and enter without stopping at the grandmother’s residence at all. Q claimed Menjivar grabbed his arm to block his escape just as his uncle pulled back the curtain; the uncle saw no such physical restraint. Q also testified his uncle immediately recognized he was in danger and ordered him to leave, while the uncle recalled only asking both men what they were doing in the space.

Third, the court found evidence supporting a plausible alternative explanation: Q may have had a motive to embellish or fabricate the allegations to avoid punishment from his father after being found naked in a shower with an adult stranger.

In his written ruling, Justice Morgan emphasized that the acquittal does not equate to a finding that Menjivar did nothing wrong more broadly. He explicitly noted that being found naked in a bathroom with an underage minor is “a reprehensible and abhorrent act” that rightfully sparks public outrage. However, Menjivar was not charged with inappropriate conduct in general – he was charged with the specific criminal offense of attempted rape of a child, which requires specific proof of intent and actionable steps toward committing the crime. Given the inconsistencies in the evidence, the lack of corroboration for the core allegations, and the plausible alternative motive for Q’s account, the court could not reach the required degree of certainty to convict.

Justice Morgan acknowledged the verdict would be difficult for many members of the public to accept, given the undisputed fact of an adult man and a naked minor found together in a private shower. But he reaffirmed that the burden of proof in all Belizean criminal cases rests entirely with the prosecution, and when reasonable doubt remains, the law requires an acquittal. “The Accused is not charged with simply being in the bathroom with a child,” the ruling noted. “Criminal law requires more than disturbing circumstances to sustain a conviction – it requires proof of every element of the charged offense, beyond any reasonable doubt.”

A high-profile homicide investigation that has gripped Belize City since mid-April has reached a new milestone, with law enforcement announcing charges against a second suspect connected to the shooting death of 19-year-old Jamir Cambranes. Investigators confirmed that the ongoing case is built on a solid foundation of digital and surveillance evidence that has allowed them to steadily advance their probe.

Cambranes was killed in a gun attack on April 21, an act of violence that sent shockwaves through the local community and prompted an urgent, full-scale response from Belize City police. In the days immediately following the fatal incident, investigators completed a review of closed-circuit television footage and collected forensic evidence from the crime scene, leading to the arrest and murder charge of 33-year-old Kenrick Robinson.

On Wednesday, authorities announced the latest breakthrough in the investigation: 21-year-old Kameron Heusner, a local fisherman and college student based in Belize City, has been arrested and formally charged with murder. A court-issued arrest warrant was secured as the investigation progressed, allowing law enforcement to take Heusner into custody and file official charges.

To date, investigating officials have not publicly disclosed a confirmed motive for the killing. However, police spokespeople have emphasized that rigorous technical analysis and methodical investigative work have been the driving force behind the case, enabling investigators to quickly identify both suspects and connect them to the fatal shooting. Investigations remain ongoing as authorities work to finalize their case ahead of trial proceedings.