分类： society

A brutal machete attack in the quiet community of San Marcos Village has sparked explosive accusations of official influence and a deliberate cover-up, leaving a victim’s family living in daily fear more than a week after the assault. What began as a residential invasion on May 14 has devolved into a clash over conflicting narratives, with the victim’s relatives and local village leadership offering starkly different accounts of how the attack unfolded—and why no suspects have been taken into custody.

Orlando Makin was the primary target of the assault, according to his family, which says a long-running dispute erupted into violence when a group of men forced their way into the Makin family home. In the chaotic confrontation, Orlando was hacked with a machete, and the attackers turned their weapons on Orlando’s mother before fleeing the scene. What has compounded the family’s trauma is the complete lack of law enforcement action in the days since the attack: the suspects remain free in the community, openly carrying machetes in public, and police have yet to make any arrests.

In an exclusive phone interview, Mario Makin, Orlando’s brother, detailed the family’s frustration with the slow-moving investigation. “From the 16th, the police came and they didn’t arrest those guys. They only took my brother to the hospital,” Makin explained. After the attack, Orlando’s mother formally filed a police report and requested court intervention, but law enforcement has not moved forward with apprehending the suspects. “Up to now, the people that did all those and people that did the chopping, they’re still walking free on the road with the machete in their hand. We still see them around, walking with machetes,” Makin said. The family claims one of the main accused attackers has close personal ties to San Marcos’ top village leadership, and that this connection is why authorities have failed to act. The ongoing presence of the suspects has left Orlando’s mother, who stays alone at the family home while her grandchildren attend school, in constant danger. “When I just went to check to the police station again, they told me that they will look into it again, but only like that, they’re saying they’re still investigating,” Makin added.

Attempts to reach San Marcos Chairman Alberto Muku and Village Alcalde Marcos Choc for comment on the accusations went unanswered, as both leaders were unavailable for interviews. But Juan Caal, secretary to the alcalde, offered a counter-narrative that completely contradicts the Makin family’s version of events.

Caal told reporters that on the afternoon of May 14, while village leadership was attending an off-site meeting, authorities received word of an altercation involving two attackers and the chairman’s brother on a residential backstreet. According to Caal’s account, the clash was initiated by the Makin side, with Orlando Makin acting as the initial aggressor who attempted to attack the chairman’s brother. The injuries Orlando sustained, Caal claimed, came during a struggle for control of Makin’s own machete, when Makin accidentally cut himself while the chairman’s brother acted in self-defense. Caal said village police under the alcalde’s command attempted to arrest the attackers immediately, but all suspects managed to escape. Local leadership then called in the Punta Gorda Police Department to take over the investigation and coordinate efforts to apprehend the fugitives. Caal emphasized that both the alcalde and the chairman are committed to upholding equal justice for all residents and have no bias in the case, confirming only that no arrests have been completed to date.

As the competing accounts stand, the Makin family continues to wait for justice, while questions persist about whether political connections are undermining law enforcement efforts in the small rural community. This report is a transcript of a televised evening newscast, with Indigenous Kriol speech transcribed to standard English spelling for accessibility.

A routine traffic enforcement interaction between two serving Belizean police officers erupted into a violent physical confrontation at a popular gas station in Belize City earlier this year, bringing the case and its implications for local law enforcement under public scrutiny following the suspect’s first court appearance.

The confrontation stemmed from a traffic violation on May 26, 2026: 31-year-old Police Constable Louis Pascascio is alleged to have run a red light at the intersection of Saint Thomas Street before driving to the Puma gas station located on Freetown Road. On-duty Police Constable Jose Mejia observed the violation, followed Pascascio to the station, and initiated a standard traffic stop.

What was expected to be a routine interaction quickly turned violent, according to official statements from Mejia. He told investigators that Pascascio refused to comply with repeated verbal commands to stop, moved aggressively toward Mejia, and slapped him in the face, which left a visible cut on Mejia’s lower lip. In response, Mejia acted to subdue Pascascio and took him into custody at the scene. It was only after the detainment was complete that Mejia confirmed the individual he had stopped was a fellow member of the Belize Police Department.

Pascascio was formally charged with aggravated assault following the incident. He made his first court appearance this week, where a judge granted him bail. As a condition of his release, Pascascio is required to stay at least 100 feet away from Mejia at all times until the case concludes. He is scheduled to return to court on July 30 for the formal evidence disclosure hearing.

This is not the first time Pascascio has faced criminal legal proceedings. In 2024, he was charged with firearm assault in an incident involving well-known Belizean athlete Shaun Gill. That case was ultimately withdrawn by prosecutors before it went to trial, leaving no conviction on Pascascio’s record from that incident.

The unusual inter-officer clash has drawn local attention, raising questions about protocol for off-duty officer interactions and accountability within the Belize Police Department as the court process moves forward.

On the morning of May 26, 2026, a sudden bus collision upended the daily rush-hour commute for hundreds of motorists traveling along Belize’s Philip Goldson Highway, bringing widespread traffic chaos to the corridor near the Los Lagos Community. The incident unfolded at the 12.5-mile marker, just outside the Friends of Friends entrance, leaving the Sarteneja passenger bus damaged and stranded on the side of the roadway amid wet weather conditions.

Footage shared widely across local social media platforms captures the immediate aftermath of the crash: the damaged commuter bus pulled off the main travel lane, with disembarked passengers and local bystanders huddled nearby as steady rain falls across the scene. First responders, including local law enforcement and emergency medical teams, were dispatched rapidly to the site to manage the incident and assist anyone affected.

As of the publication of this report, official authorities have not yet released formal details confirming either the root cause of the collision or the full scope of injuries sustained by people on board the bus. Compounding travel disruptions, ongoing road construction work is already active along sections of the highway, creating extra hazards for drivers navigating the area. Transportation officials have issued an advisory urging all motorists planning to travel the Philip Goldson Highway to allow extra time for their trips, reduce speed in construction and incident zones, and remain alert for sudden changes in traffic flow.

This report is adapted from a televised evening news broadcast, transcribed for online distribution.

A devastating traffic incident on Staten Island, New York, has left a close-knit family reeling in grief and pushing for answers after a 72-year-old immigrant from Belize lost his life in a collision with a public transit bus on May 15. Leton Meyers, a long-time Staten Island resident originally from Burrell Boom, Belize, died after he fell into the roadway as an MTA bus pulled away from a scheduled stop, and was run over by the vehicle’s rear tires. Official preliminary investigators have outlined this basic sequence of events, but Meyers’ relatives say critical context and undisclosed details about the fatal incident remain out of public view. They are now calling on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that oversees New York’s public bus and rail network, to deliver full transparency and answer pressing questions about how the tragedy was allowed to happen. Those who knew Meyers describe him as a warm, generous and skilled technician who built a meaningful life in New York after relocating from his Central American hometown. A well-respected figure in his local community, he made a habit of opening his home to anyone in need of shelter or support. His death has completely upended his family, relatives said in a statement shared following the incident. “His death has shattered our family,” they shared, asking for support as they grieve and push for accountability. Meyers is survived by his wife, two adult children, and one granddaughter. His granddaughter has spoken publicly about her desire to see her grandfather remembered for the full, kind life he lived, rather than the tragic circumstances of his passing. To cover mounting funeral expenses and allow the family to lay Meyers to rest with the dignity he deserves, relatives have launched a public crowdfunding campaign on the GoFundMe platform. As the family navigates the overwhelming pain of their unexpected loss, their call for transparency remains the core of their effort to honor Meyers’ legacy.

Dated May 26, 2026 – A transformative new investment in pediatric care across Belize is taking shape, after the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise announced a $30,000 donation to the Inspiration Center, a leading local provider of therapeutic services for children with diverse abilities. This contribution is far more than a one-time gift: it is the product of months of intentional collaboration between the two organizations, designed to create long-term, tangible improvements for the thousands of Belizean families that depend on the center’s critical programming.

The donation was officially celebrated at a joint gathering this week, where Rotary leadership and Inspiration Center representatives outlined how the funds will be deployed to expand service reach, upgrade critical clinical and operational equipment, and strengthen the center’s core therapy support systems. Adelaide Sabido, president of the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise, explained that the full $30,000 was raised during the club’s February “Passports and Pours” community fundraiser, selected after the Inspiration Center was prioritized as a high-impact community project by club leadership.

“This isn’t just a one-time check we’re dropping off,” Sabido emphasized. “For two months, we’ve worked closely with the center’s team to map exactly where these funds will deliver the most good. We wanted to make sure they have the resources they need to keep serving children for decades to come – that 5, even 10 years from now, communities across Belize will still feel the impact of this investment.”

The Inspiration Center currently serves children across the entire country, offering specialized physical therapy, speech therapy, and outpatient care to young people with a wide range of disabilities and developmental needs. Carla Hart, chairperson of the Inspiration Center’s board, shared that the center first provided Rotary with a comprehensive list of priority needs, ranging from clinical equipment including hearing screening machinery, to office and program technology, and even a new transport van to expand outreach to underserved rural communities.

While the donation will not cover every item on the wish list, Hart noted that it moves the center dramatically closer to its goal of expanding care to more children across Belize. “Through this collaborative process, we worked together to identify the priorities that will create the biggest immediate and long-term impact,” Hart explained. “This funding goes a very long way to helping us upgrade our services and open access to care for more children with diverse needs from every corner of the country.”

Leaders from both organizations have signaled that the partnership is likely to continue beyond this donation, with future collaborations planned to support the center’s work to build a sustainable, accessible pediatric therapy ecosystem for all Belizean families.

For days, communities across Belize have sweltered under relentless high temperatures, but a long-awaited shift in atmospheric conditions is set to bring much-needed relief to the small Central American nation this week, official meteorological data confirms. According to updates from the Belize Meteorological Service, a mass of moist, unstable easterly airflow has entered the region, kicking off a period of storm activity that will break the extended heatwave.

Forecasters have outlined uneven precipitation patterns across the country’s different regions for the coming days. Residents living in central and northern districts can expect scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop starting this evening. For most other areas of Belize, only isolated rain showers are predicted over the period. Southern districts, however, will see a more sustained period of wet weather: frequent showers and thunderstorms are forecast to continue from Tuesday through Thursday.

The incoming rain comes as local authorities have already completed preliminary flood mitigation work ahead of the annual Atlantic hurricane season. The Belize City Council announced last week it had launched a large-scale drain-clearing initiative across communities that face high flood risk, aiming to reduce the threat of standing water and flash flooding once heavy rains arrive. The proactive work is part of the council’s annual pre-hurricane season preparedness push, designed to protect vulnerable neighborhoods and cut down on storm-related disruptions.

The end of the prolonged heatwave comes as welcome news for Belizean residents, who have endured days of elevated temperatures that strained energy systems and raised public health concerns in recent weeks.

A routine traffic interaction between two serving Belize City police officers erupted into physical violence at a local gas station last week, leaving one officer facing criminal assault charges and already granted court-ordered bail ahead of his upcoming trial.

The incident unfolded on the city’s streets when 31-year-old Police Constable Louis Pascascio allegedly ran a red light at the intersection of Saint Thomas Street, before driving his vehicle into the Puma gas station located on Freetown Road. Fellow officer Police Constable Jose Mejia witnessed the traffic violation, followed Pascascio to the refueling stop, and moved forward to initiate a standard traffic stop for the infraction.

In official statements given to investigators, Mejia told authorities that Pascascio refused to comply with multiple verbal orders to halt his vehicle and remain at the scene. Instead, Pascascio exited his car, advanced directly toward Mejia, and struck him with an open-handed slap that left Mejia with a laceration to his lower lip. Mejia was able to take control of the situation quickly, restraining Pascascio and taking him into custody at the gas station before he could cause further harm.

Pascascio was formally charged with aggravated assault in connection with the altercation, and made his first appearance before a Belize District court this week. Following the hearing, Magistrates granted the officer bail, but imposed a strict restraining condition as part of his release terms: Pascascio is required to stay a minimum of 100 feet away from complainant Jose Mejia at all times until his case concludes. He is next scheduled to appear in court on July 30, when the prosecution will complete the required disclosure of evidence in the case.

Court and police records also uncovered a prior legal incident linked to Pascascio: in 2024, he faced another separate assault charge tied to firearms, which involved well-known Belizean national athlete Shaun Gill. That earlier case was ultimately withdrawn by prosecutors before it could go to trial, leaving no conviction on Pascascio’s record from that incident.

The in-house altercation between two sworn officers has drawn local attention to internal discipline within Belize’s law enforcement community, as the judicial process moves forward to resolve the latest assault allegation.