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  • Severance Paid to Over 75 Percent of Former BTL Workers

    Severance Paid to Over 75 Percent of Former BTL Workers

    Nearly two years after restructuring shook up Belize’s telecommunications sector, a long-running labor dispute over severance pay for former employees of national telecom incumbent Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL) has moved toward resolution, with Digi — the company that acquired BTL’s core operations — confirming that more than three-quarters of affected workers have already received their owed compensation.

    For months, the Belize Communication Workers for Justice (BCWJ), the union representing former BTL staff, organized public protests and held firm negotiations to secure the severance payments that workers claimed were wrongfully withheld after the company’s ownership transition. Meanwhile, a parallel dispute over severance for former employees of Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) remains unresolved, with those workers continuing public demonstrations to demand their own owed payments.

    In a recent media briefing, Digi Chief Executive Officer Ivan Tesucum explained that the company has taken a low-key approach to resolving severance claims, processing payments on a rolling basis for any former worker who visits the company’s office to finalize their claim. Unlike the high-profile standoff that dominated headlines earlier in the year, tensions around the severance issue have cooled significantly in recent weeks, Tesucum said.

    This de-escalation has allowed Digi to redirect its organizational focus back to its core long-term priorities: expanding service access, driving sustainable growth, and leading Belize’s ongoing digital transformation, he added. “My focus is ensuring that Digi continues to grow, that we continue with our mandate to ensure that we transform our country and continue to lead in digital transformation,” Tesucum told reporters.

    When asked to confirm how many former workers had already collected and accepted their severance packages, Tesucum confirmed that the share of completed claims is currently above 75%. “And so the checks are ready. It’s a matter of them coming to collect it really. And so that, that’s where we’re at,” he said.

    This report is adapted from a transcript of a broadcast evening newscast, with original commentary preserved in context.

  • Why Tesucum Resigned from Special Purpose Vehicle

    Why Tesucum Resigned from Special Purpose Vehicle

    Dated July 3, 2026, a new round of opposition-led scrutiny over government-linked special purpose vehicles (SPVs) in Belize has pushed a high-profile resignation back into the public spotlight, following years of lingering controversy over a major public investment project.

    The controversy first erupted in 2023, when media reports revealed that Belize’s Social Security Board had proposed a $20 million investment into a new public administration complex developed by Public Administration Campus 1 Limited, an SPV set up for the infrastructure project. Ivan Tesucum, a leading Belizean finance professional who also serves as chief executive officer of local firm Digi, took a seat on the SPV’s board of directors after its formation.

    Widespread public pushback eventually halted progress on the administration complex project, but the United Democratic Party, Belize’s main opposition bloc, has recently ramped up its oversight of government-linked contracts and public-private partnerships, bringing new attention to the SPV and reports that Tesucum stepped down from his board role. In a recent on-camera interview with local journalist Shane Williams, Tesucum confirmed the resignation and addressed speculation around his exit.

    When asked to confirm his former membership and subsequent departure from the government-developed SPV, Tesucum acknowledged that he had served on the board as the designated finance representative for the Social Security Board, and that he had formally resigned from the position months prior. Pressed for details on why he chose to leave the role, Tesucum attributed his exit entirely to personal time constraints, rather than political or financial controversy.

    “At the end of the day, I am leading Digi, and that is my full priority,” Tesucum explained. “My core focus right now is delivering lasting value for all of Digi’s shareholders across Belize. Every dividend we declare and every profit we earn flows back to the people of this country: it goes to the Government of Belize, the Social Security Board, the Central Bank of Belize, and more than 1,500 independent private shareholders. Dividing my attention between the SPV board and my leadership role at Digi was no longer feasible.”

    This report is adapted from a transcribed evening television news broadcast, with local Kriol language phrases standardized to conventional spelling for print publication. Readers can access the full unedited broadcast via the original publication’s website.

  • NTUCB Launching Documentary on Sixty Years of Advocacy

    NTUCB Launching Documentary on Sixty Years of Advocacy

    As one of the most influential advocacy bodies for working people in Belize, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) is preparing to mark a major historic milestone this July: six decades of fighting for fair labor rights, stronger workplace protections, and meaningful worker representation in national policy discussions. To celebrate this 60-year legacy of collective action, the organization has planned a series of anniversary events headlined by the world premiere of an original documentary chronicling its journey of labor advocacy, collective bargaining and tripartite social dialogue across generations.

  • Derde helft WK 2026: Argentinië overleeft dappere strijd van Kaapverdië na verlenging

    Derde helft WK 2026: Argentinië overleeft dappere strijd van Kaapverdië na verlenging

    Defending World Cup champions Argentina have booked their spot in the tournament’s Round of 16 after a breathless, nerve-wracking 120-minute battle against a valiant Cape Verde side, sealing a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory courtesy of a late unfortunate own goal.

    The two sides traded blows for the full duration of the match, with Cape Verde pushing the reigning champions to their absolute limit in a bid to pull off one of the biggest upsets in modern World Cup history. Their giant-killing dream ultimately fell just short, leaving the underdog side visibly crushed by heartbreak at the final whistle.

    As many predicted, Argentina started the match on the front foot, patiently probing for an early opening against their organized opponents. Cape Verde’s defense came into the match fully prepared for the South Americans’ early attacking pressure, holding a tight, compact shape for the opening stages of the first half.

    Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha produced a series of confident early stops to keep Argentina at bay, first diffusing a dangerous attack with Lautaro Martinez hounding him closely. As Argentina gradually cranked up the pressure, it looked only a matter of time before the defending champions would break the deadlock, but Cape Verde’s backline held firm, keeping Argentina outside their penalty area for long stretches of the opening half.

    Argentina’s first clear-cut chance arrived in the 15th minute, when Lionel Messi dragged a poor effort off target after a well-worked attacking move. Two minutes later, Canadian referee Drew Fischer awarded Messi a free kick after a challenge from Jovane Cabral, which replays suggested Cabral had won cleanly on the ball. Messi’s resulting free kick was a routine save for Vozinha, who was quickly off his line a minute later to smother the ball as Messi looked to tap home a loose pass. Lautaro Martinez tested Vozinha again soon after, but the keeper remained composed to turn the effort away.

    Right after the hydration break, Messi produced a moment of individual brilliance to open the scoring. He controlled a long, searching pass from Lisandro Martinez with masterful touch, beating Vozinha to put Argentina 1-0 up. After taking the lead, Argentina pushed for a second to extend their advantage, but Cape Verde held firm to prevent any further first-half goals, even when Enzo Fernandez tested Vozinha in stoppage time of the opening 45. The half ended with Argentina holding a narrow 1-0 lead.

    Cape Verde emerged from the halftime break a far more dangerous side, pushing Argentina back into their own half and growing into the game. In the 54th minute, they registered their first shot on target, which Argentine keeper Emiliano Martinez dealt with comfortably. Six minutes later, Duarte found the back of the net to draw the underdogs level.

    In the 63rd minute, Messi found himself one-on-one with Vozinha, but the Cape Verde keeper came out on top against the tournament’s top goalscorer to deny him. Eight minutes later, Messi nearly put Argentina back in front from a quick free kick, taken while Vozinha was still organizing his defensive wall. The keeper managed a last-ditch intervention to tip the effort around the post and keep the scores level.

    In late stoppage time, Messi won a controversial free kick after going down under minimal contact inside the Cape Verde penalty area, but the set piece failed to produce a winning goal for Argentina. Just before the final whistle, substitute Willy Semedo was brought down outside the Argentine box, but referee Fischer waved away appeals for a free kick, and the match ended level to force extra time.

    Early in extra time, Lisandro Martinez put the defending champions back in front with a stunning finish into the top corner of the net, making the score 2-1. Refusing to let their heads drop, Cape Verde continued to push for an equalizer, and in the 103rd minute, Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a sensational goal to draw the underdogs level once again at 2-2.

    In the second half of extra time, Cristian Romero, assisted by Messi, put Argentina ahead for the third time, extending the score to 3-2. Lopes Cabral nearly pulled off another miracle with a brilliant free kick effort late on, but Emiliano Martinez was equal to it, tipping the effort around the post to keep Argentina’s lead intact. Cape Verde could not create another clear chance to equalize, confirming Argentina’s place in the Round of 16 and keeping their title defense campaign on track.

  • Ombudsman Report Finds Excessive Force in 2025 Prison Shooting

    Ombudsman Report Finds Excessive Force in 2025 Prison Shooting

    On July 3, 2026, a damning posthumous final report from retired former Belize Ombudsman Major Gilbert Swaso has brought critical systemic failures at Belize Central Prison to public attention, centered on a 2025 shooting that left an inmate permanently disabled. The incident in question occurred in August 2025, when inmate Nyere Parchue attempted to escape the facility. Prison officers opened fire on Parchue during the attempt, resulting in a permanent spinal injury that left him paralyzed. After a two-month investigation launched immediately after the shooting, Swaso’s team has confirmed that the force used by officers far exceeded what was legally and ethically justified. Prison officials have long justified the use of lethal force against escaping inmates under Section 39 of the Belize Central Prison Act, which the institution claims codifies a right to use deadly gunfire in escape scenarios. Swaso acknowledged that this statutory allowance exists on paper, but emphasized that the law must be interpreted to require lethal force only as a last resort when no other options are available. In this specific case, the investigation found that multiple non-lethal resources and alternative intervention strategies were available to responding officers at the time of Parchue’s escape attempt. As such, the lethal gunfire used was disproportionate to the threat and could have been entirely avoided, the report concluded. Beyond the excessive use of force, the investigation also uncovered deep, systemic gaps across three critical areas of prison operations: inadequate protocols for use of force, delayed and uncoordinated emergency medical response for injured inmates, and a complete lack of effective internal oversight over guard conduct. To address these failures, the report puts forward three core recommendations: expanded, regular training for prison personnel on proportional use of force, widespread deployment of non-lethal weapons for response to incidents like escape attempts, and the implementation of stronger accountability mechanisms to penalize unjustified use of force. Despite the clear findings and actionable recommendations published nearly a year after the incident, key questions about reform and accountability remain unresolved as of the 2026 report release. The most pressing barrier to follow-through is the fact that the Office of the Ombudsman, the only body legally empowered to launch, oversee, and enforce investigations into institutional misconduct, has been completely vacant since December 2025. Under the current Ombudsman Act, only the sitting Ombudsman has the legal authority to initiate, continue, or conclude investigations into complaints. Ombudsman office staff can only receive and log complaints, with no power to advance investigations or push for response from state institutions. Swaso, who left office at the end of 2025, confirmed that even if the prison has submitted a response to his final report, sitting staff lack the authority to act on it, leaving the entire reform process in limbo. This transcript is adapted from an evening television news broadcast original to the outlet.

  • Christopher Noble Gets Expanded Crime-Fighting Role

    Christopher Noble Gets Expanded Crime-Fighting Role

    Two weeks following the appointment of Julius Espat as Belize’s new Minister of Home Affairs, the Belize Police Department is launching a transformative initiative to combat violent crime: a specialized interdivisional task force that also brings a major leadership shakeup to the country’s top law enforcement agency.

    The new operational body, named the Violence Prevention and Enforcement Team, merges seasoned personnel from two existing Special Patrol Unit detachments, one based in Belize’s Eastern Division and the other in the popular coastal community of San Pedro. The team will be directly commanded by Assistant Superintendent of Police Rodney Jones, who in turn will report to Senior Superintendent Christopher Noble — a veteran officer whose remit has just been expanded dramatically to oversee three of the department’s most critical anti-crime units.

    Before the restructuring, Noble led just one specialized unit, the Leadership Intervention Unit. His new portfolio adds two high-priority commands: the Gang Intelligence, Investigation and Interdiction Unit, and now the newly formed Violence Prevention and Enforcement Team. This consolidation places the full spectrum of violence intervention, gang-focused intelligence, and targeted enforcement operations under a single, unified leadership structure.

    In an official circular distributed to all department heads, Commissioner of Police Dr. Richard Rosado outlined the core mandate of the new task force: it will center its work on identifying and monitoring high-risk offenders, combining proactive preventative patrols, sustained outreach to local communities, and concentrated enforcement actions to disrupt potential violence before it occurs.

    Law enforcement leadership anticipates that grouping these three key units under Noble’s centralized command will deliver tangible improvements to Belize’s anti-crime response. By streamlining interunit coordination, breaking down traditional information silos to strengthen cross-team intelligence sharing, and creating a clearer chain of command, the restructuring is designed to make the police’s response to violent crime faster, more targeted, and more effective.

    This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television newscast, with original Kriol-language remarks transcribed using a standardized spelling system for accuracy.

  • Digi Scholarships Open Doors for Fifty-Seven Students

    Digi Scholarships Open Doors for Fifty-Seven Students

    As Belize prepares for the 2026 academic year, 57 talented local students have been awarded comprehensive Digi Scholarships from telecommunications provider BTL, removing financial barriers and creating long-term opportunities for young people across the country. Of the 2026 cohort, 40 recipients are entering high school, while 17 are moving on to junior college, marking a significant expansion of a program that has supported Belizean education for more than three decades.

    Unlike many traditional scholarships that only cover tuition costs, the Digi award includes full coverage for textbooks, required school supplies, residential internet access, and ongoing one-on-one mentorship to help students stay enrolled and meet their academic goals. For recipients like Silverio Hernandez, a soon-to-be freshman at Muffles, the support represents far more than financial aid—it is a life-changing opportunity to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming an attorney, even amid significant personal and economic challenges.

    As a single-mother household, Hernandez’s family has struggled to keep up with rising education costs amid Belize’s ongoing economic pressures. For Hernandez, the scholarship eliminates the constant stress of covering expensive school bills, allowing him to redirect all his energy to his studies. His mother, Cyndy Hernandez, described the award as a miracle, noting that the financial relief could not have come at a more critical time for their family.

    Ramon Cervantes Jr., Belize’s Minister of State for Education, Science and Technology, praised the public-private partnership behind the Digi Scholarship program, emphasizing that collaborations between corporate stakeholders and government are key to advancing the national goal of universal accessible education for all Belizean children. Cervantes congratulated the 2026 recipients on their hard-earned awards and encouraged them to push forward to reach their full potential.

    For BTL, the program serves a dual purpose: investing in Belize’s future leaders while building a pipeline of skilled local talent for the company’s growing workforce. This year, all 17 junior college scholarships were reserved for students pursuing studies in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, aligned with a new internship initiative that places program recipients in key roles across the company’s network operations, IT infrastructure, and cybersecurity divisions.

    Digi CEO Ivan Tesucum explained that the targeted STEM focus addresses the company’s growing demand for skilled local workers, allowing the firm to nurture young talent from early in their academic careers through summer internships and long-term professional development.

    The 2026 program received more than 200 applications from students across Belize, reflecting high demand for the support. The initiative launched in 1991 with just 25 awards, and BTL has steadily expanded access over the past 35 years. The company announced plans to grow the program again next year, with a goal of offering 75 scholarships to qualifying Belizean students in 2027.

    The award ceremony was covered by News Five reporter Shane Williams, who filed this report from the event.

  • Super Nationals Ends After Two Weeks of Competition

    Super Nationals Ends After Two Weeks of Competition

    After 14 days of energetic, high-stakes competition across multiple disciplines, Belize’s first-ever Super Nationals national youth sporting event has drawn to a close, marking a historic milestone for the country’s youth athletic community. The inaugural games brought together more than 800 promising young student-athletes representing all six of Belize’s administrative districts, who competed across four core sports and demonstrated both elite emerging talent and fierce pride for their home regions.

    Hosted as a two-part event, the competition opened with primary school divisions last week, followed by high school matchups in the second week. Speaking at the closing of the games, Anthony Mahler, Belize’s Minister of Tourism, Youth and Sports, emphasized that the successful launch of the Super Nationals has built a solid groundwork for what organizers expect to grow into one of the nation’s leading annual youth sporting showcases.

    In his closing address to participating athletes, organizers and spectators, Mahler framed the event as far more than a simple athletic competition. “This is a vision that Minister Devin Daly, our entire team and I share: to gather the most talented young athletes from across the country and give them the platform and opportunity to perform at their best,” Mahler said. He added that athletic competition offers transferable life skills that serve young people far beyond the pitch, court and running track, regardless of whether they pursue a career in professional sports.

    “Whatever lessons you learn competing here – discipline, teamwork, resilience – you will carry with you into every area of your daily life,” Mahler told participants. “Never forget that sports can act as a beacon to help you advance your education and build a better future for yourselves.”

    For this first edition of the games, competition was held across four core sports: football, volleyball, basketball and athletics. Organizers with the National Sports Council have already confirmed plans to expand the event, adding new sporting disciplines to the roster for the 2027 iteration of the games.

    Mahler noted that this year’s tournament is only the starting point for the Super Nationals, with major expansion already in the works. “Minister Daly, our team and I will commit additional effort and greater resources to make next year’s games bigger and higher quality than this debut,” he said. A key long-term goal for the event is to invite national and international athletic scouts to attend future tournaments, connecting talented Belizean young athletes with advanced training opportunities abroad and helping them advance as far as their talent can take them.

    The event’s successful debut has drawn positive reactions from sporting officials across the country, with many expecting the Super Nationals to become a cornerstone of Belize’s youth sports development ecosystem in coming years.

  • ORINCO Launches ClaimsVAULT to Tackle Insurance Fraud in Belize

    ORINCO Launches ClaimsVAULT to Tackle Insurance Fraud in Belize

    Belize’s insurance sector marked a pivotal milestone on July 3, 2026, with the official launch of ClaimsVAULT Belize, the nation’s first centralized shared motor claims intelligence system. The new platform was co-developed by the Organization of Insurance Companies (ORINCO) in collaboration with Jamaica-based EPIC Technologies, built to address rising fraud losses that have pressured the country’s insurance market for years.

    The core function of ClaimsVAULT is to enable licensed insurance providers across Belize to share anonymized claims data through a secure, regulated digital infrastructure. This shared access gives insurers deeper, more timely insight into claims history, allowing teams to spot fraudulent patterns faster, streamline investigation workflows, and deliver more consistent, equitable outcomes for policyholders. Industry stakeholders frame the launch as a transformative shift from fragmented, company-specific data practices to collaborative industry-wide risk management.

    Andrew Roe, CEO of the Roe Group Companies, emphasized that the long-term benefits of the system will extend far beyond insurance company bottom lines, ultimately delivering tangible savings and fairness to everyday drivers. “When insurers can detect and root out fraud systematically, we cut costs that are currently passed on to all policyholders across the board,” Roe explained. He added that the platform will also correct a longstanding inequity: safe drivers with years of clean records will no longer face indirect penalties for losses caused by fraud and high-risk drivers. By clearly distinguishing between low-risk and high-risk motorists, underwriting teams can craft more accurate, fair pricing that rewards responsible driving behavior.

    Alma Gomez, Insurance Supervisor at Belize’s Office of Supervision of Insurance and Private Pensions (OSIPP), outlined the urgent market context that makes the new system necessary. She shared official first-quarter 2026 data showing that paid motor vehicle insurance claims hit $5.3 million, with an additional $5.5 million in outstanding claims carried over from prior periods. For health insurance, paid claims reached $5.1 million in the same quarter, with another $2.3 million in outstanding claims. Gomez noted that these one-quarter figures reveal a broader trend: insurance companies are facing sustained losses in these core lines of business. To offset these losses, providers have often been forced to raise premiums across the board or exit unprofitable market segments entirely, harming consumers.

    Gomez added that the new platform directly supports recent regulatory requirements mandating enterprise risk assessments for all insurers, helping teams better evaluate both underwriting and claims risk. When leveraged effectively, the aggregated data from ClaimsVAULT will generate actionable statistics on recurring claim types and help industry analysts develop clear fraud typologies to strengthen prevention efforts going forward.

    Across the industry, ClaimsVAULT Belize is positioned to deliver three key benefits to consumers: greater transparency through centralized access to verified claims history, faster resolution of legitimate claims, and broader protection for honest policyholders against the costs of fraud.

  • Richard Frederick says he has “nothing to fear” amid police investigation

    Richard Frederick says he has “nothing to fear” amid police investigation

    Waves of public speculation have rippled across Saint Lucia’s political landscape this week after Housing Minister and Castries Central Member of Parliament Richard Frederick was summoned by local police for questioning in an ongoing investigation. In a public address to clear his name amid swirling rumors, the senior government official has firmly asserted his innocence and stressed he has “nothing to fear” from the ongoing probe.

    Frederick shared details of the encounter during his weekly public affairs program *Can I Help You* broadcast on Thursday night, confirming that plainclothes and uniformed police officers arrived at his private residence early Thursday morning with a request that he accompany them to the central police station for formal questioning tied to an active case.

    “I was greeted, sadly, by a barrage of police officers at my house this morning,” Frederick recalled to listeners. “I asked what the visit was in connection with, they explained the situation, and I fully cooperated with their process. They carried out their required procedures and informed me they needed me to come to the station for questioning, so I went with them voluntarily.”

    After learning the specific nature of the allegations under investigation, Frederick said he remained unshakably confident that the process would clear his name, as he was certain he had violated no laws or ethical standards. “When I heard of the allegations, I knew in my heart of hearts… Richard has nothing to fear,” he stated.

    The minister chose not to disclose sensitive details of the ongoing investigation, explaining that he refused to take any action that could undermine the integrity of the police inquiry. “I don’t want to go into everything because obviously the police are conducting their investigations, and I don’t want in any way, shape or form to compromise the integrity of the investigations,” he said.

    While declining to share specifics, Frederick strongly pushed back against unconfirmed public hints of misconduct involving boundary violations, a veiled reference to reports that have circulated in local gossip circles. “What I do know is this man you see there, call me what you want, call me this, call me that, but there are certain things I don’t cross boundaries on – never and never will…. I have five daughters,” he said, emphasizing his personal commitment to ethical conduct.

    During the on-air interview, program host Albert Daniels openly noted that local law enforcement had been actively investigating reports connected to Frederick, a claim the minister did not dispute. Frederick went on to reaffirm that he trusts the investigative process and has no intention of interfering with police work. “I feel good because one of the things you never want to do is interfere. Let the police do the investigations and let them be satisfied that they have conducted their investigation,” he added.

    Frederick’s public statement came in direct response to widespread social media and local media reports that spread across Saint Lucia on Thursday claiming a senior cabinet official had been taken into police custody. Earlier that same day, Police Commissioner Verne Garde declined to publicly confirm or deny the arrest claims, only issuing a brief statement emphasizing that equal application of the law applies to all residents of the country, and no individual is exempt from legal process regardless of their position.