Carib Scope

标签： Belize

伯利兹

  • What’s Behind the Fish Kill in the Belize River? Public Advisory ‘Still in Effect’

    What’s Behind the Fish Kill in the Belize River? Public Advisory ‘Still in Effect’

    In a developing environmental emergency along Belize’s major waterway, officials have confirmed that a 17.5-mile stretch of the Belize River is grappling with severely depleted dissolved oxygen levels, the primary observed condition linked to a widespread mass fish mortality event first reported earlier this week.

    As of the latest official update released Friday by Belize’s Department of the Environment (DOE), investigators have not yet identified the root cause of the die-off or pinpointed any party responsible for the contamination or conditions that triggered the event. The assessment area stretches from the vicinity of Banana Bank, located upstream of Santander Farms, all the way to the Burrell Boom Village bridge. Field teams recorded the most severe fish deaths and most dramatic shifts in water quality between the Isabella Bank and Grace Bank segments of the river.

    Preliminary on-site testing uncovered additional worrying water conditions at multiple monitoring points: elevated conductivity, increased chlorophyll-a concentrations, and higher turbidity than normal. All of these factors are known to create hostile environments for native aquatic life, according to the DOE. To pinpoint the exact causes of the event, investigators have collected a range of samples for detailed laboratory analysis, including water samples from the Santander Farms drainage network and multiple downstream sites, as well as tissue samples from deceased fish and sediment samples from the affected stretch. These samples will be tested to confirm whether any man-made contaminants played a role in the mass die-off. Department officials are also reviewing high-resolution satellite imagery to identify other potential contributing factors that may not be visible through ground-based assessments alone.

    A public health precautionary advisory first issued Wednesday remains fully in effect for all communities along the affected river segment. The advisory urges residents and visitors to avoid eating fish or any other aquatic resources harvested from the impacted area, and to refrain from using untreated river water for drinking, cooking, food preparation, or providing water for livestock and domestic pets.

    In its own public statement released Friday, Santander Sugar Group, the agricultural operator that owns Santander Farms in the upstream area, said it has granted DOE investigators full, unrestricted access to all of its facilities and on-site operations to support the ongoing probe. The company pushed back against any implied connection to the fish kill, noting that its sugar processing factory operates a closed-loop water management system that does not allow for routine discharge of high-temperature process water into the Belize River. It also confirmed that its on-site irrigation and processing canals are not connected to Labouring Creek, a tributary that feeds into the impacted main stem of the Belize. Per Santander Sugar Group’s explanation, all process water generated at the facility is recovered, actively managed, cooled when required, and reused within the factory’s operations, with no regular discharge into surrounding waterways.

  • Five Belizean students turn sargassum crisis into agricultural opportunity, win STEAM award

    Five Belizean students turn sargassum crisis into agricultural opportunity, win STEAM award

    What began as an unappealing summer camp commitment for five teenage girls in northern Belize has ended in national innovation recognition, delivering a creative potential solution to one of the country’s most stubborn coastal environmental issues. The team of students from Orange Walk’s Bishop Martin High School walked away with the “Best Use of STEAM” award at Belize’s national STEAM Festival, held July 18, 2026 in San Ignacio, Cayo, for their project that transforms invasive sargassum seaweed into usable agricultural fertilizer.

    The students — Linda Escalante, Ideleen Monzon, Vivian Martinez, Yasmin Minjangos, and Marceline Locario — only joined their school’s July STEAM summer camp after gentle persuasion from their mothers. After a grueling academic year, many of the teens prioritized rest over giving up their afternoons for an extra educational program, and none expected the experience to reshape their understanding of problem-solving or earn them national acclaim.

    Hosted as part of the government-backed “Skills for the Future” extracurricular initiative, the summer camp was designed to encourage young women to explore intersections of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics while tackling real local challenges. Facilitated by educator Wilson Mendoza, the program paired interactive lessons with industry engagement: professionals from ASR Group walked participants through real-world engineering applications in sugar production, while a visit to Orange Walk ITVET introduced students to how AutoCAD digital design leverages mathematical principles for modern construction.

    As the camp wrapped up, participating teams were tasked with identifying a pressing community issue and developing an innovative solution rooted in STEAM concepts. The Bishop Martin team settled on sargassum, a rapidly accumulating seaweed that plagues Belize’s coastlines, damaging tourism economies and creating unpleasant, unhealthy conditions as it decomposes on beaches. Their project, titled *The Reborn of Sargassum*, outlines a system where a purpose-built vessel would collect and compress massive volumes of sargassum directly offshore, then process the seaweed into nutrient-rich fertilizer for local farmers.

    The young innovators didn’t stop at a vague concept: they conducted rigorous research into the natural nutrients found in sargassum, documented its proven benefits for boosting crop growth and even suppressing common fungal crop diseases, and studied existing sargassum processing techniques used in neighboring Mexico to address questions around chemical treatment required to make the seaweed safe for agricultural use. Splitting tasks based on individual strengths — with members leading research, model building, and presentation preparation respectively — the team refined their proposal to compete against 30 other teams from six secondary schools across Belize at the national festival.

    Walking into the competition, the five students had little confidence in their chances of placing. But their thorough, locally focused approach impressed the panel of judges, which included education officials, business leaders, and community representatives, ultimately earning them the top honor for STEAM integration. Other winning projects came from teams across the country, including additional entries from Bishop Martin High School, Corozal Community College, and Ecumenical High School.

    The “Skills for the Future” initiative behind the camp is supported by Belize’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Global Partnership for Education, with implementation led by the Education Development Center. Its core mission is to break down barriers for girls and young women pursuing education and careers in STEAM fields, which remain disproportionately male-dominated globally and in Belize.

    For this winning team, the experience is far from over. The students now hope to advance their concept by building a functional working prototype of their sargassum processing system, but they face a key barrier: securing funding to move the project beyond the planning stage. The team has expressed hope that private sector partners will recognize the dual environmental and agricultural value of their idea and provide the financial support needed to test and scale the concept.

    Beyond the potential impact of their sargassum solution, the experience has already transformed how the five students approach new opportunities. A program they nearly rejected for a summer of rest has not only earned them national recognition but also showed them how cross-disciplinary STEAM thinking can turn long-standing local problems into tangible community benefits.

    This report was written by Ingrid Ferlo, Communications Consultant with the Education Development Center.

  • “Mr Bertie” Dies at 109

    “Mr Bertie” Dies at 109

    On the morning of August 8, 2026, Belize marked the passing of one of its most enduring and beloved residents: Gilbert Winston Ellis, universally known to the community as “Mr Bertie”, who died at the age of 109, just over one month shy of his 110th birthday. His death came after several weeks of ongoing health complications, closing out a life that spanned more than a century of change across the Central American nation.\n\nIn his final days, Mr Bertie received care at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Belize’s main public medical facility. Before his passing, clinical teams discharged him so he could spend his last hours surrounded by loved ones at home, a wish granted by both medical staff and his family.\n\nJust 11 months prior, on September 24, 2025, the entire nation joined Mr Bertie to celebrate his 109th birthday, a milestone that drew widespread attention across Belize for his remarkable longevity and gentle wisdom. When asked to share his life advice for fellow Belizeans during the celebrations, he offered a simple but profound message: “Be good… very good.”\n\nMr Bertie’s legacy extends far beyond his record-breaking lifespan. His family grew across five generations, with 19 biological children and hundreds of descendants that make up a sprawling, close-knit Belizean family. He drew strength from this large network in his later years, and was surrounded by members of his family when he passed.\n\nAs the longest-living person in Belize’s recorded history, Mr Bertie’s life represented a living link to generations of Belizean history that have shaped the modern nation. His passing brings an extraordinary chapter of Belizean life to a close, leaving behind a legacy of quiet wisdom and intergenerational connection that will be remembered across the country.

  • Who Would Want to Hack BCCAR? Investigation Underway

    Who Would Want to Hack BCCAR? Investigation Underway

    In a developing cybersecurity incident affecting Belize’s corporate registration infrastructure, the Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry (BCCAR) has pulled its public-facing Online Business Registry System (OBRS) offline after security teams uncovered unauthorized access to stored documents during a scheduled routine maintenance check.

    The breach was first detected on Tuesday, August 4, as maintenance teams were conducting standard system updates and security scans. According to an official public statement released by BCCAR this Friday, the unauthorized access was restricted solely to application documents made available through the system’s public information services, with no deeper incursion detected as of the latest update. BCCAR confirmed that while a subset of the accessed documents may hold sensitive, non-public information that could have been viewed or downloaded by unknown actors, the agency acted swiftly to take the full system offline to block any further unauthorized access to the platform.

    Preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation have yielded reassuring updates on the overall integrity of BCCAR’s core infrastructure. Investigators have not found any evidence that the underlying OBRS platform, the agency’s central core registry database, core hosting servers, or privileged administrative access accounts were compromised in the incident. Furthermore, there is no indication that any official corporate registry records stored in the system have been amended, deleted, or altered by the unauthorized actors. A key point of relief for users is that no credit card information was put at risk, as the OBRS is not designed to store payment card data on its servers.

    In immediate response to the breach, all accounts flagged as suspicious have been permanently disabled to prevent further malicious activity. BCCAR has also brought on external independent cybersecurity specialists to lead the formal investigation, and to conduct a full independent security validation of the entire system before it is brought back online for public use. The agency has announced a tentative timeline for restoring OBRS service, with full access expected to resume as early as Monday.

    While the investigation continues, BCCAR has issued an official advisory to all businesses and regular OBRS users urging heightened vigilance against potential follow-up phishing and scam attempts. Users have been warned to monitor all incoming communications closely for suspicious emails, phone calls, or text messages that reference BCCAR, OBRS, or any information previously submitted through the online registry. The agency specifically reminded users to never share passwords, sensitive financial details, or official identity documents in response to unsolicited contact, even if the communication appears to originate from the registry itself.

  • Teen’s Flight to Escape Bees Ends in Death

    Teen’s Flight to Escape Bees Ends in Death

    On August 7, 2026, a sudden and horrifying encounter with a swarm of bees left Belize reeling from an unexpected young death: 18-year-old autistic teenager Xue Liu drowned in the Belize River after jumping into the water to escape the stinging insects.

    The incident unfolded along the Philip Goldson Highway, just outside Belize City near the Whitfield Community, where Liu was traveling with her father. Both were attacked by the aggressive swarm, and in a panic to escape the bees, Liu leaped into the nearby Belize River. Her father suffered non-fatal injuries from the attack and was transferred to a local hospital for treatment, leaving emergency responders scrambling to locate the missing teen.

    Local rescue organization 501 Lifeguards was one of the first groups to answer the call for help, after an urgent appeal for assistance was shared on Facebook. Organization owner Andrew Gentle arrived on scene quickly, deploying a drone to scan the wide river from the air. Gentle noted that the river reaches depths of around 30 feet, with a surprisingly strong current that complicated search efforts from the start.

    The Belize Coast Guard soon joined the operation, bringing specialized diving equipment and a larger surveillance drone to expand the search. Additional resources from the Belize Port Authority and private boat owners also joined the multi-agency effort, with divers methodically combing the riverbanks and drones systematically covering the water’s surface while Liu’s family gathered on shore, waiting anxiously for news. Liu’s brother, who arrived after being alerted by a family member, spoke of his disorientation and fear in the immediate aftermath of the incident, saying he had no clear details of what had led his sister and father to the area that day.

    While search crews worked to locate Liu, a specialized bee removal team was dispatched to the site to clear the remaining swarm, which had already been cordoned off by local police with caution tape to prevent further injuries. Hours into the search, a coast guard officer made a grim discovery: he detected what felt like a foot and fabric consistent with pants under the water. It took search teams another half an hour to fully recover Liu’s body, bringing the agonizing search to a tragic close.

    First responders gathered to console Liu’s grieving brother, offering prayers and support as the family came to terms with their loss. Tevin Conorque, a lifeguard instructor with 501 Lifeguards, reflected on the difficult recovery operation, noting that even with years of training, recovering a young life lost is an emotional experience. “This is what we train for,” Conorque said. “Every time we hear someone has drowned, we feel it as lifeguards, and we will always show up to help any way we can.”

    Belize Coast Guard Commandant Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis, who was on site to support his diving team, spoke to the emotional toll of such recoveries for first responders. “It is never easy, especially when you are talking about losing someone so young,” Soberanis said. “After years of recoveries, it still hits hard, especially when you see the family waiting on the bank. It’s impossible not to be moved by it.”

    What began as an ordinary outing ended in unthinkable tragedy, leaving a family mourning a life cut far too short by a random, terrifying chain of events. The community has rallied around the Liu family in the wake of the incident, honoring the commitment of the multi-agency search team that worked tirelessly to bring the teen home.

  • 501 Lifeguard Team Praised After Tragic River Search

    501 Lifeguard Team Praised After Tragic River Search

    On August 7, 2026, a tragic drowning incident on a Belizean river has highlighted the extraordinary quick action and selfless dedication of local emergency response teams, who left their scheduled duties behind to aid a grieving family. The incident unfolded when a young woman jumped into the river to escape a bee attack, ultimately going missing underwater, prompting an urgent multi-agency search effort.

    Members of the 501 Lifeguard Team, which includes professional lifeguards and certified swimming instructors, were leading local swimming classes nearby when they received word of the emergency. Without hesitation, the team paused their scheduled sessions, mobilized immediately, and headed straight to the river to join the search. Despite the tragic final outcome, communities and officials across the region have widely praised the group for their rapid response and commitment to helping the affected family.

    Tevin Conorque, a lead lifeguard instructor with 501 Lifeguard, described the grueling conditions searchers faced throughout the three to four hour operation. “Honestly it was a little bit breathtaking due to the depth of the water. All we could have done was free dive and try to comb the area and see how fast we could get the body out of the water,” Conorque explained. “Due to the darkness of the water, it was intense to see. But we still pulled through. We had the faith and courage to get it out.” He added that recovering the victim’s body to return to her family, even after the tragic loss, offered a small measure of closure for the grieving loved ones.

    Andrew Gentle, owner and founder of the 501 Lifeguard Team, echoed Conorque’s comments, emphasizing that his team never hesitated to step in when a family was in crisis. “These guys were working, teaching swimming classes but they wanted to leave the classes. But I tell them we had to take three instructors out. But now, the whole team is here, all instructors are here,” Gentle said, extending his deepest condolences to the victim’s family. He also highlighted the team’s core mission of serving the community through shared compassion, noting that the team prioritizes public service even when it disrupts their daily work.

    As the search effort expanded, local police reached out to the Belize Coast Guard for additional support, and the agency’s trained dive team mobilized within minutes to assist. Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis, Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, outlined the coordination that went into the complex operation, noting that poor visibility and strong river currents created significant challenges for divers. “Whenever we do dive operations there are several things we have to consider. We look at the current visibility,” Soberanis explained. “But our guys activated with the assistance of other divers. Fortunately the young lady was found.”

    Soberanis also praised the collaborative effort between the 501 Lifeguard Team and the Coast Guard, noting that the combined expertise of both groups allowed searchers to locate the victim much faster than would have been possible otherwise. “With the lifeguards, internal to the coast guard, we have our own system of training when it comes to water operations and conducting these type of operation,” he said. “But we are always grateful for the type of assistance offered by other personnel who would contribute to the overall dive effort as we saw here today, a collaborative effort between coast guard divers in locating the body of the young lady.”

    Additional updates and further details on the incident will be released during the outlet’s scheduled newscast on Monday. This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television broadcast, with Kriol language statements rendered using a standardized spelling system for publication.

  • Cabinet Yet to Decide on B.T.L. Takeover of Speednet

    Cabinet Yet to Decide on B.T.L. Takeover of Speednet

    As the proposed acquisition of telecommunications provider Speednet by BTL continues to stir public and political discourse in Belize, one senior cabinet minister has confirmed that no official government decision has been reached, despite early backing from a key internal party faction.

    In comments reported on August 7, 2026, Cabinet Minister Thea Garcia-Ramirez made clear that she will not take a public stance on the deal until the full cabinet receives a comprehensive formal briefing, scheduled for the government body’s upcoming meeting next Tuesday.

    While the Northern Caucus of the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) has already held a vote and formally endorsed the acquisition proposal, Garcia-Ramirez emphasized that the caucus’s position does not equate to an official binding position for the entire cabinet. The minister, who personally attended and voted in that Northern Caucus meeting, walked a careful line: she acknowledged that all caucus members hold the right to express their individual and collective stances, but reaffirmed that the full cabinet has not yet debated or vetted the terms of the proposed takeover.

    Garcia-Ramirez also openly admitted that she currently lacks sufficient, verified information to form a considered opinion on the acquisition. In a candid remark about the flow of information inside the government, she told reporters that she, like many members of the public, has relied on local news outlets including Channel 5, Love TV, and Channel 7 to get updates on the proposal, rather than receiving official updates directly from government or party leadership. So far, all she has encountered are unsubstantiated rumors with no formal documentation or official presentation of the deal’s terms, impacts, or benefits, she added.

    “Everybody has equal rights to state their position. It is not a cabinet position. It’s the caucus, caucus is the one that is saying that they support the acquisition. I myself don’t really know very much about what has happened recently,” Garcia-Ramirez told reporters, noting she only learned of the caucus vote immediately after a separate cabinet meeting earlier this week. “I am unsure, and I’m unwilling to state anything further because I really don’t have all that information. It’s not within my grasp.”

    Once the formal briefing is presented to cabinet next week, Garcia-Ramirez says she will be able to conduct a full assessment of the proposed acquisition and share her official position on the deal.

  • Vellos Fights to Hold Political Ground in Corozal Convention

    Vellos Fights to Hold Political Ground in Corozal Convention

    As the countdown ticks down to Sunday’s internal People’s United Party (PUP) mayoral convention for Corozal Town, the small northern Belizean municipality has become the center of one of the country’s most closely watched political contests, pitting three-term incumbent Rigoberto Vellos against challenger Shajerie Rogers in a race rife with factional undertones.

    Vellos, who has led Corozal Town for three consecutive terms, has launched a public defense of his tenure, pushing back against what he frames as coordinated efforts to unseat him and derail his administration’s progress. In a public address posted to Facebook Thursday night, the incumbent mayor struck a defiant tone, emphasizing that he and his council have delivered tangible results for the town’s residents during his time in office. He stated he is not seeking special treatment and is fully prepared to go head-to-head with Rogers at the convention, but pushed back against the factional maneuvering that has marred the lead-up to the vote.

    Most notably, Vellos claimed that multiple public infrastructure and development projects developed in partnership with Belize’s central government have been abruptly paused or slowed in recent weeks – a move he suggests is politically motivated to sabotage his campaign ahead of the convention. “We keep a positive mindset, and we remain committed to working alongside the people of Corozal,” Vellos said in his address. “Our partnership with this community is strong, and we will keep moving forward together, no matter the challenges.” The three-term mayor added that local residents remain firmly in his corner, backing what he calls Team Rigo ahead of Sunday’s vote.

    The challenger, Rogers, has secured the public backing of Corozal Bay Area Representative Thea Garcia-Ramirez, a high-profile PUP figure whose support has framed the contest as a proxy battle between competing factions within the party. Ahead of the vote, Garcia-Ramirez pushed back against framing of the race as a divisive internal split, arguing that the contested convention is a healthy demonstration of democratic process within the party. She emphasized that regardless of which candidate wins on Sunday, she is ready to collaborate with the victorious ticket to hold the Corozal Town Council for the PUP in the upcoming March general municipal elections.

    Beyond the immediate contest, Garcia-Ramirez used the lead-up to the convention to sound the alarm about a pervasive issue in Belizean politics: systemic gender-based harassment and violence that discourages women from seeking public office. Speaking from personal experience as a female elected official, Garcia-Ramirez noted that political spaces in Belize still operate largely as an exclusionary “boys club”, where women candidates face disproportionate shaming, scandalmongering, and abuse – particularly on social media platforms.

    “Any country that chooses to shut women out of electoral politics does itself a profound disservice,” Garcia-Ramirez said. “It weakens the very democracy we claim to value, when half the population is sidelined from leadership.” She went on to praise the growing number of women stepping forward to run for office across Belize, noting that every woman who puts her name on the ballot moves the country closer to fair, equal gender representation in government. Garcia-Ramirez also highlighted that the PUP has deep bench strength in Corozal, with multiple qualified candidates stepping forward to run – a contrast she says to the opposition, which has struggled to field a full slate of candidates for the town council.

    The outcome of Sunday’s convention will shape the PUP’s nominee for Corozal Town mayor in the 2026 municipal elections, making the internal contest a critical test of factional power within the party and a key indicator of political dynamics in northern Belize ahead of the general vote in March.

  • State Loses Duck Run Land Fight, Damages Now Ahead

    State Loses Duck Run Land Fight, Damages Now Ahead

    In a landmark ruling issued on August 7, 2026, the Court of Appeal has dealt a decisive legal defeat to the national government in a high-stakes land dispute covering more than 1,900 acres of public territory in the Duck Run region. The case centers on a legal battle launched by the Minister of Natural Resources, Petroleum and Mining and the Attorney General against private firm Fowler Works Enterprises Limited, challenging the validity of four land purchase agreements the company struck with the previous administration.

    The origins of the conflict stretch back to 2020, when Fowler Works entered into the four deals to acquire the state-owned land for a planned large-scale sustainable agriculture and residential homestead development project. The company fulfilled its end of the agreement by paying the full $266,000-plus purchase price upfront. However, following a change in national government later that same year, the new administration refused to finalize the transaction by issuing the official land titles to Fowler Works.

    In its defense, the state argued that all four agreements were illegal and unenforceable under existing law. One key point of contention was that a single parcel of land included in the deal exceeded 500 acres, a threshold that the state claimed required formal approval via a National Assembly resolution that had never been granted. The government also claimed that the remaining smaller parcels violated internal land management policies.

    The Court of Appeal rejected every one of the state’s legal arguments. In its findings, the court clarified that while the state had failed to complete the required National Assembly approval process for the large parcel, that procedural oversight on the government’s part did not invalidate the existing contract. In clear, direct terms, the court ruled that the government cannot use its own failure to follow statutory requirements as a justification to back out of a binding commercial agreement. The court also found that Fowler Works had fully complied with all applicable procedural requirements for the smaller parcels, dismissing the state’s claim that the agreements violated internal policy.

    The ruling upholds the earlier 202X High Court decision that declared all four land purchase agreements legally valid, found that the state had breached its contractual obligations to Fowler Works, and ordered the case returned to the lower court to determine the amount of financial damages the government will be required to pay to the private enterprise. Fowler Works was represented throughout the appeal process by Senior Counsel Dean Barrow and associate attorney Agassi Finnegan.

  • A Single Shot, a Dead Teen, and Three Minors Now Accused

    A Single Shot, a Dead Teen, and Three Minors Now Accused

    A quiet residential neighborhood in Belize City has been left reeling from a shocking midday killing that has left one young man dead and three juveniles facing serious murder charges. On a Monday afternoon shortly after 1:15 a.m., 18-year-old Ewart Josiah Hernandez Jr. had pulled his motorcycle to a stop near Swift Hall on Vernon Street when two unidentified males approached him on foot. Without warning, one of the two produced a handgun and fired a single shot, striking Hernandez directly.

    Emergency responders rushed the wounded teen to a local medical facility for urgent care, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Belize City law enforcement launched a rapid investigation, leaning heavily on regional security camera footage to trace and identify the persons responsible for the attack. One suspect was taken into custody within hours of the shooting, while investigators carried out targeted search operations across the surrounding neighborhood to locate additional persons of interest. Multiple other young men from a nearby property were also brought in for questioning as detectives worked to piece together a clear timeline of the attack.

    After days of coordinated investigative work, police have formally charged three minors in connection with Hernandez’s murder: two 17-year-olds and one 15-year-old. While law enforcement has made rapid progress in apprehending and charging suspects, the community is still grappling with the senseless violence that unfolded in broad daylight, and one critical question remains entirely unanswered: what was the motive for the attack, and why was Hernandez specifically targeted?

    This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television news broadcast, with Kriol language portions transcribed using a standardized spelling system for publication.