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标签： Belize

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  • The Rise of EV Mechanics in Belize?

    The Rise of EV Mechanics in Belize?

    Belize’s ongoing transition to electric mobility has hit a landmark milestone, with the official opening of the country’s first dedicated Electric Vehicle Laboratory at the Orange Walk Institute of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ITVET). Built to address a critical gap in the nation’s EV ecosystem, the new facility will develop a skilled local workforce capable of servicing the growing fleet of electric passenger and public transit vehicles across the country.

    Fifteen local trainees have already completed an intensive two-day introductory training course at the lab, with full formal programming set to launch this coming September. The upcoming curriculum will cover core EV industry skills, ranging from advanced diagnostics and routine maintenance to complex repair work for all types of electric vehicles.

    The $95,000 facility, stocked with specialized industry-grade equipment, was made possible through funding from the European Union, with implementation led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Michael Lund, Deputy Resident Representative for the UNDP, explained that the training lab marks the final component of a broader national electric transit pilot project that has already delivered tangible results across Belize. “This project has delivered city buses for Belize City, new inter-district electric buses, installed a network of public charging stations, supported the development of updated EV-related legislation… and now it completes the ecosystem with workforce training,” Lund noted.

    For many prospective EV buyers in Belize, a persistent barrier to adoption has been uncertainty around access to qualified repair and maintenance services. Neil Hall, E-Transit Coordinator for the Belize City Council, emphasized that the new lab directly resolves this top consumer concern. “The biggest question on people’s minds when considering an electric vehicle is always, ‘If something breaks, who will fix it?’ This facility completely eliminates that worry,” Hall said.

    Prior to the lab’s opening, all EV servicing across Belize was almost exclusively handled by a single private provider, Caribbean Motors, leaving much of the country underserved for maintenance support. The new training initiative aims to spread specialized EV expertise to communities across every district, creating a decentralized, accessible support network that can accommodate projected growth in EV ownership over the coming years.

  • Five Months Later, Fire Victim Still Needs Help

    Five Months Later, Fire Victim Still Needs Help

    It has been nearly five months since an early-morning blaze turned a Belize City family’s home into unrecognizable ash, but the road to recovery remains incomplete, leaving the household in desperate need of public assistance to cross the finish line of their rebuilding journey.

    The disaster unfolded in the early hours of Good Friday this year, when Ashanti Garnett, the 34-year-old head of the household, woke to a nightmare. At 1 a.m., she opened her eyes to find half of her residence already engulfed in roaring flames. Her husband was away at his overnight shift when the fire broke out, leaving Garnett alone with her four-year-old daughter to escape. With mere seconds to react, she grabbed her young child and fled the burning structure, leaving every possession behind except for a single blanket they carried out.

    Following an on-site investigation, the Belize Fire Department concluded the fire was sparked by an unexpected electrical surge, a freak accident that left the family with no warning and no time to prepare. For Garnett, the destruction was total. Not only did the family lose every piece of furniture, clothing, and personal item they owned, but a number of their household pets also died trapped inside the burning home.

    Garnett, a self-employed nail technician, operated her small business out of her home. When the fire destroyed the property, it also wiped out her entire source of income overnight. Today, the family lives in cramped conditions, renting a single small room as they slowly work to lay the foundation for a new permanent home. What started as a devastating loss has grown into an overwhelming financial burden that the family can no longer bear on their own. That is why Garnett has taken the step of reaching out directly to the general public for any support that can be offered.

    “Even if it’s a few pieces of lumber, or a secondhand stove, anything at all will make a difference,” Garnett said in an emotional appeal. “Every small donation helps, and I would be forever grateful for any help the community can give us right now.”

  • DPP Revives Criminal Charge Against Officer Garbutt

    DPP Revives Criminal Charge Against Officer Garbutt

    In a significant legal development unfolding in Belize that raises core constitutional questions, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has secured a court ruling to reinstate a criminal harm charge against serving police constable Phillip Garbutt, more than two months after the original case was thrown out.

    The charge against Garbutt centers on allegations of harm against the minor son of his common-law wife. The case first reached the Belize City Magistrate’s Court in April 2026, when a sitting magistrate dismissed the charge entirely, resulting in Garbutt being cleared of wrongdoing in the initial proceeding.

    Prosecutors led by DPP Cheryl-Lynn Vidal challenged the April dismissal, arguing that the original magistrate had overstepped their legal authority by striking the charge from the court docket. Vidal emphasized that reactivating the case is a critical step to uphold justice for the child at the center of the allegations, stating that the earlier dismissal had no standing in law and the proceeding must move forward to a full hearing.

    Garbutt’s defense attorney, Alifah Elrington, mounted a fierce opposition to the DPP’s motion, framing the reinstatement as a violation of Belize’s constitutional protections against double jeopardy — the legal principle that bars a person from being tried twice for the same offense. Elrington argued that the April dismissal amounted to a full acquittal, so any renewed prosecution would contravene fundamental legal rights.

    After hearing arguments from both sides, Chief Magistrate Deborah Rogers ruled in favor of the DPP, determining that the April dismissal was a “complete nullity” because the original magistrate did not hold the legal power to dismiss the charge in the first place.

    In the immediate aftermath of the ruling, Elrington confirmed that the defense will pursue the next step in the legal process: seeking a case stated, a procedural mechanism that will ask Belize’s High Court to review the question of law at the heart of the dispute and issue a binding ruling on the legality of the charge’s reinstatement. The outcome of the upcoming High Court review will set a key precedent for procedural authority and double jeopardy protections in Belize’s lower court system.

  • KTV The Remix Season 8 Premieres with Showcase of Belizean Talent

    KTV The Remix Season 8 Premieres with Showcase of Belizean Talent

    Belize’s most anticipated local singing competition, KTV The Remix, has launched its eighth season, bringing fresh musical energy to the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts in Belize City on Tuesday night. Twelve handpicked contestants from every corner of the country stepped onto the premiere stage, all vying for the competition’s coveted grand prize of 10,000 Belize dollars.

    The opening night of the season kicked off with a standout special performance from Darlon Usher, the reigning champion from Season 7. Usher wowed the assembled audience with his soulful take on Juan Gabriel’s iconic track *Así Fue*, giving attendees a reminder of the vocal skill that earned him the top title in the previous installment of the competition.

    What made the premiere especially memorable was the wide range of musical styles on display, showcasing the depth and diversity of Belize’s growing young music community. Competitors including Jada Weiss, Bhumika Nandwani, Tamika Gordon, Trevet Campos, and Tiana Sterling delivered emotionally charged, captivating performances that held the audience’s attention from start to finish. Meanwhile, Judson Baker, Tiana Lopez, Saul Briceno, and Wendy Leiva brought high energy and magnetic stage presence that got the crowd engaged and excited.

    Three contestants — Jamir Valentine, J. Asjhane, and Vince The Prince — took the opportunity to showcase their own original compositions, shining a light on Belize’s fast-expanding pool of homegrown songwriting talent. From twangy country tracks to soulful classic covers and brand-new original works, opening night served as a perfect snapshot of the rich variety shaping Belize’s emerging music scene.

    For fans unable to attend the premiere in person, the full recorded performance is available to view online. Audience members can support their favorite competitors throughout the season by texting the contestant’s unique number to 585 through the SMART mobile network. Tickets for upcoming live shows are now available for purchase at three locations: the Greater Belize Media office on Coney Drive, 88 Shopping Centre on Central American Boulevard, and the Bliss Centre box office starting at 7:00 p.m. on all show nights.

  • PM Orders Procurement Overhaul as Pressure Mounts Over ‘Mira Millions’

    PM Orders Procurement Overhaul as Pressure Mounts Over ‘Mira Millions’

    Amid mounting public and industry pressure for greater financial accountability following the controversial ‘Mira Millions’ procurement scandal, Belize Prime Minister John Briceño has announced a series of sweeping reforms to the country’s public procurement system, including mandatory training for senior officials and a full review of existing procurement legislation.

    The Prime Minister’s directive was formalized during a special Cabinet meeting held Tuesday, which gathered all government ministers and agency chief executive officers to receive briefings on procurement best practices and regulatory compliance from the nation’s top financial oversight bodies: the Financial Secretary, the Contractor General, and the Auditor General.

    Per a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, the closed-door session centered on three core priorities: strengthening institutional governance, boosting public sector transparency, and guaranteeing full adherence to Belize’s existing procurement regulations. Attendees also conducted a deep dive into the provisions of the Finance and Audit Reform Act (FARA) and the nation’s Stores Orders, while exploring actionable strategies to reinforce internal controls and cut down on recurring procurement irregularities.

    Two immediate policy changes emerged from the meeting. First, the government will roll out a mandatory, continuous professional development program focused on proper procurement procedures, required for all ministers, agency CEOs, financial managers, and senior procurement staff across the public sector. Second, a dedicated technical working group will be convened to audit current procurement laws and draft amendments designed to close loopholes that enable corrupt practice and mismanagement.

    Briceño’s reform push comes in direct response to growing calls for action from Belize’s leading business advocacy group, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), which demanded sweeping changes to public financial management after the ‘Mira Millions’ controversy brought widespread procurement vulnerabilities to light. In a formal letter dated June 29 addressed to the Prime Minister, the BCCI put forward a 10-point reform plan that includes upgrading the government’s existing SmartStream accounting system or deploying new automated monitoring tools capable of flagging irregular payments before they are processed. The group’s recommendations also cover setting caps on individual supplier transactions, building automated anomaly detection systems, creating alerts for duplicate payment requests, tightening multi-level approval requirements, and expanding detailed audit trails for all public transactions.

    The Chamber emphasized that the majority of these proposed safeguards can be implemented immediately, without waiting for the conclusion of the ongoing criminal and administrative investigation into the ‘Mira Millions’ procurement allegations.

    In addition to the training program and legislative review, Briceño also announced that Cabinet will soon consider a proposal to create a centralized Central Procurement Unit, developed in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank. Under the proposed new framework, every government ministry will be required to process all public purchases — even transactions falling below the current BZ$10,000 threshold — through a single, unified electronic procurement portal.

    Briceño highlighted that the centralized portal will deliver multiple key improvements: it will boost transparency by centralizing all procurement data, maintain a public national registry of pre-qualified suppliers, standardize purchasing practices across all government ministries, and embed multiple layers of independent oversight to monitor compliance and facilitate external auditing. The Prime Minister characterized the centralized portal initiative as a “game changer” for Belize’s public procurement system, while stressing that the broader reform package is a separate effort from the ongoing active investigation into the ‘Mira Millions’ case.

  • Belize Participates in CARICOM Summit as Regional Leaders Tackle Key Issues

    Belize Participates in CARICOM Summit as Regional Leaders Tackle Key Issues

    From July 5 to 8, 2026, the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) convened in St. Lucia, bringing together regional leaders to tackle a wide slate of urgent shared challenges. Belize, a core CARICOM member, took part in the high-level gathering, with Prime Minister John Briceño represented by Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre, who headed the country’s official delegation.

    The summit’s agenda centered on four priority topics: advancing regional integration, addressing the accelerating climate crisis, strengthening cross-border security, and mitigating the burdens of a soaring regional cost of living. Beyond these lead issues, heads of government deliberated on a broad spectrum of other pressing concerns, including full implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, unlocking accessible climate finance for vulnerable small island states, shoring up regional food and nutrition security, advancing global calls for reparations for historical slavery, boosting public health emergency preparedness, improving regional governance frameworks, resolving outstanding border disputes, and assessing recent political and social developments in Haiti and Cuba.

    In a landmark decision announced during the summit, regional leaders formally approved the application of French Guiana to become CARICOM’s eighth Associate Member, marking a significant expansion of the bloc’s regional footprint.

    A closed-door Heads of Government Retreat held on the summit’s sidelines allowed leaders to dive deeper into targeted strategies to curb violent crime, reinforce regional security infrastructure, and roll out coordinated policy responses to ease the cost of living squeeze on Caribbean households. The retreat also addressed institutional matters related to the reappointment of the CARICOM Secretary-General. After deliberation, leaders reached a consensus to request an advisory opinion from the Caribbean Court of Justice to clarify outstanding legal questions tied to the reappointment process.

    For Belize’s delegation, the summit served as a critical platform to advocate for deeper cross-regional integration, enhanced investment in climate resilience across the Caribbean, and unified, coordinated policy action to address the unique systemic challenges facing Small Island Developing States on the global stage. Sylvestre used the gathering to update fellow regional leaders on recent developments in Belize-Guatemala relations and other key domestic priorities for the country.

    Outside of formal plenary sessions, Belize held a series of productive bilateral meetings with delegations from Saint Lucia, Cuba, the Republic of Korea, and Australia. These side talks covered a range of mutual priorities, including collaborative climate action, innovative sargassum management strategies, expanded bilateral trade, targeted technical cooperation, preparations for the upcoming COP31 climate conference, and enhanced joint collaboration in multilateral international forums.

  • BEEP Awards $110,000 to 22 Belizean Startups

    BEEP Awards $110,000 to 22 Belizean Startups

    On July 8, 2026, the Belize Enterprise Empowerment Project (BEEP) announced the results of its final startup funding cohort, awarding a collective BZ$110,000 in seed capital to 22 emerging small businesses across the Central American nation. Each selected venture will receive BZ$5,000 in targeted seed funding to scale operational capacity, tap into new domestic and regional markets, and speed up their growth trajectory, marking the conclusion of BEEP’s startup support initiative.

    The 22 funded businesses span a diverse range of sectors that form the backbone of Belize’s growing economy, covering creative industries, sustainable agriculture, tourism, agro-processing, professional business services, light engineering and manufacturing, and information technology. Notably, women-led enterprises account for more than two-thirds of the recipients – 15 out of 22 total startups – a breakdown that aligns with BEEP’s long-standing priority of reducing systemic barriers for women entrepreneurs and closing the gender gap in Belize’s small business ecosystem.

    BEEP is a multi-stakeholder MSME empowerment initiative funded by the CARICOM Development Fund and implemented on the ground by the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE). Beyond direct financial grants, the program delivers comprehensive support to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including tailored business development training, one-on-one mentorship from industry leaders, and access to expanded networking opportunities that many early-stage founders struggle to secure independently.

    Narda Garcia, Board Chair of BELTRAIDE, emphasized that the successful outcome of this final cohort underscores the transformative power of cross-sector collaboration. Garcia noted that the initiative would not have achieved its impact without coordinated partnership between national government bodies, established financial institutions, and private-sector stakeholders, all working together to nurture a more dynamic and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Belize.

    Ishmael Quiroz, Executive Director of BELTRAIDE, echoed this perspective, framing local entrepreneurship as a foundational pillar of long-term national economic development. Quiroz pointed out that thriving small businesses drive sustained innovation, create new local jobs, and expand the country’s overall economic output beyond traditional core industries.

    This final funding round brings BEEP’s total track record of MSME support to an impressive scale. Prior to approving this cohort, the program had already extended financial and developmental support to 73 MSMEs across the country – including established exporters, growing maturing businesses, and earlier cohorts of startups – disbursing a total of approximately BZ$678,000 in grants to date.

  • You Are Invited to Wear Blue Fridays to Fight Against Human Trafficking

    You Are Invited to Wear Blue Fridays to Fight Against Human Trafficking

    In a collective push to turn public attention to the pervasive crisis of human trafficking and child exploitation, Belize’s National Commission for Families and Children (NCFC) has issued a nationwide call for residents, local organizations, and private businesses to participate in Blue Fridays throughout the month of July. The initiative forms a core outreach arm of the ongoing Blue Teddy Bear Campaign, a multi-stakeholder effort dedicated to strengthening protections for vulnerable communities across the Central American nation.

    Unlike large-scale policy-driven campaigns, this effort centers on a small, accessible act of solidarity: wearing blue clothing every Friday. Organizers note that this simple visible gesture is designed to create natural openings for community conversations, break down silence around the topic of human trafficking, and push the public to recognize that ending exploitation cannot be left to government agencies alone. Collective action from every corner of society, they emphasize, is required to keep children and other at-risk groups safe from abuse and exploitation.

    To amplify the campaign’s reach, participants are invited to document their participation by taking photos with friends, colleagues, or family members, then share their posts on popular social media platforms using two official hashtags: #BlueTeddyBear and #WearBlueFriday. Tagging the NCFC in posts also helps organizers track public engagement and highlight community participation across the country.

    The Blue Teddy Bear Campaign itself launched earlier in 2026 as a partnership between NCFC, UNICEF Belize, and Belize’s Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs. The initiative’s core mission extends beyond basic awareness-raising: it seeks to equip local communities with the tools to identify, prevent, and report violence and abuse against children. At the heart of the campaign’s branding is a distinctive symbol: a blue teddy bear wrapped in a bandage, which stands as a visual representation of the comfort, healing, and targeted protection that the movement aims to deliver to children who have experienced harm. Rather than stopping at raising public consciousness, the campaign prioritizes empowering local institutions including families, schools, community associations, and workplaces to take tangible action against exploitation and trafficking.

  • Trump Threatens Fresh Strikes on Iran as Ceasefire Appears to Collapse

    Trump Threatens Fresh Strikes on Iran as Ceasefire Appears to Collapse

    On July 8, 2026, a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed dramatically, sending tensions between the two nations soaring and triggering widespread alarm over the risk of a full-scale regional conflict. Speaking at the NATO summit held in Ankara, Turkey, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a blunt statement confirming that the truce, which had briefly raised hopes of de-escalating months of mounting violence between the two countries, was effectively dead. Trump went on to warn that a new round of harsh U.S. military strikes could be launched as early as later the same night.

    The president’s incendiary remarks rejected any path forward for diplomatic engagement with Tehran. In harsh language, he stated, “I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum. They’re sick people, they’re led by sick people.” While he did not fully rule out the theoretical possibility of future talks, he dismissed any such effort as a fruitless waste of time for all parties involved.

    Trump’s comments followed a major overnight U.S. military operation that targeted more than 80 Iranian positions across the country. According to official statements from Iranian authorities, the overnight strikes left eight service members from Iran’s air force and navy dead.

    Iran has responded to the escalating aggression with stark warnings of its own. Iranian officials cautioned that Trump’s hostile rhetoric is pushing the entire Middle East region “toward fire,” and added that Tehran’s network of regional military allies already have their “finger on the triggers” ready to retaliate. Iranian state media also issued a critical threat: if the U.S. proceeds with additional attacks, Iran will move to close the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow global shipping chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supplies pass every day.

    The sudden collapse of the ceasefire and rising threat of wider conflict sent immediate shockwaves through global financial markets. Fears that sustained fighting could disrupt critical global energy supplies pushed Brent crude oil prices up 5% in a single day, reaching roughly $80 per barrel.

    In additional comments, Trump addressed the status of Iran’s nuclear program, claiming that all of Iran’s remaining nuclear material is stored in deeply buried underground facilities that “nobody is going to be able to get it except us.” He also ruled out an immediate U.S. ground invasion, noting that such an operation would only be launched if the goal is to “completely eliminate” Iran’s current government or if a new nuclear and security agreement is reached with Tehran.

    The rapid unraveling of the truce has ended a brief period of cautious optimism that emerged just days earlier, when the ceasefire was expected to dial back months of back-and-forth escalation. Now, analysts and global policymakers are bracing for a rapid expansion of conflict that could destabilize the entire Middle East and send shockwaves through the global economy.

  • Veteran Pilot Killed in Crop-Duster Crash Near Spanish Lookout

    Veteran Pilot Killed in Crop-Duster Crash Near Spanish Lookout

    On the morning of July 7, 2026, a routine agricultural fertilizing flight ended in unthinkable tragedy near Spanish Lookout, Belize, when a highly experienced crop-duster pilot lost control of his aircraft and crashed in an open field adjacent to Mennonites Beach. The pilot, identified locally as Henry Plett, a 15-year veteran of agricultural aviation, did not survive the incident.

    Multiple emergency and regulatory agencies have launched a joint investigation to unpack the sequence of events that led to the crash. Reporting on scene for Belize’s News Five, journalist Shane Williams outlined the scope of the probe, which brings together the Belize Police Department, the Department of Civil Aviation, and the National Fire Service. According to on-scene accounts, the crash occurred just before 11 a.m., while Plett was executing a low-altitude maneuver over farmland beyond the tree line near the crash site—a maneuver that witnesses confirmed he had performed successfully thousands of times over his long career.

    Fellow agricultural pilots from the local community, who reviewed crash site footage but chose not to speak on camera, confirmed that the aircraft entered a sudden nosedive, leaving Plett almost no time to eject or attempt a recovery before impact. Emergency response teams from local law enforcement, civil aviation, and the Spanish Lookout Fire Service arrived at the site within minutes, securing the perimeter and preserving evidence for investigators.

    Among the first community members to reach the crash site was Leonard Reimer, former chairman of Spanish Lookout, who had encountered Plett less than 30 minutes before the fatal flight. Reimer recalled running into Plett on the road, where the pilot was heading to the airstrip on his motorcycle to begin his day’s work. “He was always such a positive, friendly, humorous guy,” Reimer shared. “What makes this even more devastating is that he was just weeks away from getting married, so excited to start this new chapter of his life. This is an unimaginable loss for his fiancée and our whole community.”

    Plett was a well-respected fixture in Belize’s agricultural aviation sector, with more than 15 years of consistent experience flying crop-dusting missions for local farmers. A striking, tragic detail has emerged in the wake of the crash: this incident comes almost exactly eight years after Plett survived another crop-duster crash in the More Tomorrow area. A 2018 statement from Joseph Myvette, head of Belize’s National Crimes Investigation Branch, recounted that earlier incident: Plett had been spraying rice fields when his plane developed mechanical failure. He managed to crash land the aircraft, exited safely before it burst into flames, and walked away without a single injury.

    Eight years later, there was no escape for the veteran pilot. Members of the Spanish Lookout community say Plett will be remembered for his consistent kindness, tireless work ethic, and deep dedication to the farming community that relied on his skills for decades. As of July 7, investigators have not released any preliminary findings on what caused the 2026 crash, and they have not indicated when a final report will be made public.