News 5 Belize

Opposition Leader Says Cabinet Reshuffle Signals “Trouble” Inside Briceño Administration Leader of the Opposition Tracy Taegar-Panton says the recent Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister John Briceño suggests instability inside the administration

"The honourable Kareem Musa is the fall guy in this situation, but that is not enough," she added.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/opposition-l...

Will the UDP Get Its Reset on November 30th? After more than a year of nasty public infighting, leadership battles, and split campaigns, the United Democratic Party (UDP) is banking on its upcoming November 30th convention

Panton says the party is ready to unify. “We have to be a robust opposition. What is happening in this country, and some of the decisions that are being taken by the present administration, is completely unacceptable..."

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/will-the-udp...

Young Voices Drive Health Bill Forward at 5th National Children’s Parliament Young parliamentarians in Belize made their voices heard on Friday, 14th November 2025 at the Fifth Annual National Children’s Parliament in Belmopan.

"Topics such as mental health and sexual health are often considered taboo, leaving these young adolescents without spaces to voice their opinions and concerns. Silence and shame are not strategies for protection.”

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/young-voices...

PM Briceño Congratulates Bishop Wright on Historic Archbishop Appointment Prime Minister John Briceño has congratulated Bishop Philip S. Wright on his election as Archbishop of the Church in the Province of the West Indies.

In a statement, the PM described the milestone as “a moment of pride and distinction for the Anglican Community in Belize and the rest of the Caribbean.”

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/pm-briceno-c...

The Time to Tap In is Now, But Here's How to do so Consciously At the Digital Leadership Conference, experts warned that artificial intelligence will transform work, and businesses must act now to keep up.

On one hand, AI is rapidly reshaping the world, bettering existing systems, and exploding businesses in some cases, but experts are also warning of its effects on our planet. Do the positives of using AI outweigh the negatives?

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/the-time-to-...

Health Enters COP30 Climate Talks When you think of climate change, the conversations lead with forests and emissions, and sometimes health might not be the first thing that comes to mind.

To support these efforts, more than 35 philanthropic organisations have pledged 300 million dollars to support the plan.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/health-enter...

Budna Investigation: ‘Too Late to Put the Genie Back in the Bottle’ Attorney Arthur Saldivar says the State’s handling of the Joseph Budna abduction case has gone far past the point of repair.

Saldivar said it is “too late now to put the genie in the bottle,” and that the government’s thread of actions created a pattern of concealment that the court must now resolve.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/budna-invest...

Officers Found Guilty of "Fabricating Statements" in Jesse Escobar Shooting Two law enforcement officers have been convicted of perverting the course of justice in connection with the 2021 killing of off-duty BDF soldier Jessie Escobar.

“I believe it’s a warning to law enforcement that moving forward they should stop and think before they try to fabricate. We’re not saying that this is done routinely, but I’m certain that it has happened in the past."

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/officers-fou...

The Budna File: 'A File Full of Empty Words' The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, has described the police’s investigation into the abduction of Joseph Budna as deeply inadequate.

Vidal said, “based on what was sent to me at this very moment there cannot possibly be an arrest of anyone because very few people saw anything and what they saw they are not too sure about what they saw."

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/the-budna-fi...

Gaming and Lotteries Bill Paused for Revisions The Senate has decided to hold off on passing a new gaming bill after concerns that it doesn’t go far enough to protect communities, especially after News Five’s investigation into Caribi Bleu Casino ...

News 5’s investigation into Caribi Bleu exposed how Ray operated an unauthorised ATM dispensing U.S. currency and held an unusually large number of golf cart permits.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/gaming-and-l...

Belize Becomes ‘Safe Third Country’: Here’s What You Need to Know The Senate spent hours in heated debate on this very same deal, a deal that will see asylum seekers from the United States sent to Belize while their refugee claims are processed.

The government says the agreement, signed on October 20, balances humanity with sovereignty. But Opposition and social partner senators call it a rushed and risky deal. But what does the deal come down to?

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/belize-becom...

When Protecting Nature Becomes the Adventure Tourism is one of Belize’s most profitable industries, but what keeps it alive? Beyond the beaches and reefs lies another critical force: conservation.

Tourism is one of Belize’s most profitable industries, but what keeps it alive? Beyond the beaches and reefs lies another critical force: conservation.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/when-protect...

Chairman Fights to Take Back Succutz Welcome Centre Residents of San Jose Succutz say their village’s welcome centre no longer feels like it belongs to them.

“Just yesterday I got some information about an event happening, about an eye checkup. I was not aware of that."

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/chairman-fig...

"Heat My Iron on a Comal": Belize City 12 Hrs Without Power It was almost a twelve-hour power outage that left several Belize City residents without electricity on Tuesday. The blackout disrupted homes, businesses, and even the eRide Bus Service.

“However, if the power outage was any longer than a day, I mih wa tek a lee L. Because it would have then cost me in terms of my meats and so.”

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/heat-my-iron...

'Having a Driver's License is a Privilege, Not a Right' The Ministry of Transport says new technology are also on the way to help with reduce the fatalities being seen on Belize's highways.

Williams said that some cases will lead drivers’ licences being “revoked for life”.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/having-a-dri...

Motorcycle Driving School Coming Soon It was another deadly weekend on Belize’s roads, with four people losing their lives and several others injured in separate traffic accidents.

The ministry’s plan involves a multi-faceted approach, including legislative reform, stricter enforcement, and stronger sensitisation campaigns “particularly among our younger population."

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/motorcycle-d...

Belize Sends US$400K in Hurricane Relief to Jamaica and Cuba Belize has pledged US$200,000 each to Jamaica and Cuba to support emergency relief efforts following the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa,

In a statement, the Belizean government said that the storm once again highlights the disproportionate climate vulnerabilities faced by Caribbean and small island states.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/belize-sends...

‘OJ’ To Stand Trial For Rape Next Year Attorney Orson “OJ” Elrington is set to stand trial on after he was accused of rape in 2023.

A woman claimed she became unconscious and woke up next to Elrington in a semi-nude state, with no memory of what transpired.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/oj-to-stand-...

Is COP30 Worth It? It's a question that has been hanging off a very delicate balance over the last few years: is the Conference of the Parties (COP) truly worth it?

"It doesn't make sense for us to have a whole entourage to go there to Brazil. Certainly we have to be strategic," Perez said.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/is-cop30-wor...

Minister Perez Rejects 270-Acre Silver Palms Project on Ambergris Caye Area Representative for Belize Rural South, Andre Perez, has voiced serious concerns over new developments in the larger part of his constituency, Ambergris Caye.

Perez sharply criticised the DOE for not consulting him or the community. "I do not know what went through, what DOE did to approve it," he said.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/minister-per...

Belize’s ‘Never-Ending Sargassum Battle’ Just Got Smarter There's a glimpse of hope against that battle. Last week, the Sargassum Task Force received new tools to better monitor and manage the seaweed’s movement before it hits shore.

Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, Andre Perez, welcomed the support and called it a step towards a more strategic response.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/belizes-neve...

'Belize's Tourism Will Bounce Back' Still, Perez remains confident that Belize will bounce back despite the “polarisation of the [US] government.”

And if that didn’t do enough, the shutdown has also caused widespread flight disruptions, with cuts at 40 major American airports, including key gateways to Belize and the wider Caribbean.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/belizes-tour...

Shots fired in Corozal Police were called to a scene earlier today where shots were fired at a red pickup truck near Xin Hui’s store on the main highway in Santa Rita, Corozal.

Images from the scene show bullet holes in the truck’s passenger-side window. Reports indicate that at least three shots were fired.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/shots-fired-...

Two Killed, Several Injured in RTA's Over the Weekend In response to the growing number of crashes, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Transport, Chester Williams, said the ministry is “deeply concerned..."

Williams stressed that laws alone will not fix the problem. “It will require the dedicated and committed efforts of all road users in adherence to the law,” he said.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/two-killed-s...

Tornado Kills Six, Injures Hundreds in Brazil A powerful tornado struck Brazil’s southern state of Paraná on Friday night. At least six people were killed and more than 750 were injured, state officials said.

Authorities confirmed that five of the dead were adults and one was a 14-year-old girl. Another person remains missing, and the number of displaced families continues to rise.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/tornado-kill...

Belmopan City Council Reminds Residents: No Livestock Within City Limits Belize City’s law, under Chapter 85, is less strict but still limits livestock movement. Belize City’s most reported cases, however, have to do with horses.

Belize City’s most reported cases, however, have to do with horses. For years, residents have grown louder in their calls for tougher enforcement on animal cruelty and neglect.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/belmopan-cit...

Late-Night Motorcycle RTA Claims Life of 28-Year-Old Keith Guzman The accident involved two motorcycles. One was occupied by Peter Vasquez and Sucely Bogaert. The other carried Antonio Castillo and Guzman.

Friends and relatives have expressed their grief across social media. One said, “One thing we all knew is how much you loved cycles mein.”

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/late-night-m...

COP30 Tiptoes “Dangerously Close” to 1.5°C Threshold Caribbean nations are at the 30th UN Climate Change Conference, COP30, in Brazil to demand action before there’s no turning point.

Young added that with temperatures already at 1.3°C, "getting dangerously close" to the 1.5-degree limit, the global community must act faster.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/cop30-tiptoe...

$24M San Pedro-Based Casino Empire Crumbles Following News 5 Investigation The arrest follows a months-long U.S. investigation, but her name first surfaced in Belize in 2024 after News Five exposed irregularities at Caribi Bleu Casino

The arrest follows a months-long U.S. investigation, but her name first surfaced in Belize in 2024 after News Five exposed irregularities at Caribi Bleu Casino, exactly one year ago on November 6.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/24m-san-pedr...

Here's One Way You Can Join the Season of Giving What if giving a little could make Christmas magical for a child? Each year, there’s an initiative that gives you the chance to do just that.

What if giving a little could make Christmas magical for a child? Each year, there’s an initiative that gives you the chance to do just that.

Read more here: www.greaterbelize.com/heres-one-wa...