Vol. 23 No. 19 Sunday, May 10, 2020pegassus.cds.com.bz/guardian/downloads/Guardian... · workers,...

Sunday, May 10, 2020Vol. 23 No. 19

The GuardIan Sunday, May 10, 2020

edITor: Alfonso Noble

MarKeTInG & SaLeS ManaGer:Karen Taylor

adVerTISInGLouis Thompson

CoMPoSITor: Kristen JimenezrePorTer:

Jem SmithConTrIBuTorS:

Byron DonaireRene Flowers

Vanessa GuerreroreCePTIonIST/aCCounTS CLerK

Vanessa Gillett

Protecting Freedom Rights Democracy

Published by The Guardian Newspaper Limited

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Telephone: 207-5346, 207-5347

Fax: 227-5343E-mail: [email protected]

or [email protected]

The Guardian

Printed by The Guardian PressCor. Ebony St. & Bel China Bridge,P. O. Box 1898 Belize City, Belize

Website: www.guardian.bz

The novel coronavirus has made its presence known in Belize since March with Belize reporting its first positive case on the 23rd. Since then, we had a total of eighteen active cases between the Belize, Corozal, and Cayo Districts. With the exception of two deaths, however, COVID-19 seemed to be under control within a matter of weeks. After the first two recoveries were announced, a mother-and-daughter duo from the island of San Pedro, saw their

No active cases of COVID-19 in Belizerecovery continue rapidly. To date, there are no more active cases of COVID-19 in the country. Furthermore, there hasn’t been any new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in the country for weeks.

Although this is certainly good news, we are not yet out of the woods. Director of Health Services (DHS), Dr. Marvin Manzanero, has warned that things cannot yet return to normal in fear of a second, and possibly third, wave of COVID-19.

Taking a l l these in to consideration, the MOH has undertaken random testing, which began over the weekend for frontline workers and other persons. This includes persons who were found entering Belize illegally. The ministry’s epidemiology unit has been tasked with identifying at risk populations within the country which will then be tested randomly. Among these are healthcare workers, police officers, BDF Soldiers among others.

The Government of Belize has released the latest figures of persons who have received unemployment relief as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a release, it states that, “The Economic Oversight Team (EOT) has approved a total of 40,453 applications for unemployment relief, all of which have been sent to the Social Security Board (SSB) for payment.”

SSB has processed 37,696 payments to approved applicants. Of this , 34,915 approved applicants have been successfully paid by direct deposit or top-up card. In addition, 15,438 of those persons, who received their first payment before April 18, 2020, have now received their second payment. SSB continues to process payments and all remaining approved applications are expected to be processed by the end of today.

Over 3,000 approved payments have been returned from the banks and credit unions because incorrect banking information was provided at the

40,453 people receive unemployment relief

time of application. Some of these problems have subsequently been rectified after communication with approved recipients who have corrected their banking information. However, there are still over 2,600 payments that remain on hold pending the provision of correct banking information.

The release adds: “Applicants are, therefore, encouraged to check the status of their application on the web portal at https://covid19.bz/ and follow the directions for providing correct information. When calling the telephone numbers provided, please be patient with persons seeking to rectify banking information. Your cooperation in providing the correct banking information is crucial to ensuring receipt of unemployment relief payments. If applicants do not correct their banking information, they will not be able to receive payment.

The EOT continues to review all the applications that have been received and further approvals will be made,” it concludes.

Via a Circular Memorandum dated April 29, 2020, the Financial Secretary announced that cost-saving measures would be instituted to reduce Government’s ‘single largest expenditure item, Wages and Salaries, for the duration of period 1st May 2020 to 30th April 2021.’

The circular proposed that all public officers forgo their annual salary increment from 1st May 2020 to 30th April 20201. There was also a reduction of housing an entertainment allowances of 25% for this year. Contract officers were asked to forgo 50% of the same. Further gratuity would be reduced for contract officers from 20 to 15% for those who received housing and entertainment allowances and a reduction of 20 to 10% for officers who do not received these allowances. The measures would yield a cost saving of 3 to five percent of current expenditure.

It seems that measures caught the ire of the PSU and on May 4 they fired off a reply stating that they were never officially informed of the contents of the

PSU rejects cost- cutting measures

circular and they felt “this to be disrespectful and undermining.” The letter after going through a series of points which seem to just need clarification, the union stated that, “we reject Circular 5 of 2020.” There were no counter proposals presented to cost cut.

The Financial Secretary has since responded to the PSU president Gerald Henry explaining that the Prime Minister directed him to say that Ministers of Government have agreed to give up half of their housing and telephone allowances. This is in addition to them having given up one month’s salary which when added up far exceeds what Public officers and teachers are asked to forgo.

He then adds that “I am to ask again for your support... I remind you of the extremity of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis and the collapse of public finances.” The letter continues to state that “If the PSU still rejects the proposals… the Minister intends to… amend the Public Service Regulations so as to give the Minister the power to alter salaries, emoluments and increments in order to deal with the current unprecedented situation.”

The Ministry of Investment and Trade is currently monitoring consumption and production patterns for some items that are produced locally and have been impacted with the onset of COVID-19.

Earlier in the pandemic, producers of poultry and milk complained that as a result of lowered consumption they had to reduce the price of their products like chicken. They also complained that also as a result of less consumption they had to dump milk. Bearing this in mind, the Ministry of Investment is now

Ministry of Investment and Trade says consume what we produce

taking stock of these and other items to ensure a market for them as well as to look at ways of value adding.

While that is one part of the exercise, the ministry is also looking at the importation of commodities that can be produced locally but are instead imported. The exercise of monitoring is to ensure that if a product can be made locally that the preference is given to the local product; however, there is also the question of whether the quantities can be produced to suffice the local market.

Minister of State responsible

for Trade, Hon. Tracy Panton explained that the exercise is necessary in order to protect the local markets as well as to guard from spending foreign exchange that can be produced locally. She added however that currently we are only at the monitoring of consumption and production.

At this time, the Ministry is working at a list of product that would potentially be limited in importation if they can be produced here. The basic principle being to consume what we produce thereby reducing foreign exchange drains as well as supporting local industries.


By Shane D. Williams The National Gas Company

of Belize has one week of operations under its belt and with the emergence of this public-private partnership, Belize is one step closer to energy independence.

Up until April 30, 2020, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) was imported into Belize by foreign-owned entities, mainly Belize Western Energy Limited, Gas Tomza Limited and Zeta Gas. Though the Government of Belize regulates the industry, the foreigners in control of those companies in effect controlled Belize’s LPG market through the supply and demand chain. They determined how much butane gas was in the country, how it was procured and from where it was procured. Therefore, the acquisition process benefitted their business interests multiple times before it reached our gas tanks at home. Before reaching Belize, LPG was shipped from the United States’ Gulf Coast to facilities in Guatemala and Honduras. It was then trucked through Guatemala to Belize, adding to the acquisition

Another Step Towards Energy Independence

cost along the way. As importers/wholesalers, they even entered the retail market to gain control of that level of the supply chain. Recently, they started flooding the retail market with cheap unsustainably priced butane to squeeze out smaller local retailers in order to grab a strangle hold on retail distribution as well. With butane gas being the most essential to our daily lives, this foreign control made Belize one of the most energy dependent countries in the world.

May 1, 2020 will go down as a small step operationally

for the National Gas Company of Belize but a giant symbolic step. With an initial investment of over $60 million, the National Gas Company has built facilities for LPG to be shipped directly to Belize at a state of the art gas terminal/distribution center capable of storing as much as 1.5 million gallons of butane. This is can satisfy more than a month and a half of our country’s national demand. Local retailers are most excited by the company’s commitment to stay out of the retail market – no more bullying by the wholesaler. Consumers are

most excited by the promise of immediately lower prices due to a decrease in acquisition variables and cost.

It is not far-fetched to expect the National Gas Company to eventually look into local refining and other opportunities that will make Belize even more energy independent. For now, however, Belizeans can be comforted by the fact that the individuals benefiting from the import of butane, like the rest of us, depend on what’s cooking in our kitchen for their daily bread both figuratively and literally.


A few weeks ago Audrey Matura took to Facebook to try to chastise the Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte. She did so based on misreading or not reading a particular piece of the law. Here at this newspaper, we would prefer to think the latter would apply. The particular piece of law involved was SI # 54 of 2020.

She pronounced that the said SI #54 did not mandate people to stay off the streets on Sundays during a specified period that the SI covers. Audrey came back a day later and shamelessly admitted that she was wrong. We really don’t know if it was a sincere apology since all she did was to admit that she was wrong, but she didn’t make amends to the persons she wronged, and she most certainly did not promise not to do so again as are the three things that are needed to make an apology sincere. Below is an extract of her attempt at an apology.

“My people. I was wrong in my wide interpretation of SI # 54. It has to read along with SI 52, which had been made initially only for Cayo District. It does narrow movement on Sunday to emergencies and medical. Of course emergencies is wide meaning for people because my emergency not be your emergency.

So I know many feel you did not get enough heads up in this more drastic change, but the PM did say the regulations of Cayo would apply, but many of us not being in Cayo did not pay attention to the details. I pray the police enforce with much understanding as even I was mistaken about its narrow construct. Sorry for my error. It’s just for one day and really in Sunday’s Belizeans generally stay home. Stay safe.”

One would have thought that with that bit of egg on her face Audrey would have learned that she is probably not one of the more competent attorneys, and she would have kept to trying cases on social and mainstream media where she is perhaps the foremost expert. But no not Audrey, she apparently has not learned anything. She is back at it again. Only this time she is treading on dangerous grounds. Audrey is now attempting to challenge the Appeals Court.

In a series of letters between Matura and the Court of Appeal, Matura started off on April 30th, by pressing the court for a written judgement for Civil appeal #7 against the decision of CJ Arana.

COURT DAH NO FACEBOOKIn that letter, she asks for the written judgement by May 4th. Apparently she did not get that, so wrote another letter, citing a precedent. In that letter she wrote “it is ordinarily the duty of a professional judge to give reasons.” The Court replied through the Assistant Registrar for appeals, whose response was “...you are advised to reread the announcement of the judgement of the court, as set out in my email of the night of Wednesday, April 29th, 2020. It is hoped that you will appreciate, after having done so, that the court has, in fact, promised written reasons for judgement... As to the rest of your request of the Court, it is repeated that the same is considered quite out of order by the Court. Accordingly, the Court does not expect to have to further repeat to you what it thinks of this remaining part of your request...”

Then came the bombshell. The Assistant Registrar for Appeals wrote “if and when counsel feels that they may be out of their depth or, for any other reason, in need of help, they should turn not to the Court but to members of the Bar possessed with greater learning and experience than they.”

Once again her proficiency as an attorney was brought into sharp focus and once again her legal acumen has been shown to be lacking. In layman’s terms she was told “Gyal, learn to read and understand. Metiche you are out of your league, wheel and come again. Don’t come here with foolishness. Go get legal advice from competent attorneys who know. NO TIAD ME, TRY FE ME!”

By Shane D. WilliamsEven during the Covid-19

induced economic coma, the Belize City Council is directing the majority of its resources towards general e lect ions campaigns in Mesopotamia and Collet.

It is not unusual for the line between governance and politicking to get a bit blurry; unfortunately, it’s one of the glitches of a partisan democracy. We have even seen it recently in the United States with Trump’s stimulus letters to citizens. Such actions should never be accepted by the people and what must be absolutely and immediately condemned is when custodians of public assets divert resources meant for the marginalized towards their personal political campaigns.

Recently, the Belize City Council received a donation of over $50,000 worth of food items from a Chinese organization to distribute to city residents most impacted by the economic impact of Covid-19. Rather than putting a system in place to ensure the limited goods

City’s Resources Directed to General Elections Campaign

reach residents most in need, the Council is targeting areas of political interest.

Residents of Iguana Street sent footage to the Guardian Newspaper of Councilor Oscar Arnold and the Collet PUP committee delivering grocery packages to party-friendly houses on Tuesday afternoon using trucks from the Traffic Department. We commend every effort to provide relief to the needy in these difficult times; however, this is not the time for political tribalism.

We call on the Belize City Council to put a system in place that gives all needy residents an opportunity to benefit from the city’s resources. Residents outside of Mesopotamia and Collet matter too. Those who wave a different colour flag from yours deserve assistance from the public purse too.

There is a lot that can be said about using the Traffic Department’s trucks for political campaigns but we can turn a blind eye if the Council agrees to ensure fair distribution moving forward.


BEL press release issued April 30, 2020.

Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) continues to provide relief for persons countrywide who are adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company will provide food and care packages totaling $75,000 in value for distribution to approximately 600 marginalized families across the country, commencing May 4, 2020.

The distribution will be managed by the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation, through its Food Assistance Program. Recipients will be selected based on the

BEL Introduces its COVID-19 Relief Program

Ministry’s standardized screening criteria of over 80,000 persons, who have no source of income or recently lost their main source of income.

This initiative is one of several under the BEL Cares Community Outreach Program through which the Company is assisting customers, organizations and communities to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belize.

BEL and its employees are extremely grateful for the opportunity to assist our fellow Belizeans during this time of great need. We continue to be here for communities across Belize.

end

The Ministry of Health observed Vaccination Week, last week, under the theme “Love. Trust. Protect. #GetVax.” Countries in our Region also c o m m e m o r a t e d t h e 1 8 t h annual Vaccination Week in the Americas.

This year’s campaign brings to mind the love that people have for their children, themselves, and their communities, as well as the trust in the ability of vaccines to save lives and the protection they provide from diseases for everyone from everywhere.

Belize has maintained sustained vaccine coverage of over 95% for the past 10 years and aims to continue doing so. Belize vaccinates against 13 diseases as part of the National Vaccine Schedule. Within the past five years, the country has had notable achievements. In 2016, Belize received the certification for measles elimination. That same year, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was introduced to girls in standard IV across schools countrywide. In 2019, the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine was introduced.

The planned activities for Vaccination Week in the Americas 2020 were adjusted within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. All mass gatherings such as vaccination campaigns have been cancelled. Parents are still called upon to schedule appointments for follow-up vaccinations either at the clinic or at their home. The public is asked to comply with the vaccinators as enhanced adequate infection control measures are being put in place for all.

Please make contact with

Vaccination: the most effective way to prevent diseases

the nearest public health clinic for assistance or follow-ups. Vaccine activities are currently being conducted for target groups including newborns and children ages nine, 12, and 18 months.

Vaccination Week in the Americas is celebrated annually during the last week of April. #GetVax – it is a community effort!

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent diseases. A vaccine helps the body’s immune system to recognize and fight pathogens like viruses or bacteria, which then keeps us safe from the diseases they cause. Vaccines protect against more than 25 debilitating or life-threatening diseases, including measles, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, meningitis, influenza, tetanus, typhoid and cervical cancer.

A conventional vaccine injected into the body inserts select pieces of a virus in cells near the injection site. The immune system recognizes molecules on these pieces, called antigens, as threats and reacts by making

antibodies, molecules that can find the virus anywhere in the body and neutralize it. Once this dress rehearsal happens, the immune system remembers how to quash the invaders, so it can stop a future infection.

Currently, the majority of children receive their vaccines on time. However, nearly 20 million worldwide still miss out – putting them at risk of serious diseases, death, disability and ill health.

In Belize the impact of vaccinations on our children has been well documented. “The last case of polio diagnosed in Belize was 1981, measles was 1991, neonatal tetanus 1997, congenital rubella syndrome 1997, and rubella was 2001. We do have some clusters of vaccine-preventable diseases like whooping cough. Still, the data is showing us that it’s mainly among children, not vaccinated,” says Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, Maternal & Child Health Technical Advisor, Ministry of Health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the formerly smooth flow of vaccinations. “Before, if you would walk into Matron Roberts Polyclinic, you would find twenty, thirty women sitting close to each other, awaiting their turn for vaccination of their kids. We can’t afford that now. Traditionally, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the communities with parents, we get a lot done through mobile clinics, and we do home visits and some of these strategies we had to discontinue. I would say right now we have a delay of about two months,” she added.

As a temporary solution, “So, the same space where we use to have thirty to forty women waiting for services, we may need to scale it down to five in the morning and five in the afternoon. So, the number of vaccines we use to give in a day we would have to spread it out into a week. It sounds challenging. I’m pretty

sure we can get it done. Because we have a good response from the community,” said Dr. Beer.

Dr. Carissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization has warned that if we fall behind on routine immunization particularly for children, we risk outbreaks, thus overwhelming hospitals and clinics with preventable diseases--in addition to COVID-19. History has shown that after wars or epidemics, if we allow large gaps in immunization coverage, vaccine-preventable diseases like polio and measles can re-emerge.

So, the Ministry of Health will now have to prioritize its vaccination efforts to change the current scenario. From the target population, which is about thirty-five thousand children under five, the Ministry of Health is prioritizing newborns, ensuring that they receive the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin BCG vaccine and hepatitis ‘B’ birth dose before hospital discharge. The next group of children are the nine months old. The Ministry of Health now only has three months to help them to catch up with the vaccines that they will be needing.

The other group that the Ministry of Health is targeting is the group of twelve-month and eighteen-month-old babies. Those are the groupings that the Ministry of Health needs to reach in order to provide them with the measles coating vaccine, which is the vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella, MMR. The MMR is given at twelve months of age and then MMR Two at eighteen months of age. This group is a priority at this point because there are outbreaks of measles in the region with Mexico still having cases. There was an outbreak of measles in Venezuela and Columbia and health ministers got together from within the Region and decided that we should continue with the vaccinations.

The Ministry of Health is currently vaccinating against th i r t een d i seases , wi th a discussion to introduce a further two new vaccines, the Rotavirus vaccine and then the MOCH/OCAL vaccine. Last year, Belize had some cases of diarrhea and vomiting and some of them were due to the Rotavirus.

When mothers vaccinate their children, it is the ultimate act of love. Vaccinations can change our loved ones quality of life in the long-term and usher in endurance against a gamut of life threatening diseases.

Minister of Health Pablo Marin administering vaccine at the Western Border in 2013


SARS-CoV-2, the novel and severe acute respiratory syndrome known to us as the coronavirus, or simply COVID-19, made its presence known to mankind all over the world. In its wake, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc and just like cancer and other diseases, it knows no prejudices. It affects men, women, and children alike; it was first detected in Wuhan, China and has since gone on to plague 185 countries, with our tiny Belize being no exception. Thankfully, however, we have only had eighteen positive cases reported to date, with two fatalities. But aside from the obvious detriment to our health care system, COVID-19 has managed to affect just about every development sector, forcing all non-essential businesses to close their doors, burdening the universal economy. This prompted governments worldwide to offer financial assistance to their people and in Belize, assistance has been provided in the millions. From pantry packages to unemployment relief, the Belizean people enjoyed some respite to their economic situation since so many people lost their jobs and livelihoods during this time.

One of the most shocking realities in all this, conversely, is not that the people managed to do with the little they did have. It possibly is that while not making a salary, and having to depend on some form of assistance to maintain their living, people found funds for luxuries. On Thursday, April 30, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced to the nation that there would be some ease to the restrictions that were in place at the time. Before then, only essential businesses could operate during non-curfew hours to prevent the potential spread of the virus. These vital businesses did not include beauty salons, cosmetic stores, barber shops, boutiques, or any places of luxury. This is not until the Prime Minister made the announcement that effective Friday, May 1, these places would be allowed to operate on an appointment basis. The masses flocked to

social media to express their content and excitement to this news and as soon as the May 1 holiday was over, crowds took to these non-essential businesses to “titivate”.

But are these the same persons who bawled about not having enough money to sustain their children and themselves?

We can only assume that at least some are. What then can we say on their priorities, especially during a pandemic? Some of these people depend on everyone but themselves to provide food, money, and other necessities for their families. Yet, they are able to indulge in luxuries during a time of economic uncertainty.

Salons, barbershops, cosmetic stores and the like are filled to capacity, certainly offering a different story that one of economic strain. It may be understandable for persons having to work to maintain their presence, but where are others getting dolled up to go? The threat of COVID-19 has not yet passed, social gatherings are not yet permitted by law, so where can these people be getting ready to go? And from where are they getting these funds?

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has forewarned that the looming threat of a second and third wave of COVID-19 is more than possible. It would then be advisable that these monies be allocated to the uncertainty of the future that coronavirus might inflict on us. But that warning might fall onto deaf ears.

Austerity vs. Luxury in COVID-19

Salon, barbershop and cosmetic store opened for business in Belize City


A gargantuan effort to contain the fires in Western Belize has been very successful. The air tankers funded by the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) continued flights over the western communities in the Cayo District last Thursday, from 5:00 a.m. up to around 5:00p.m.—with a respite from Mother Nature.

Several fires were suppressed in the areas of El Pilar and Chapel Hill in Benque Viejo del Carmen, and in the villages of Georgeville, Barton Creek and Unitedville. A house was saved from flames south of Unitedville and a large fire was extinguished in the Riverwalk area, among many other fires suppressed on Thursday. Around 5:00 p.m., a large thunderstorm rolled over the western part of the Cayo District, drenching all the fires in the Vaca Forest Reserve, Arenal, and Blackman Eddy. With the rains on Thursday evening, the far west was considered to be significantly out of harm’s way.

In Belmopan, the air had cleared after the air tankers drenched the fires on the eastern periphery on April 29th. However, at around 2:00 p.m. Thursday, two fires were lit by what is suspected arson in the vicinity of the Palm View Psychiatric Clinic in Maya Mopan and on the forested property of the University of Belize in southeast Belmopan. Residents reported that a red late model Toyota RAV-4 was seen entering and exiting the university property shortly before several small fires began burning along the road that dissects the property. The Department of the Environment (DOE) along with the police combed the area of the fires on the property but did not observe anyone in the area by that time. Due to those two fires, the conditions in Belmopan degraded and the air was thick with smoke.

The residents of Maya Mopan and the UB forested property are implored to keep a watchful eye. Take photographs of any suspicious activity in the area, especially during the afternoon hours when the fires are typically lit, and immediately report to the DOE or the Forest Department. The DOE and the police will be frequenting the area.

S ince mid -Apr i l , t he country has been plagued by large agricultural fires started by humans, causing smoke levels that have led to poor air quality conditions for residents in nearby communities. The situation was exacerbated by wildfires (forest

Large thunderstorm and air tankers save the day from fires in Cayo

fires) due to environmental conditions such as extremely low humidity, high temperature and wind.

As these fires had continued to expand, the local smoke levels become a health hazard, affecting many citizens especially in the Cayo district and were threatening to claim physical structures in the peripheries of residential areas.

The largest wildfire was observed in the Vaca Forest Reserve region of Belize. The firefighting efforts had been led by the Government of Belize through the Ministry of Environment and its agencies and departments including the Forest Department and the Department of Environment in partnership with the Belize National Fire Service, village and town councils and impromptu community brigades. However, these traditional response efforts were only being moderately successful against the unprecedented wildfire and smoke situation that was being fed by the hotter and drier weather conditions.

Chief Executive Officer within the Ministry of the Environment Dr. Percival Cho is the point man against these large fires. “The effort has been ongoing for the past three or four days on the ground, using the support of the Belmopan Fire Service, as well as the Forestry Department and the Belmopan City Council. But the number of fires are such that it’s difficult to address each one satisfactorily during the day. When the wind picks up, you’re fighting the wind, the temperature rises, you’re fighting the temperature, the humidity drops and then you’re fighting humidity and then you’re fighting six, seven fires at the same time. So, the need for air support was considered vital, very important and so we arranged for some support to be provided through the Protected Areas Conservation Trust,” he said.

Thus, PACT assisted the

response effort, by enlisting Airmax Limited to provide aerial water bombing services to complement the ground efforts. The air tanker can hold and deploy up to 500 gallons of water and given the small size of the aircraft, can be reloaded quickly. The exercise commenced last Wednesday morning in the City of Belmopan where 35 flights were launched and was effective at controlling the spread of the fires and suppressing smoke. As a result, the service was expanded to the Vaca region and municipalities of Benque Viejo and San Ignacio/Santa Elena last Thursday with the same objective of bringing these fires under control and providing residents with much needed relief.

While PACT annually supports fire management programs for protected areas, as it is an important management aspect to ensure forest and biodiversity conservation, the record-breaking wildfire situation last week came at a time where the COVID-19 pandemic had placed particular strain on emergency resources - intensifying pressure on already limited firefighting resources and funding. Despite these financial constraints, PACT determined the need to increase its individual contribution to preserve biodiversity and human health and had committed BZ$100,000.00 of its funds for the aerial water bombing services to assist the country’s response to the worst wildfires in Belize’s history.

PACT now joins the Ministry of Environment in thanking all agencies, businesses, and communities that have and continue to assist with fire management efforts countrywide; and encourages everyone to contribute to fire prevention by reducing fire prone activities.

The large forest fires in the west and south had created much devastation for biodiversity in the area with the effects now being studied. Panthera Belize led by Dr. Bart Harmsen, has been studying the damages. “One is a picture of a burnt down Howler Monkey. At the time there were actually two. These animals, once they are caught in the tree of course the tree is very flammable especially in very dry conditions like there are now. The flames just engulf them, they cannot escape and they get burned down like that. It is equally that you have the animals that are able to escape that they are in an environment where they don’t have foods.”

He continued, “We found an animal that we found, it is not burnt and it is a kinkajou. It is a night animal and eat fruits and it lives in the trees. That animal starved to death in a burnt-out landscape. Another one was the turtle and snake. We found many turtles and snakes that were there and many other animals that were definitely influenced by it and were running out of the forest. If you would throw fruits just to see what was out, there, they would all run around it. They would easily come around it. We noticed that. So, there is a high impact.”

Belize has not been the only country that has been impacted on a large scale forest fires. Satellite images are now showing huge swathes of forests being affected by it. But in Belize we had launched a well-financed and coordinated response against the fires that have greatly reduced the density of carbon based particulate matter in the atmosphere.

Kinkanjou starved to death in a burnt-out landscape

Turtle killed by forest fires


Institution: MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CIVIL AVIATION (MTCA)Country: BELIZEProject: SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PROGRAM II (STPII)Sector: SUSTAINABLE TOURISMoperation no: 3566/OC-BLProject Id no.: CS37deadline: Friday, May 22, 2020 at 12:00 noon (local time)

The Government of Belize has received financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) toward the cost of the “Sustainable Tourism Program II” (STPII), and intends to apply part of the proceeds for this consulting services.

The consultancy will provide the necessary technical assistance to the STPII by carrying out cost-benefit analyses for all the investments under this program, to design and develop revenue strategies for each investment, and to provide economic technical assistance to STPII as may be required, and primarily for the purposes of the monitoring and evaluation of the economic impact of STPII within the targeted communities.

This consultancy should not exceed twelve (12) months. The individual consultant will be tasked with i.) Compilation of data from available sources, including the Value Chain Analysis, to inform the cost benefit analyses and revenue strategy to be developed for the STPII investment area; ii.) Carry out consultations with the relevant stakeholders and potential beneficiaries of the investments which includes, but not limited to The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, the local tourism committees and town councils.

The consultant must possess the following qualifications:

Master’s Degree in Economics or related field with a minimum of • one year’s experience in thetourism field; or a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics or related field • with 3 years’ experience in thetourism field.• excellent technical, oral and written communication skills• strong self-discipline and motivation• experience in working with the tourism sector and its stakeholders• well versed with the Belizean economy and its operations, particularly • of the local policies,strategic framework governing investment and business development • in the tourism sector.knowledgeable on the regional tourism economic initiatives• experience in collecting primary and secondary data for economic • reportseconomic skills such as analyzing and writing reports• fluent in statistical analysis and quantitative reporting• fluent in use of excel, excel-dashboards and similar• Bilingual – Spanish and English•

Experience in Tourism Value Chain Analysis, Tourism Economic Assessments, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Survey Planning and Execution, and developing spreadsheet-based monitoring tools would be an advantage.

The individual consultant will be selected using the Comparison of Qualification of National Consultants procurement method in accordance with the procedures set out in the Inter-American Development Bank: Policies for the selection and Contracting of Consultants financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (GN-2350-9). The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, now invites eligible individuals to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested persons should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.

Interested individual consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours 09:00 AM to 4:00 PM local Belize time. Expressions of interest must be e-mailed at the address indicated below by 12:00 noon on Friday, May 22, 2020 local Belize time.

Ministry of Tourism and Civil AviationAttn: Tamara Tingling-CanoProcurement Specialist, STPII106 South Street, Belize City,Tel: 501-227-1760E-mail: [email protected] , [email protected]

reQueST For eXPreSSIonS oF InTereST

Consultancy to Provide Technical assistance in the area of economic analysis to the Sustainable Tourism Program II

Two parents and their two children were found returning to Belize from Quintana Roo, Mexico, an act made illegal under the nationwide State of Emergency. They had entered the Mexican state, which has seen quite a number of COVID-19 infections, before returning to Belize they were met by law enforcement. The children have since been placed in quarantine but their parents appeared in Magistrate’s court.

A s o f M a y 1 ,

Jail for two adults who crossed illegally into Belize

the penalty for anyone found crossing borderlines is a fine of $5,000 as well as serve three months in prison. That is the course of events that the parents underwent. They appeared in the Corozal Magistrate’s Court on Monday, May 4 where they pleaded guilty. They were then sentenced to three-months at the Hattieville Prison where they were placed on quarantined for a

period of twenty-one days. After that time has elapsed and they do not develop any COVID-19 symptoms they will be placed in the general population.

The parents are to incur the expense of the children who are also in quarantine, this is a tactic which the Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says is used to dissuade persons from entering or leaving the country illegally.

Wilbert Zuniga, a 30-year-old resident of Faber’s Road in Belize City, has been sentenced to three months in prison. He was charged twice with being unable to provide a reason to be moving during non-curfew hours, which came into effect under the nationwide State of Emergency. When he was first arrested and charged, he was spared jail time and offered bail but because

Jail for repeat State of Emergency offender

Zuniga is a repeat offender, he wasn’t as lucky this time.

For h i s second cour t appearance on Monday, May 4, 2020, he appeared before Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Zuniga was read a single charge of being unable to provide a reason for movement on April 11, 2020. He says that while on Central American Boulevard, police officers asked him where he was going, to which he responded that he was returning home. Being that that was not a good reason to be moving, he was detained and charged. Four days earlier on April 7, 2020, Zuniga was arrested and charged for the same offense. Under the law, a repeat offender is automatically given prison time. Luckily for Zuniga, however, the magistrate was lenient and imposed only a three month sentence versus the two-year sentence which he was facing.

Wilbert Zuniga

Persons caught illegally crossing into Belize


Amin Cho has been wanted for murder since 2017 and has just been arrested and charged for the crime over the weekend. Police believe that Cho worked with a teenager on June 15, 2017 to murder 90-year-old Pedro Pol. The shopkeeper was found by his relatives inside his shop in August Pine Ridge, Orange Walk but despite efforts to rush him to the Northern Regional Hospital, he died during treatment. The minor, believed to have been

Amin Cho is charged for a 2017 murder

responsible for this crime along with Cho, was soon detained but Cho managed to evade the police for almost three years.

Amin Cho

Another sixty-two persons have been charged across the country for various offenses breached under the Emergency P o w e r s R e g u l a t i o n s . O n Saturday, May 2, 2020, twenty-seven persons were arrested for breaching curfew. It is now mandatory that while in public persons wear a covering over their nose and mouth and fifteen persons found disobeying that legislation have been arrested and charged. For being unable to provide a reasonable explanation

Sixty-two arrested for breaching SOE regulations

for their movement outside of curfew, nine persons were arrested and five were arrested and charged for moving across districts. Social distancing still remains the norm and for the two persons found not practicing this distance, they were arrested and charged. For keeping a business establishment open when required to be closed, two persons were charged and another two have been charged for illegally entering into Belize.

A number of businesses have been allowed to reopen after some regulations under the State of Emergency have been relaxed. This, however, does not yet include gyms and for the persons found working out at Body 2000; this came as bad news for them. Those persons are now in trouble with the law after Commissioner of Police Chester Williams got word that they were exercising at the gym. Police officers went to the Belize City gym to find

Persons charged for exercising at Body 2000

the shutters closed but on further inspection, allegedly found five persons and the gym’s owner, Mark Neal, exercising inside. The group of five have been arrested and charged but according to their versions of events, they were not exercising. They say that they were simply conducting maintenance of gym equipment. They were each charged for not providing a reasonable explanation or proof of movement outside of curfew. They were fined $1,000.

Over the past few days, a number of persons have been arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on a number of offenses under the State of Emergency. On Monday, May 4 alone, eight appeared before magistrates to answer to the charges. Staton Gillett, an elderly man, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser for breaching curfew. He immediately pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $2,500 plus the $5 cost of court. He has until July 31, 2020 to clear this fine or faces up to a year in prison. Others before the court included Michael Gillett for failure to wear a mask; Gregory Myvett and Rodel Williams for breach of curfew; and Justin Goff for moving outside of curfew. These men pleaded guilty to their individual charges and were each offered bail. They are each expected back in court in July 2020. In Derrick Bain’s case, there were some anomalies. According to police reports, he was found

Fifteen men in court for breaching SOE regulations

walking along the street at 8:07 p.m. one night. Bain was, however, not confronted for breaking curfew until after making it home. After he got inside his house, police officers called out for him and informed him of the offense he had just committed. Despite these strange version of events, Bain pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $2,500 plus the $5 cost of court. Bain has until July 31, 2020 to pay his fine or will be sentenced to a year in prison.

Another seven persons were arraigned on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. They include Karim Barona, Kenyon Maskall, and Jermain Twist for being unable to provide a reason for being out; Michael Gillett for failing to wear a mask; Martin Gabourel and Clifford Baptist for breach of curfew. Baptist was also charged for crossing district lines. They pleaded guilty to their respective charges, were offered bail, and are each due back in court in July.

Staton Gillett Gregory Myvett

Justin Goff Derrick Bain

Wi t h m a j o r c r i m i n a l activities experiencing an all-time low amidst the COVID-19 reality in Belize, the stabbing murder of Matias Alpuche is especially upsetting. The Orange Walk resident was found inside his taxi cab on Honey Camp Road in the Petville Area of Orange Walk and while residents of the area saw the man they believe to be responsible, a passenger in Alpuche’s taxi, he has not yet been found. It was just before 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, 2020 when residents saw the believed murderer fleeing the scene on a bicycle.

Before being murdered, 54-year-old Alpuche had been at the home of his estranged wife and children. The estranged wife, Lourdes Cocom, says that Alpuche, who had just recently started running a taxi, never told her about anyone wanting to hurt him. Investigators went to that same place, trying to pinpoint a potential suspect in Alpuche’s murder. By the time they arrived on the scene where eyewitnesses say the murderer took place, he had already fled. With that, the police are doing the best they

can with the little information they have to establish a motive and suspect. What they do have is the description given to them by the eyewitnesses who say that the murdered is approximately five feet seven inches in height, of a light complexion, small in build, and with curly hair. Unfortunately, they never saw his face due to the poor lighting conditions of the evening.

A reward of up to $2,000 has been offered by Crime Stoppers to anyone who has information into this murder and can lead to an arrest and charge.

Matias Alpuche is stabbed to death in his taxi in Orange Walk

Reward offered for information into the murder of Matias Alpuche


A Belize City man is out on bail for the offense of grievous harm of a woman. Fifty-nine-year-old Luis Gladden, a laborer of the St. Martin’s de Porres Area, was arraigned on Monday, May 4, 2020 before Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser. He was read the charge of grievous harm to which he pleaded not guilty. Since there was no objection to bail, he was offered bail in the sum of $1,000 plus one surety of the same. Gladden was able to meet bail and is due back in court on July 9, 2020.

According to a report made by the complainant, a resident of the apartment complex where Gladden resides, she and Gladden

He broke a woman’s jaw

got into an altercation. This led to Gladden punching her in the mouth, breaking her jaw in the process. Her injuries were examined by a doctor and classified as grievous harm.

A resident of Biscayne Village in the Belize District is on remand after being accused of fondling a minor. Devon Edward Emmanuel Dominguez was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 on a single charge of sexual assault of a 14-year-old. The incident dates back to May 2, 2020 when Dominguez is accused of touching her private areas. In court, he pleaded not guilty but was denied bail due to the nature of the charge. He was remanded to the Belize Central

Remanded forfondling a minor

Devon DominguezPrison until July 6, 2020.

Luis Gladden

Since Friday, May 1, 2020, the Government of Belize, under the State of Emergency enacted new regulations because of COVID-19. These regulations require that each person wear a mask while out in public. The new regulation was rolled out to minimize the spread of the virus. Health and law enforcement officials have all made it clear that there would be no tolerance with anyone disobeying this or other regulations. Unfortunately, for an Orange Walk fisherman, he was found in violation of this regulation and was arrested and charged for this offense.

While 40-year-old Oscar Cruz was able to avoid jail time, he was imposed the hefty fine of $2,500 which is only half the fine that comes along with the

Fined for notwearing a mask

violation of this rule. He appeared before Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser and being that he was a first time offender, was spared jail time and the maximum fine of $5,000. He was given until July 31, 2020. If he defaults on this payment, he will face a year in prison.

Oscar Cruz

Major crimes over the country have slowed down for the most part but there have been a few incidents that have popped up in certain locations. One of the most recent is the attack made on the lives of Luwani and Ernest Mena in the Benguche Area of Dangriga Town. Police responded just before 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, 2020 where they met the victims with gunshot wounds. They were taken to the Southern Regional Hospital for treatment of their injuries and have since been released.

Police say that this recent incident is as a result of an ongoing gang feud between rival groups in the area. Luwani and

Ernest were seated on a verandah of a house when a masked man came from behind the house and fired in their direction. ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch, says that the police believe that this incident is in retaliation of a previous incident. This is the second reported shooting in the area in a matter of weeks, with two other persons injured as a result of tension between gang factions in the area. COMPOL Chester Williams says that measures have been taken to address the looming issue. Several main players are being sought and the Southern Regional Commander has been directed to diffuse this issue.

Two injured inshooting in Dangriga

After be ing in pol ice custody for more than a weekend, two persons were arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on a charge of drug trafficking. Richard Vive and Nia Simon, who were found in possession of 3.1 grams of cocaine, appeared before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 where they were read a charge of possession on a controlled drug with intent to supply to another

Couple on bail for possessing cocaine

person or persons. In court, the duo pleaded not guilty and since there was no objection to the charge, were offered bail in the sum of $1,000 each plus one surety of the same. They were able to meet bail and are due back in court on July 6, 2020. If convicted, the pair is facing a mandatory fine of $10,000, a prison term of three years, or both if they have previously been convicted on drug related offenses.

Richard Vive Nia Simon

A soldier of the Belize Defense Force, Priestly Rancharan, is the latest victim of a fatal road traffic accident. The accident claimed his life and left eight other soldiers injured on Friday, May 1 near a curve in Consejo Village, Corozal. It was around 4:30 p.m. that Corozal police were called to the scene and met the severely damaged Isuzu D-Max on its side. Police have since determined that 27-year-old Rancharan was driving the government vehicle when he lost control of itwhile going around a curve. The vehicle overturned several times and when it came to a stop,

RTA claims life of BDF soldier

Rancharan was severely injured. He was rushed to the Corozal Community Hospital even before police arrived on scene but, unfortunately, succumbed while undergoing treatment.

Priestly Rancharan

www.guardian.bz


At the San Ignacio market, a single week has truly made a significant difference. Last Saturday there were strict controls on persons going in to buy produce.

On Monday, we again visited the market and it was wide open, from the back gate and all the other entrances in between. Customers could go in and freely select their produce, but with masks on. The relaxation of controls in the era of COVID-19 may only be a temporary procedure as the world awaits a firmer hand over the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

“When we had the first wave, one of the first things we said is it’s not going to be a matter of if but rather when and that’s exactly what happened so we are also making provisions in the Oversight Committee one of the discussions that we did highlight that we can expect to see two more waves perhaps this year,” says Dr.Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services.

He continued, “Even at the CARPHA, country discussions we are not so sure what kind of cyclical activity COVID-19 is going to have but if we have a routine flu season that kind of picks up towards the middle of October and really doesn’t rest until February then I think we can anticipate toward the end of this year November/December we

Relaxation of controls in the era of COVID 19 should be calibrated

can potentially have another one if we don’t have one before. We cannot lose sight of the fact that neighboring countries and the four countries that I can immediately think of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the US are just starting to show a significant increase in the number of cases they’re seeing daily so you understand that geographically this time around we cannot compare ourselves with Caribbean countries we are in the middle of countries that are having significant curves so we can’t lose sight of that. The borders might not be open, but that’s where the potential of another case can come and another wave can be from any neighboring land borders that we have.”

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health O r g a n i z a t i o n ’ s ( W H O ) emergencies programme, has also said while many countries are still in the eye of the storm, others were beginning to show it is possible to contain the disease to some extent.

“In that sense, there’s hope,” Ryan told Reuters in an online interview from Geneva.

“At a global level the

situation is still very, very serious but the pattern of the disease and the trajectory of the virus is very different in different parts of the world right now,” he said.

“What we’re learning is that it is possible to get this disease under control and it is possible to begin resuming normal economic and social life, with a new way of having to do that, and with extreme caution and vigilance.”

However, some countries in Africa and in Central and South America are still seeing “an upwards trajectory in cases” and although they may not appear to have a big problem yet, the availability of tests remains an issue, Dr. Ryan added.

More than 3.44 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 243,015 have died, according to a Reuters tally as of Sunday.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December.

“We’re in the middle of the fight of our lives - all of us around the world,” Ryan said. “There’s going to be a significant and extended risk until we reach a point where we have a safe and effective vaccine available to all.”

Dr. Ryan said some countries, including China, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and others, had reached what he described as “a steady state” with regard to the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Europe and North America are beginning

to emerge from “very intense epidemics” of the disease and are now trying to navigate a safe exit from severe restrictions on economic and social activities imposed in the past few months, he said.

After months of severe lockdown, people in Italy and Spain were starting to enjoy a little more freedom on Sunday. Israel has opened some schools, while South Korea said it would further relax social distancing rules from May 6, allowing a phased re-opening of businesses.

Dr. Ryan said this showed “not that the virus can be beaten absolutely, but that we can reach a point where we have enough control over the virus that our social and economic lives can begin again”.

He reiterated, however, that any government seeking to relax restrictions should do so with extreme caution.

The WHO warned on Friday that countries must lift lockdowns gradually, while still being “on the look-out” for COVID-19 and ready to restore restrictions if the virus jumps back.

Projections about how COVID-19 will play out are speculative, but the end game will most likely involve a mix of everything that checked past pandemics: Continued social-control measures to buy time, new antiviral medications to ease symptoms, and a vaccine. The exact formula—how long control measures such as social distancing must stay in place, for instance—depends in large part on how strictly people obey restrictions.

Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization’s

(WHO) emergencies program


YOUTH TALKS

By Thamar JonesI am now earning less than

half of the money than I use to before the ‘Rona’ hit. The coronavirus has completely uprooted our lives and, in a matter of weeks, changed the way we conduct our day-to-day routine. As students, our classes are different, the environments we live in have changed and our finances have changed. While everyone’s finances and income has not been affected the same way, for most people there has certainly been some changes.

Personally, I have lost some revenue streams while the remaining have all been reduced to fifty percent of what they once were. Through all the uncertainties, we must still stay on top of our responsibilities. Turn in our assignments, get our work duties done and of course manage our financial resources.

Managing your finances

Is Rona giving us New Opportunitiesto Save and Make More Money?

begins with a review of your monthly expenses. For example, do you have both cable and Netflix? If you use one more than the other, consider canceling one for the time being to reduce your monthly expenses and keep more cash in your pocket.

Reduce your spending to only what you need. Take stock of the essentials you have and the ones you need. Do your research on the least expensive brands to purchase. Above all, only shop when you need to and cut non-essential expenses as much as possible.

If you are worried about credit card and loan payments, some banks have updated information about their payment policies during the pandemic and any type of assistance they may be providing their customers. If you cannot find any informational resources on your provider’s website, give them a call.

While utility companies are not carrying out disconnections, and land lords are asked to be lenient, my advice is to make the necessary sacrifice to keep

up with all payments as much as possible. There is no telling when the economy will be back to some state of normalcy and unpaid bills will only become more difficult to pay as they accumulate.

W h i l e w e a r e b e i n g responsible, we can still have some fun and enjoyment. A great money saver has been dining in. I make all my favorite things to eat at home: flavorful shrimp ceviche, creamy cheese dips with corn chips, loaded tacos, classic rice and beans and cow foot soups. Cooking and eating healthy delicious dishes has been my number one source of fun and entertainment.

Being responsible with the money we have is important but we must also be creative, proactive and resourceful in making extra money now as well. The proverb “necessity is the mother of invention” is truer now than ever. It may be the greatest challenge we’ve ever collectively faced. But hardships like this also present an oppor tun i ty. Research shows that t imes of crisis

can bring out hidden reserves of human resourcefulness — and we’re starting to see what happens when humanity comes up against seemingly insurmountable constraints.

O f f i c e w o r k e r s a r e adapting to doing their jobs from home. Restaurants are delivering to-go orders without any personal contact . The education system is using web resources, radio and television platforms to educate students. I state the above in hopes that it will inspire someone to come up with the next big idea for a needed service or product that will make all of our lives better!

The key is to be diligent and res i s t the urge to be complacent. The state of the world economy may not be within our control but we can be proactive and resourceful in seeking new ways to earn and save money. I’m sure that the next time you hear from me, I will have some tangible ideas that I will have tried, that we can all do to earn more despite the current state of things.


By Jamil MatarI do not want to come across

as being squeamish here, but for personal health reasons I was never a staunch advocate of compulsory face masks. I realized I could only wear these for short periods before I started to feel queasy, so I have decided not go out in public for this entire SOE period. However, I fully support the face mask regulation in the interest of our nation’s collective good health. Since men are more vulnerable than women with respect to respiratory infections, I can easily remember the meaning of the acronym M.E.N.: do not touch your Mouth, Eyes, or Nose. What dazzled me is the size of the penalty, $5,000 in the first instance! To top it off, a certain post on FB caught my attention, a person going by the pseudonym S. Ramirez suggested that anyone caught not properly wearing a face mask in public should be put to sleep. We cannot even put murderers to sleep just like that, now this! Looks like this three-week lockdown was getting people crotchety. In any instance, when I do not agree with an opinion on social media I simply scroll down. I used to quarrel at first, especially about my opinion that the fine for not wearing a mask in public could have been incremental, starting at $500. Nevertheless, I yield on this one to the authorities, who have a better view of our situation than I do.

Which brings me to the other pressing issue, public finances. I am happy that as of today, May 6, 2020, Belize is, at least for the time being, Covid- free. Six weeks of sharply reduced economic activity, however, has drained GOB’s coffers, compounded by the additional expenses to source specialized medical equipment

to face off the virus. Remember also, the ICJ issue is still alive and costing. Thus, I viewed it ridiculous for Government to have to expend its limited finances to defend against frivolous local lawsuits that can go nowhere. Some attorneys are better at arguing their cases on TV rather than in the courtroom, true thing. I like your FB show better, young lady. It does not cost us anything to watch, at least for now.

Still on the issue of the public purse, I think that the offer made by GOB to the PSU is a fair one, and I suggest the parties sit in discussion rather than the absolute rejection of a mitigating solution to our economic crises. Sometimes when we use the phrase “we are in this together”, it only goes as far as, “once it does not affect me personally”. Another front burner issue for the PSU: Please advise your GST members to step up on revenue collection. Some retail outlets are using the situation to circumvent GST sales receipts. Check it out, please.

As is my wont, I will sign off with a short story. This morning shortly after 8:00 a.m a neighbor, who is vociferous in not getting any aid from Government, came to buy a $4.50 coke. I playfully suggested to him that I now had fresh red beans. He replied that he was going to put off a good eating later today since he had just received an authorization to pick up a big bag of groceries from a local supermarket. Good for him, I commented, and thanks to DOB! He laughed and went his way to the supermarket, mask covering his throat. I reminded him to put on his mask correctly or his next big meal would be at the Ramada. Stay safe, dear readers, and keep your distance please.

Put them to Sleep!

The National Crime Agency is reporting that two men have been charged after a million pounds worth of cocaine was found when two men were caught breaking into the London Container Terminal in Tilbury. On Tuesday, May 5 police were called in to the container terminal where they found 16 kilos of cocaine in a refrigerated container, which was shipped from Belize on May 1.

After being spared any hurricane activity in Belize in 2019, it is sad to say that we might not be as lucky this year. According to top hurricane forecasters from Colorado State University, the 2020 Atlantic basin hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30, is currently predicted to be a more active season than average. This is due to the unusually warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) currently in place. In April, the CSU group predicted and named as many as sixteen storms, eight hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. This brings the long term averages (from 1981-2010) of 12.1, 6.4, and 2.7, respectively, to a halt.

The warm SSTs have been observed across the Eastern Atlantic and in the Coral Sea. The former is associated with weaker trade winds and low surface pressures while the latter tends to inhibit the development of the El Niño weather phenomenon. This usually acts to suppress the formations of hurricanes in the Atlantic and without it, we can expect that these low pressure storms will have sustenance to travel rather than breaking up. It is expected that a La Niña climate

2020 hurricane season expected to be more active than normal

pattern will ensue, having the opposite effect of El Niño.

Although these predictions were made as early as April, a considerable time from the start of the hurricane season, these forecasts used a more complex strategy that normal, incorporating several schemes from international weather offices to arrive at a more precise and accurate prediction.

Belize’s very own National Meteorological Service has also anticipated that hurricane season in the Atlantic basin, which includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico, will be more active than normal. The predictions have shown a greater probability for major hurricane activity both along the coast of the United State and within the Caribbean. Given the reliability of this information, the MET Office has taken to advise the Belizean population to take heed and prepare for the worst.

Cocaine shippedfrom Belize to London

Local authorities are trying to ascertain who shipped the container and as they do, two Albanian nationals, Mariglen Bajraktari, 20 and Romario Vukzaj, 23, have been charged in London. They were charged with possession and importation of a class A drug. They appeared in court on May 6 and were remanded to custody until June 3.

Geovanni Martinez is out on bail after being charged for obtaining property by deception. According to the victim Ms. Cardenas, in February of this year, she gave him the sum of $7,000 to purchase a vehicle. To date, she has received neither a vehicle nor her money in return. In court, Martinez appeared before Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser and pleaded not guilty. He was able to meet bail of $2,000 and is due back in court in July of this year.

Bail for obtainingproperty by deception

Geovanni Martinez

Cocaine shipped from Belize to London


Aries Mar 21 – Apr 19 How deep can you go, Aries?

That’s all you’re interested in when it comes to your love life this week. You want to reach for genuine intimacy in your partnership and it’s possible that someone you’re attached to will finally allow their wall to come crashing down so that you two can actually get somewhere. If you’re completely single, you might meet someone over the weekend while you’re trying to spend time alone.

Taurus Apr 20 – May 20 A Full Moon in your partnership

sector on Thursday has you fully engaged in emotions when it comes to your connection with someone close. This can be the lunar event that takes you from single to coupled if you have been casually dating someone but wanted more of a commitment. You could also become engaged or married -- but if things have not been going well in an established bond, then this may also spell splitsville for you both.

Gemini May 21 – Jun 20 If you are in a relationship, then

you’re likely to wonder just how much your relationship is either contributing to or detracting from your overall wellness. This goes for emotional as well as physical, Gemini. If you’re completely single, then it’s possible that you’ll feel emotionally drained from doing everything all by yourself all the time. Adulting is hard enough, but when everything is on one person, it can seem overwhelming.

Cancer Jun 21 – Jul 22 A Full Moon in your true love

sector on Thursday will pack quite a punch! Scorpio is the sign of depth and intensity, and Full Moons are known to heighten feelings. It stands to reason that you’re about to be on edge when it comes to how you feel about your current love life scenario. You might feel unhinged -- and even obsessive -- about getting what (or who) you want in love.

Leo Jul 23 – Aug 22 You might feel as if your family

is invading your personal space this week -- including your love life. If single, you might hear more than an earful about their desires for your future with someone. If this happens, remind your clan that you’re the one who gets to choose who and who not to date. If you’re in a relationship, then someone in your family might feel as if your partner is controlling you. The truth, Leo, is that this person may be upset that he or she doesn’t have more clout.

Virgo Aug 23 – Sep 22 There isn’t anything you’d like

to discuss more this week than topics centered on love. If single, you’re likely to have deeply enriching conversations with at least one person who you feel might have romantic potential. What will strike you the most about this person is that you’ll immediately know that getting to know him or her -- and potentially entering into a relationship -- will guarantee your personal growth and maturity. For that reason alone, it’s

worth exploring, Virgo.

Libra Sep 23 – Oct 22 If you’re single, Mars will tour

your romance sector for another week, making this a pivotal time to go out there and “get yours!” The object of your desire will likely be on the brainy -- or even quirky -- side. Don’t second-guess yourself if you find that you’re going for the brains in someone rather than any physical qualities. Attraction often begins in the mind, and you have all the potential for a totally out-of-this-world mental connection with someone that could one day lead to a physical one, Libra!

Scorpio Oct 23 – Nov 21

A Full Moon in your sign on Thursday will leave you emotionally open, raw, and completely hypersensitive about many things. You tend to have a difficult time forgiving any type of betrayal, and even if you make it seem as though you’ve moved on, the truth is you can sometimes harbor resentment and pain for years. If this tendency has taken a toll on your ability to engage in a healthy partnership, then perhaps this Full Moon is exactly what you need to let go.

Sagittarius Nov 22 – Dec 21 If you’re single, this could be

a week where you suddenly meet someone in your neighborhood. Mars is the ruler of your romance sector and he’ll spend a final week in the area of your chart connected to communication, short distance travel, and siblings or neighbors. A snap decision to sign up for a social networking site could also lead to an exciting love affair! If you’re in a relationship, then you can look forward to golden communication with your partner all week.

Your Horoscope Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 19 A tense falling out between you

and one of your friends might have dire consequences for your love life, Capricorn. It’s possible that in an act of spite, one of these friends will turn on you and reveal information you trusted him or her with that may damage your current romantic relationship. Another possibility is that a friend who has romantic feelings for you goes into a spiral after you honestly let him or her know that this will always be a friendship in your eyes. Ouch!

Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 18 If you’re single, you might find

out that someone in your family has been conspiring to secretly set you up with someone he or she believes would be a great fit for you. In fact, it’s actually for your benefit because your family member is doing his or her best to thoroughly vet this person before presenting the option to you. You’ll be pleasantly surprised! If you’re in a relationship, then your partner may lift you up and remind you to believe in your own talents in a quiet but effective way. It’ll work wonders!

Pisces Feb 19 – Mar 20 You’re ready to release your

expectations on so much, Pisces! Once you do this, you’ll somehow be free to enjoy a relationship (or any other life scenario) for what it is rather than what you wish it to be. This is crucial if you’ve been holding on to trying to get a person to love you the way you want to be loved -- or to be with you in the context that you’ve defined. Perhaps you’ll decide that it’s OK to be in this space between getting what you want and wanting what you have. And that might be the start of the most exquisite love affair of your life!


From Hon Dr. Angel Campos

Vol. 23 No. 19 Sunday, May 10, 2020pegassus.cds.com.bz/guardian/downloads/Guardian... · workers,...

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Transcript of Vol. 23 No. 19 Sunday, May 10, 2020pegassus.cds.com.bz/guardian/downloads/Guardian... · workers,...