Important Note: This Internet version of 7 News is a verbatum
transcript of our evening television news script. Many interviews on our newscast
are conducted in Creole. In the interest of clarity for our foreign readers,
we attempt to paraphrase the Creole quotes in English
Last night, we told you about the midnight jump in the price of fuel - and today, the hard reality has settled in: the pump price of Regular and premium gas has broken the $13 dollar mark - and diesel fuel could be next.
This grim reality has left vehicle owners and businesses with serious gas pain - and we went to a couple gas stations today to find out how acute it is:
Last night, vehicle owners rushed to gas stations to try and fill up before the 10 percent increase on premium and regular gasoline. And while they realized some savings, today it was pure gas pain at the pump:
Consumer Honestly, I don't really know how we feel because due to the economic change due to the war that is happening in the Middle East, this is bound to happen, to be honest. So I don't know how if we feel."
"It's just basically we have to go with it, I guess, until they come up with a specific change."
Consumer "It's unbelievable. It's incredible that I don't know how the Belizean people get by with the amount of fuel cost along with everything else."
Consumer "Man, it's definitely a gas pain because cost of living is alreadt high and gas price going up $12, nearly $13, something like that. We can't do nothing about it. We just have to cope with it and hope that the price goes down back soon."
Consumer "It is a problem for us because we as taxi, If the gas price raises, we have raise our price and some customers say the price high."
"So we have to negotiate with them so they can ride."
Reporter "How do you feel about the gas prices?"
Consumer "I fell bad, because I know it raised two weeks ago and it raise again. And when Johnny won, he said he would drop the gas price and from he won everything is going up."
And while they're feeling gas pain, most accept that it's going to get worse.
Consumer "I would pray a lot, but the way how things are aligned right now, trust me, it may get worse."
"We just have to prepare ourselves as Belizeans, as a third world country, I should say, being affected by what is happening because it's worldwide."
Reporter "How this is affecting you personally, like how much money more you think you have to put in this car?"
Consumer "I am saving my money to get a bicycle." (laughing)
Consumer "It's very possible. Paying attention to the Middle East and all these conflict and things that will create this problem for us. So I think it's very possible."
"The man said, they're going to keep the strait closed. So if you keep strait close, the gas price might go at $250 US per barrel. So it will be higher. Very possible. I hope it don't, but you'll have to wait and see."
Reporter "What are the adjustments that you would have to make if you go up again?"
Consumer "Well, I'd probably have to ride my bicycle more and park this car because it's very difficult."
Consumer "Yeah, it's worse because of the war and so. Maybe in a week or two it will come back to normal, but until then we will pay the price for the gas because we have to run."
Reporter "And if it doesn't go down, what do you see happening with your business?"
Consumer "I will have less riders. They will use dollar van, because at the end of the day our prices has to change, because the price of gas is high."
Reporter "What will happen to this vehicle if the price goes up one more time?"
Consumer "I will have to stop drive and walk."
Consumer "I don't see it getting any better. I already spent about $200 bucks."
Reporter "And how much did you use to spend before the increase?"
Consumer "Years ago about $140."
Consumer "Gas price sent up too far."
Reporter "Are you expecting worse?"
Consumer "In terms of expecting worse, it's the politician who owns vehicles. I do not own a vehicle. But at the same time, I am taking my time."
For now, the conflict in the middle east continues to choke world oil supplies and, locally, the pressure of choosing between comfort and affordability continues. Jaleeza Roberts, 7 News.
And, as we told you last night: Premium fuel increased from $12.53 to $13.76 which is an increase of $1.23 per gallon and Regular saw an increase from $11.77 to 13.02 which is $1.25 per gallon. Again, those are prices in the city; it is higher out district. In Punta Gorda, for example, a gallon of premium fuel is at $13.98, just about 14 dollars even.
But how much of that is taxes? Well, Jules Vasquez has an analysis of last year's tax take - and it was consistently high - which - when we looked into our archives - puts the Prime Minister in a delicate spot:
When premium and regular gas broke the 13 dollar mark at midnight - it sent a shock across the economy and had vehicle owners lining up at fuel pumps late last night.
It's a direct consequence of the conflict in Iran which has caused a massive spike across global energy markets.
And in Belize, the 10% increase has made it clear that government will not decrease its tax take to give consumers a break.
An analysis of last year's 44 fuel price adjustments shows that on average, government's tax take on regular fuel was 41%, on premium it was 45% - and on diesel it was 38%.
Government took its biggest bite from the pump price in December - when world oil prices were the lowest in a decade. That peaked at 48% on premium gas on December 30th, and 44% on regular gas on the same date.
And in February and March of 2025, the world price of fuel and the landed cost dropped by 24 cents. But did the savings go to consumers? No, instead the government raised its tax take by 24 cents to keep the price locked at $11.68 per gallon - while the windfall went to the government purse.
We don't have the formula yet for the latest sharp increase in pump price - but we know that it puts the Prime Minister John Briceno in a difficult position - since in 2017 and 2018, he publicly campaigned for lower gas prices:
File: October 5, 2017
Hon. John Briceno - Protester "The government is overtaxing the Belizean people on fuel."
Briceno was opposition leader then and he even joined a public protest against the high cost of fuel:
File: October 5, 2017
Hon. John Briceno - Protester "We are here as citizens of this country. A call was made out inviting all citizens to come out to speak out or to show displeasure to the government of Belize over the high cost of fuel."
"We felt that it is important for us to show as a citizen that we are totally and completely 100% dissatisfied in the high cost of fuel."
And he had stern advice for then PM Dean Barrow:
File: October 5, 2017
Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition "He needs to reduce the tax by at least $2 so that we can keep the price of fuel under $10."
"This is unsustainable; this is unacceptable because the burden that he is putting on the Belizean people is just way too much. We are at a breaking point."
Well, we are right back there - at that time the price per gallon was hovering at around $11.00, it is now at $13.00.
And, those feeling gas pain would ask Briceno, "politician, listen to thyself."
File: June 6, 2018
Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition "The cost of basic goods continues to rise due to the increase in the cost of fuel. With each new shipment comes another increase and the prime minister keeps collecting - or should I say he keeps sucking more and more from our pockets in taxes on fuel."
"Government can and should immediately reduce the tax on all fuel. How can our productive sector grow when an important cost of production; fuel, continues to rise?"
The pump price of diesel is expected to go up soon - possibly with the next shipment of fuel.
Tonight, police have charged 21 year old Luewin Link for the murder of Clinton Pou and the Attempted Murder of Kiandra Pou.
27-year old Clinton was the target in a violent shooting on East Collet Canal yesterday morning where as many as 30 shots were fired from what is believed to be an assault rifle wielded by a gunman on the back of a motorcycle. The SPU was in the area and set chase immediately. They shot the alleged gunman, 40 year old Ryan Barnett off the back of the scooter. Both he and Pou died of their injuries shortly after at the KHMH. The man who they believed drove the motorcycle, jumped into the Haulover Creek and escaped. But, later on, Lewis Link was found inside a parked bus - and he is detained tonight pending charges.
And despite efforts to dive up the assault rifle in the Haulover Creek, police have been unable to recover it.
Former police corporal turned alleged killer Elmer Nah is three months away from hearing the verdict in his triple murder trial.
Oral submissions or closing arguments were made this morning in the trial of 40 year old Nah who is accused of killing John, David, and Vivian Ramnarace on December 31, 2020 in Belmopan.
Nah is represented by Dr Lyndon Jones and the crown by special prosecutor from Jamaica, Terrence Williams.
Dr Jones gave a 16 minute oral submission, asking the court to return a not guilty verdict for his client. Jones explained that the crown has only proven that a terrible crime occurred and not that Nah committed it.
Dr Jones questioned the credibility of the witnesses and of Vivian Ramnarace's statement she gave prior to her death.
The prosecutor, Williams, gave a 20 minute oral submission in which he stated that her identification of the shooter cannot be deemed as fleeting. He added that he believed the defendant gave different versions of the story.
Williams appeared virtually while Nah and his attorney appeared in person before Justice Nigel Pilgrim.
Chicken is one of the most affordable forms of protein in the daily diet of many Belizeans, and tonight the price has increased by 6 cents per pound, or $3 per 50 pound crate.
Since the price hike, food vendors have warned that the increased overhead will force an immediate adjustment to prices per plate.
Today, Jaleeza Roberts got both sides of the story today and filed this report:
The per pound price of chicken has gone up. And while it seemed like it happened overnight, the Manager of the Belize Poultry Association explains that this has been in the pipeline for about 6 months.
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association "The last price increase that we had on our products was like 5 years ago so it's not like we're trying to recover anything from the prices that are swirling around us right now, we're simply following our strategy that we have in place that we try not to increase prices like sporadically but plan according to how the production costs swirl around us."
"It has been thought out for the last 6 months or so we are looking at it and we decided that early this year it would be implemented."
And the reasoning behind the increase? The farmers need to get that return on investment:
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association "Stakeholder are our farmers, our farmers need to make money, they need to make more money I mean it's not like they are making a, a lot of money out of it I mean the profit margin for our farmers is very very small and they are a diversified group of farmers so they don't really depend on just one industry for their income, and that is why we are able to move along the way we do."
"That's the reason for the price increase, it has to do with so that the farmers can recover their cost of production as well, you know. The wholesale price went up by 6 cents and the, I know the retailers had already put `an increase before our increase."
And the increase will inevitably be passed on to the price of a plate of food. City eateries told us that a price increase is inevitable as the poultry is simply joining the list of all other things that have seen an increase.
Samantha Smith, Chef Shannon's Kitchen "It will impact drastically, everything is a ripple effect, cause the gas at the pump went up last night you know transportation and everything is increasing so when it comes to small business owners like myself and others we have to do a little raise nuh."
"We just have to continue to keep the food nice, have the correct ingredients everytime, consistent ingredients and maybe we could just take off a little piece of the chicken you know because the chicken went up and so if you does used to get 3 pieces, it's to pieces. We could work out something and let the price remains the same but you know some people is a big eater and you know so it's their choice when it comes to that if you want a, the same plate or raised price."
"Chicken is the cheapest meat on a whole that people can afford, increase on chicken I don't know and also households, sometimes people have a lot of kids and even neck and back increased, everything increased."
Sarah Beck, Tony's BBQ "The price increase of everything is affecting our business and now just today out of the blue, yesterday we ordered chicken and nobody told us that we had an increase with chicken delivery this morning we got the bill it was increased and I was like so upset, I was like you guys can't just do this because it affects us, our prices can't just, our customer comes here and says guess what the price changed today you know, then we won't sell anything."
"It's going to affect us a lot because we're barely making a profit as it is right now."
Reporter "What are the options that you have on the table right now being that you'll need to adjust to this type of change?"
Sarah Beck, Tony's BBQ "If things keep on going up like it is, Tony's will probably close its doors just like a lot of other business."
But Cowo is striking back by saying their increase is unjustified and per crate of chicken, a $3 increase should never cause an increase on a meal.
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association "They have always said that and it won't, that's the biggest mis-statement that they can make. Because let's look at it, you buy a whole chicken, okay, let's say you are paying what SIB says, $3.25 a pound retail, we increase it by 6 cents, if the retailer adds that 6 cents to the consumer that would make it what 3.31 per pound. When you go to a restaurant, how much do you pay for a plate of food?"
Reporter "Between 10 to 15 dollars, rice and beans, basic food."
Armando Cowo, Manager - Belize Poultry Association "Exactly, so how 6 cents will move that needle? Because you don't get a pound of chicken in your rice and beans, but they have always used that excuse because the last time we did the price increase by 5 cents we got the same backlash that oh, I have the increase the price of my food, I have to increase the price of Tacos, I can't sell tacos 3 fi dollar again, I will sell it 2 fi dollar, come on, come on."
A dispute between suppliers and businesses - when ultimately consumers will have to pay.
A former deep-sea treasure hunter at the center of one of the world's most famous shipwreck discoveries has been released from prison, but hundreds of gold coins reportedly tied to a trust in Belize remain missing.
Tommy Thompson, the scientist who located the historic shipwreck "SS Central America", was released from prison last week after spending nearly a decade behind bars.
Thompson became internationally famous in 1988 after discovering the wreck of the steamship, often referred to as the "Ship of Gold," which sank in 1857 during a hurricane while transporting treasure.
The disaster claimed the lives of more than 400 people and resulted in thousands of pounds of gold being lost at sea.
The discovery of the wreck was hailed as one of the greatest deep-sea recoveries in history, with treasure valued at tens of millions of dollars eventually brought to the surface. However, the story later turned into a prolonged legal battle. Investors who funded Thompson's expedition sued him in 2005, claiming they had not received their share of profits from the sale of recovered gold bars and coins, which reportedly generated more than $50 million.
Thompson claimed he turned 500 missing coins over to a trustee in Belize around 2009, and has repeatedly said he has no clue where they are now.
And now, even with his release, the fate of those 500 gold coins allegedly linked to a Belize trust remains unresolved.
The PUC has moved to strip BTL of its ability to independently adjust prices, effectively locking the company's rates for the next 33 months.
In a major regulatory intervention following its declaration of BTL as a "dominant operator," the Commission yesterday announced the implementation of the Belize Telecommunications (Transitional Tariff Freezing) Regulations, 2026. Under the new rules, which are already in effect, BTL is prohibited from raising or altering its service rates through December 31, 2028. The freeze covers a number of areas including bundle services.
This "transitional tariff freeze" is a direct consequence of the PUC's March 10 determination that BTL holds market dominance in nearly every sector of the Belizean telecommunications landscape.
So, what does it mean for the possible acquisition of Speednet? Well, that part is still unclear but the regulations are effective immediately and BTL must now operate within a fixed revenue ceiling for the next three years.
The Bar Association of Belize has a new president following its Annual General Meeting this week. Attorney Jose Alpuche will serve as President, while former president William Lindo has now been elected Vice President. The position of Treasurer will be held by Darinka Munoz, and Kimberly Wallace will serve as Secretary. Three additional members were elected to the Executive Committee. They are Senior Counsel E. Andrew Marshalleck, Estevan Perera, and Immanuel Williams.
This past week has seen many different reef-related activities. Reef Week this year focused on "connecting communities and empowering youths," as the theme states. As the week comes to a close, the Reef Fair was held today in Belize City. Courtney Menzies was there and has this story.
The Belize National Fire Service received an assortment of equipment today from the U.S. Embassy. The Embassy donated handheld radios, oxygen tanks, Hurst rescue tools, cutting saws, portable pumps, and full firefighting gear in an effort to enhance the operational readiness of firefighters and improve their ability to respond effectively to emergencies and to safeguard lives.
It's an art exhibition featuring women, curated by women and examining how they "balance the scales" in their lives. The Institute Of Creative Arts is holding its launch for the Women In Art exhibition 2026 tonight at the Bliss Centre.
We stopped in today to get a sneak peak of the set up. Jomarie Lanza has this story.
The opening began at 7:00 and the exhibition will remain open for a month. It features poetry from Channel 7's Jomarie Lanza and a short story by Courtney Menzies.
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Last night, we told you about the midnight jump in the price of fuel - and today, the hard reality has settled in: the pump price of Regular and premium gas has broken the $13 dollar mark - and diesel fuel could be next.
Honestly, I don't really know how we feel because due to the economic change due to the war that is happening in the Middle East, this is bound to happen, to be honest. So I don't know how if we feel."
"It's unbelievable. It's incredible that I don't know how the Belizean people get by with the amount of fuel cost along with everything else."
"I fell bad, because I know it raised two weeks ago and it raise again. And when Johnny won, he said he would drop the gas price and from he won everything is going up."
Consumer
And, as we told you last night: Premium fuel increased from $12.53 to $13.76 which is an increase of $1.23 per gallon and Regular saw an increase from $11.77 to 13.02 which is $1.25 per gallon. Again, those are prices in the city; it is higher out district. In Punta Gorda, for example, a gallon of premium fuel is at $13.98, just about 14 dollars even.
"The government is overtaxing the Belizean people on fuel."
"The cost of basic goods continues to rise due to the increase in the cost of fuel. With each new shipment comes another increase and the prime minister keeps collecting - or should I say he keeps sucking more and more from our pockets in taxes on fuel."
Tonight, police have charged 21 year old Luewin Link for the murder of Clinton Pou and the Attempted Murder of Kiandra Pou.
Former police corporal turned alleged killer Elmer Nah is three months away from hearing the verdict in his triple murder trial.
Chicken is one of the most affordable forms of protein in the daily diet of many Belizeans, and tonight the price has increased by 6 cents per pound, or $3 per 50 pound crate.
"The last price increase that we had on our products was like 5 years ago so it's not like we're trying to recover anything from the prices that are swirling around us right now, we're simply following our strategy that we have in place that we try not to increase prices like sporadically but plan according to how the production costs swirl around us."
Samantha Smith, Chef Shannon's Kitchen 
"The price increase of everything is affecting our business and now just today out of the blue, yesterday we ordered chicken and nobody told us that we had an increase with chicken delivery this morning we got the bill it was increased and I was like so upset, I was like you guys can't just do this because it affects us, our prices can't just, our customer comes here and says guess what the price changed today you know, then we won't sell anything."
A former deep-sea treasure hunter at the center of one of the world's most famous shipwreck discoveries has been released from prison, but hundreds of gold coins reportedly tied to a trust in Belize remain missing.
The PUC has moved to strip BTL of its ability to independently adjust prices, effectively locking the company's rates for the next 33 months.
In a major regulatory intervention following its declaration of BTL as a "dominant operator," the Commission yesterday announced the implementation of the Belize Telecommunications (Transitional Tariff Freezing) Regulations, 2026. Under the new rules, which are already in effect, BTL is prohibited from raising or altering its service rates through December 31, 2028. The freeze covers a number of areas including bundle services.
The Bar Association of Belize has a new president following its Annual General Meeting this week. Attorney Jose Alpuche will serve as President, while former president William Lindo has now been elected Vice President. The position of Treasurer will be held by Darinka Munoz, and Kimberly Wallace will serve as Secretary. Three additional members were elected to the Executive Committee. They are Senior Counsel E. Andrew Marshalleck, Estevan Perera, and Immanuel Williams.
The Belize National Fire Service received an assortment of equipment today from the U.S. Embassy. The Embassy donated handheld radios, oxygen tanks, Hurst rescue tools, cutting saws, portable pumps, and full firefighting gear in an effort to enhance the operational readiness of firefighters and improve their ability to respond effectively to emergencies and to safeguard lives.
