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
Tonight, there's a new power configuration in Belmopan-after the Prime Minister announced Cabinet changes yesterday evening.
As we told you last night-the major change is that Julius Espat's interim tenure with the Ministry of Home Affairs is finished. That portfolio was handed to Michel Chebat, and the Ministry was also reconfigured to now include Defence-so it will once again revert to being the Ministry of National Security, all under Chebat's purview. The Prime Minister had held the Defence portfolio since early July after Minister Florencio Marin was placed on leave. Espat took over Home Affairs after its Minister, Oscar Mira, was also placed on leave.
So Chebat now emerges as a powerful Minister with the portfolios of National Security, Energy & Ports.
With that heavy portfolio, he will jump to the front of the Cabinet line, while the Cabinet also makes way for two new members. They were sworn in today:
It was a big day for Ramon "Monchie" Cervantes. The Orange Walk North representative, in his second term, finally got his first portfolio assignment-and he brought his mother and his wife to witness it.
After six years of bouncing around as a Minister of State-the man who was always a bridesmaid, never a bride-now did the political version of making it to the altar: he took his oath of office as a full Minister of Government-the Minister of Public Utilities, Logistics & Solid Waste Management.
Hon. Ramon Cervantes, Minister of Public Utilities, Logistics & Solid Waste Management "I, Ramon Cervantes, do swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Belize and will uphold the Constitution and the law."
Next was Osmond Martinez-his first full portfolio assignment after soaring into office in a 2024 by-election. Now in his first full term, he is the full Minister of Economic Transformation-a ministry in which he has already worked as Minister of State. He now takes over the ministry from the Prime Minister.
He kept his entourage simple and was brisk with it:
Dr. Hon. Osmond Martinez, Minister of Economic Transformation "I will uphold the Constitution and the law, and that I will conscientiously, impartially, and to the best of my ability, discharge my duties as minister and do right to all manner of people."
And so after three months and 12 days, Minister Julius Espat was basically jilted, even though he said he was willing to take on the massive task of managing Home Affairs.
When he took the position in June, he had big plans, and during his brief tenure, he made some changes. Courtney Menzies looks back on his time as Police Minister. Here is that story:
On June 22nd, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Home Affairs to Julius Espat's portfolio assignment. Though he had never been in law enforcement, he said he was a project manager, and this was a project with which he intended to hit the ground running.
Julius Espat, Minister of Home Affairs "We are in the arena, we made a decision and commitment to serve, and that comes with positive and that comes with negative. And if the leader of the country and the leader of the party believes that he needs assistance, then we are team players. And therefore, there is no way we can say no-well, we can say no, but I didn't."
And less than three months later, he tackled one of the police department's most chronic problems: the roof at the Raccoon Street Police Station. It was part of his orientation:
Julius Espat: "I've had to meet with all the units. Today at two I'm meeting... yesterday I met with MIU, today I'll meet with CIB. I'm meeting with all the units and I'm giving them an opportunity to express themselves. And I have the Commissioner there with me and all administrative staff so that they write down exactly what the complaints are. And so we have been doing this with all units."
Another significant change he made was ensuring the immediate transfer of his constituent Aaron Gamboa from the Special Patrol Unit:
Julius Espat: "But let's start with Mr. Gamboa, who I know personally. He is from Cayo South. He's retired, to start with. So it's not that we are dealing with an officer that is within the timeframe. He has been officially retired for, I think, six months now, if I'm not mistaken, and he was given an extension. But if you have to plan for the future, you have to be able to look at things and bring in new people. And so that's what we are doing. The Commissioner recommended that he be transferred to a position which is more administrative."
But there was only so much he could do, as he put it, because the PM put him in limbo:
Julius Espat: "...this limbo situation, and it's not healthy for anybody. A decision has to be made-you'll go, you'll stay, you'll go home, you'll whatever. But the limbo in management is the worst."
Jules Vasquez: "So should the Prime Minister make it clear what the future plan is? And would you be prepared to stay on as the Minister?"
Julius Espat: "If he believes that I am an asset in the Police Department, I would stay on."
But 102 days into a 90-day assignment, that limbo caused his interest in the job to start waning-and Espat spoke plainly about his indecisive Prime Minister:
Julius Espat: "I'm humbly requesting to the Prime Minister, make up your mind. Put a minister, any minister, bring him from Timbuktu if you want. But place somebody that you have trust in, that you can work with, that the people in Belize are comfortable with, that your police officers are comfortable with, and I will be 100% in support."
Jules Vasquez: "But you have said you are prepared to be that person."
Julius Espat: "That is waning. I'm not too sure."
Jules Vasquez: "What accounts for your waning?"
Julius Espat: "Uncertainty."
Jules Vasquez: "Limbo."
Julius Espat: "In limbo. I am a man, limbo drives me in a different direction."
And yesterday, the PM finally made his decision and sent Espat in a different direction, and the Home Affairs portfolio, which was amalgamated with the National Defence portfolio, will now belong to Michel Chebat.
The Prime Minister was careful to thank Espat-who can be volatile-and in a Facebook post, Espat made a graceful exit thanking the police officers. In their association chat, over 100 of them supported a petition to keep him as minister.
But that ship sailed yesterday evening. Now there's a new Minister, and it remains to be seen if he will continue to work with his Cayo colleague. Last week, Espat said even if he didn't remain as minister, he would still be willing to assist the department:
Julius Espat: "I have been meeting with all the units of the Belize Police Department. And in every meeting I've told them, I have given them the assurance that even if I am not the Minister of Home Affairs, MIDH will continue to support them in their needs. I can give you examples."
And the continuity in that work depends-to a fair extent-on the CEOs. On the face of it, Chebat now has three portfolios: National Defence, Home Affairs, Energy, and Ports.
That mega-portfolio incorporates three CEOs: Francis Usher at National Defence and Border Security, Elton Bennett at Home Affairs, and Dr. Leroy Almendarez at Public Utilities, Energy & Logistics.
Reports coming out of the CEO Caucus in Belmopan today indicated that Francis Usher will serve as CEO of National Security, while Elton Bennett transitions to Public Utilities and Solid Waste Management alongside Minister Ramon "Monchie" Cervantes.
Meanwhile, Leroy Almendarez will remain with Chebat to head Energy and Ports.
With these changes, Chebat would join the ranks of "super-ministers" alongside Francis Fonseca and Prime Minister John Briceño, who each have two CEOs assigned to manage their weighty portfolios.
Ambassador Alexis Rosado returned to the High Court in Belmopan today. He faces three indictments: rape, sexual assault, and aggravated assault arising from allegations made by a woman who claims the sexual abuse began when she was a minor and continued for years.
And today in court, some changes were made. Dickie Bradley is no longer Rosado's lead counsel, while Leeroy Banner remains.
It's a case that continues to take twists and turns, even though it has hardly gotten underway.
Jaleeza Roberts was there and gives updates:
Jaleeza Roberts, Reporter "Senior Diplomat Alexis Rosado returned to the Belmopan High Court today, where his often-delayed rape trial before Justice Nathalie Creary-Dixon was adjourned again. The case has now been scheduled to resume on October 16th."
"But that is pending the outcome of an application to stay the proceedings, which was filed by Rosado's attorney, that will be heard tomorrow in Belize City by another judge."
"And if successful, could result in one more delay for the trial, which was first scheduled to start in January of this year."
Notably, since the case started, the media has not been allowed in the Belmopan courtroom, which this newsroom views as a violation of the public's access to justice.
We hope for better tomorrow as the court case moves to Belize City tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. before Justice Sylvestre.
And from the High Court to the CCJ. Back in December, the Court of Appeal overturned attorney Oscar Selgado's conviction for abetment to murder. The DPP immediately filed an appeal to the CCJ, and today that hearing was held in St. Lucia.
In the arguments made before the CCJ, the fairness of the trial was considered.
Specifically, the court considered whether it was fair to allow the main witness, Giovanni Ramirez's statement to be admissible as evidence without him being cross-examined.
Here is a snippet of the DPP's arguments:
Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, Director of Public Prosecutions "It is not that there must be other evidence that precisely confirms the commission of the offense-it is the material with which the reliability of the statement can be assessed. If it is that the respondent and our witness were in a vehicle together and the solicitation was made, it would be very difficult for us, in the absence of recordings, to have evidence that is going to confirm that actual solicitation. But it is an assessment of the reliability of the statement to see whether or not the judge can accept this person as a truthful... and accept this evidence from this statement as being true and accurate. It need not be a confirmation of the words of the solicitation, but it is: 'Is this a statement I can rely on?'
"The law has recognized that the right to cross-examine the witnesses brought by the prosecution is not a right that is breached in every instance as a constitutional breach when a person does not come to court, but that person's statement is admitted into evidence. These provisions have developed from many years ago, and they have not been found to be unconstitutional once they have safeguards to ensure that there will not be any prejudice to the other side in terms of, as that phrase goes, 'unfairness' and putting him at a disadvantage.
"Your Honor has said this became a case that we had only a statement. That is not how it started off-we had a video recording of the making of that statement, we had recordings from him as to what happened in that vehicle, and they went missing. There was secondary evidence that was led of the evidence of Wilfredo Ferrufino and of the Commissioner, but the evidence of Wilfredo Ferrufino is that he heard on the recording a person who he recognized to be Selgado, whom he had known before that day."
And Selgado's attorney, Arthur Saldivar, was also present in St. Lucia. He explained that a person's right to cross-examination should not be waived so easily:
CCJ Judge: "...the mere fact that cross-examination is not possible, does that necessarily mean that the trial is unfair or that the admission of evidence is unfair?"
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Oscar Selgado "Yes, there is no... there is no carte blanche submission that admission of hearsay statement without cross-examination is unfair. What is being proposed and submitted is that where a witness who provides a hearsay statement and is utilizing the factor of fear for not coming to court, that all provisions should be made for alternative means of having that witness testify before having the admission of that statement be made."
CCJ Judge: "As I recall it, the suggestion was that Mr. Ramirez was in such fear, according to him, of his life that he was not going to be present physically or virtually-he was not willing to give any kind of evidence. And I think that was accepted by Justice Pilgrim, would you not say?"
Arthur Saldivar: "Well, Justice Pilgrim came to the conclusion that the issue of cross-examination or giving testimony by other means other than cross-examination was futile."
CCJ Judge: "Because of the alleged fear of Mr. Ramirez, not so?"
Arthur Saldivar: "Well, this is what certainly the judge has concluded, but the question is, in testing that, there still is a requirement to test whether or not that is a reasonable position for the witness to take."
"What the authorities say is when an accused person is responsible for causing the fear, then they waive their right to cross-examination. But before you can make that determination, you have to test it. You cannot just say, 'I believe what this man says'-that's a very dangerous precedent to make. It means that any witness in a criminal trial who does not want to come to court can say, 'The man threatened me,' and that's the end of it."
Tomorrow at the CCJ, the high-profile Belize cases continue, and judgments will be delivered for the BTB versus Karen Bevans case as well as the BTB vs. Misty Michael case.
A Belize City IT technician was denied bail on Monday for allegedly injuring two persons with a motor vehicle in the Belize City Magistrate's Court parking lot area.
The incident happened on September 28, when Jahshield Myles allegedly drove a motor vehicle intentionally toward two people in the court parking lot, striking and injuring Stephen Staine and Ashanti Lopez.
And on Monday, October 5th, 27-year-old Jahshield Myles was arraigned for four criminal offenses: use of deadly means of harm, grievous harm, wounding, and harm. He pleaded not guilty.
The police prosecutor strongly objected to bail, citing the severe nature of the offenses and the fact that the attack took place directly outside the court building.
Attorney Leeroy Banner argued for bail, stating that the accusations are unproven, Myles is the sole provider for his child, he would lose his livelihood if imprisoned, he is not a flight risk, and the state must prove intent.
Ultimately, he was denied bail and remanded until his next court date.
"A History of Belize in 13 Chapters"-it is a book 32 years in circulation, and most junior colleges and universities use it as the foundational text for teaching Belizean history.
On Friday, author Assad Shoman is launching the Sapphire Edition of that book. He was on Sunup on 7 this morning explaining what this new edition entails:
Assad Shoman "But I felt that two things. One, that, that a few things, a few subjects where a lot has been happening since 2011 needed to be aired, right? And those are four, four subjects basically."
"One is the environment. Which I know so little about that I asked Janelle Chanona to write that, right? Another one is on the economy."
"Ditto, I asked Victor Bulmer Thomas to write it, right? A professor of economics who has written on, on the economies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and..."
"And then on the Guatemalan claim and so on, which I wrote, of course. And then on human rights, which I got substantial assistance from Darinka and from Ardelle Sabido, who were both, and in her case, more with the Maya land rights claim. And in Ardelle's case, with the Equal Opportunities Bill situation."
"But then the main, one of the main reasons I wanted to write this thing is that I felt that there were a lot of facts and, and opinions and statements and history in the book that somehow was not getting through to people."
"After all these years, a lot of people still, like, you ask them certain questions and, and they, they don't seem to know what you're talking about."
"And I thought it was, it had to do with the way it was being read or the way it was being taught. Maybe it was too much. There was not enough guidance in terms of overarching ideas, like for example, colonialism. The concept of independence, the concept of, uh, exploitation that were not explained and clarified because I expected teachers to do that and so on. It wasn't being done right."
"So I wrote a thing called How to Read 13 Chapters. That's, that's the main part of it. So that's what it's about."
The Sapphire Edition will launch on Friday at the Angelus Press at 10:00 a.m.
World Mental Health Day is October 10th, and this evening the Ministry of Health and Wellness organized a walkathon to raise awareness and show support for mental health.
They had a large turnout at the ITVET compound, and here's what their mental health coordinator told us about the initiative:
Iveth Quintanilla, Mental Health Coordinator, Ministry of Health and Wellness "So in commemoration of World Mental Health Day, which will be celebrated on October 10th, we are having a walkathon here today. And the main purpose is for us to raise awareness when it comes to mental health. We know that in-country there is still a lot of stigma, there is still a lot of discrimination when we speak about mental health, and we just want for people to be aware that everyone has mental health. Some days it can be good, some days it can be bad, and when it is bad and we do not take care of our mental health, it can progress and sometimes it can be a disorder as well, which will then need treatment. So we want for the community to know that it is important for us to take care of our mental health, and services are available, and it is important for us to break the stigma and open the conversation when it comes to speaking about mental health.
"The invitation was open to different organizations, different stakeholders-it is open to everyone. Anybody who wants to participate, they are welcome today, and you know, it is, like I said, it is for us to bring that awareness in terms of mental health."
"We have clinics available in all the districts. The services are for free, the medications that are provided through our ministry, they are for free as well. So if anybody feels the need for support, if anybody is suffering from a mental health condition, they can access these services. And sometimes if you just need to talk to someone, the mental health team is there to provide that support."
Machel Montano drew the biggest crowd of the September Celebrations-but that was for the secular stage. Now, a pair of gospel headliners are aiming for that same massive turnout at this Saturday's Gospel Fest.
Samuel Medas and Blessed Messenger arrived in Belize this morning for the concert.
We met up with the two Caribbean gospel artists at the PGIA and asked them about their upcoming show.
It's Blessed Messenger's second time in Belize, while Samuel Medas will be performing for the first time in Belize. We asked them what they are looking forward to for Saturday's concert:
Samuel Medas, Gospel Artist "We are well, we are well and excited and happy to be here."
"I wish I could do the whole catalogue, me and the guys, because I came with my whole band-me and the guys. We spent some time over the past two days trying to put together the best of Samuel Medas, because unlike Blessed, I have never been to Belize. This is my very first time, but these Belize people have been in my inbox for years saying, 'You need to come, you need to come, you need to come.' So we are hoping to give you the best that we can offer-the best. And if you give us more time, we will probably give you all more songs, too."
Blessed Messenger, Gospel Artist "I am so glad to be here. I think this is my second time here in Belize. I am here with the Messenger Nation Band, and to just be here alongside Samuel and his band as well-so we just ready and pumped to get everything together."
The concert will happen at the Belize City Civic Center. Tickets are on sale for $15 for adults and $5 for high schoolers. Kids can attend for free.
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Tonight, there's a new power configuration in Belmopan-after the Prime Minister announced Cabinet changes yesterday evening.
After six years of bouncing around as a Minister of State-the man who was always a bridesmaid, never a bride-now did the political version of making it to the altar: he took his oath of office as a full Minister of Government-the Minister of Public Utilities, Logistics & Solid Waste Management.
Dr. Hon. Osmond Martinez, Minister of Economic Transformation
And so after three months and 12 days, Minister Julius Espat was basically jilted, even though he said he was willing to take on the massive task of managing Home Affairs.
And less than three months later, he tackled one of the police department's most chronic problems: the roof at the Raccoon Street Police Station. It was part of his orientation:
"But let's start with Mr. Gamboa, who I know personally. He is from Cayo South. He's retired, to start with. So it's not that we are dealing with an officer that is within the timeframe. He has been officially retired for, I think, six months now, if I'm not mistaken, and he was given an extension. But if you have to plan for the future, you have to be able to look at things and bring in new people. And so that's what we are doing. The Commissioner recommended that he be transferred to a position which is more administrative."
Julius Espat: 
Ambassador Alexis Rosado returned to the High Court in Belmopan today. He faces three indictments: rape, sexual assault, and aggravated assault arising from allegations made by a woman who claims the sexual abuse began when she was a minor and continued for years.
And from the High Court to the CCJ. Back in December, the Court of Appeal overturned attorney Oscar Selgado's conviction for abetment to murder. The DPP immediately filed an appeal to the CCJ, and today that hearing was held in St. Lucia.
"It is not that there must be other evidence that precisely confirms the commission of the offense-it is the material with which the reliability of the statement can be assessed. If it is that the respondent and our witness were in a vehicle together and the solicitation was made, it would be very difficult for us, in the absence of recordings, to have evidence that is going to confirm that actual solicitation. But it is an assessment of the reliability of the statement to see whether or not the judge can accept this person as a truthful... and accept this evidence from this statement as being true and accurate. It need not be a confirmation of the words of the solicitation, but it is: 'Is this a statement I can rely on?'
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Oscar Selgado
A Belize City IT technician was denied bail on Monday for allegedly injuring two persons with a motor vehicle in the Belize City Magistrate's Court parking lot area.
"But I felt that two things. One, that, that a few things, a few subjects where a lot has been happening since 2011 needed to be aired, right? And those are four, four subjects basically."
World Mental Health Day is October 10th, and this evening the Ministry of Health and Wellness organized a walkathon to raise awareness and show support for mental health.
Iveth Quintanilla, Mental Health Coordinator, Ministry of Health and Wellness
It's Blessed Messenger's second time in Belize, while Samuel Medas will be performing for the first time in Belize. We asked them what they are looking forward to for Saturday's concert:
"I am so glad to be here. I think this is my second time here in Belize. I am here with the Messenger Nation Band, and to just be here alongside Samuel and his band as well-so we just ready and pumped to get everything together."
