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
BTL voted yesterday to acquire Speednet after months of controversy, corporate wrangling, and political intrigues.
So, what happens next? Well, BTL plans to execute a share purchase agreement. That transaction carries an eighty-million-dollar price tag, benefiting primary stakeholders: the Ashcroft Alliance and the Briceño family.
But, politically, the ground is still shaky as the social partners and the opposition are looking to form a unified bloc against the sale. But will they get any support from PUP Ministers who have not publicly supported the deal?
Senior Minister Francis Fonseca is one of them; he publicly said in January that he did not support the acquisition of Speednet at that time and added that he supports competition in the marketplace.
But, in the 7 months since, and through many twists and turns, the deal has been sealed-despite political protest and public misgivings.
So what is Fonseca's position now? We asked him this morning:
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education "Yeah, what I know so far is just what has been reported in the media. I expect that at our next Cabinet meeting we will receive a briefing on the matter, so I will reserve my public comments until we have received a briefing on the matter. Obviously, there are legitimate concerns and questions that remain, and my expectation is that as a government we will respond appropriately and respectfully to those concerns and questions that have been raised."
"I have no official information except what has been reported. When we get a proper briefing in Cabinet, then I will be able to respond to those questions, but I will reserve any further public comments until I get proper information in Cabinet."
Cabinet met yesterday, but apparently the matter was not tabled.
And while the government can take its leisurely time to have a Cabinet review, alliances opposed to the acquisition-both its audacity and what some see as its absurdity-are taking shape. The opposition and the social partners are reported to have met-and the Chamber was scheduled to meet with those partners today.
So, with the decision by a BTL board supermajority appointed by the Prime Minister deciding on an acquisition that will net his family 18 million dollars-and creating a telecoms monopoly-has the government crossed a tipping point with the public?
The press asked Fonseca just that today:
Reporter: "Do you think the public is at a breaking point though with the issue? Split payment scandal as well and wanting to take to the streets as result of the BTL-"
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education "Yeah, no I don't think the public is at a breaking point, I recognize the concerns I think there are legitimate concerns and questions as I said the government has a responsibility to respond to those in a respectful way and I'm sure that, that is what we will do."
The Belize Chamber of Commerce made their position on the Speednet acquisition known yesterday when they signed onto a joint release stating their disapproval. Like the other social partner groups, they don't believe that sufficient consultation was done and that enough information has been disclosed.
Today BCCI's president amplified that, explaining that they see this as a "seller-driven" deal and feel that BTL should have instead invested that money into its own company. Here's how he put it:
Giacomo Sanchez, President, BCCI "As you will appreciate, the BCCI isn't against any type of merger in business and interfering with private matters. But this is significantly of a public nature given that the government has a great deal of interest and of course Social Security's participation as an equity holder in BTL and if you look at the over the past few months the issue came up and we addressed it at the time and then there were consultations. Coming out of consultations, we were still not satisfied that we were getting value for money. We're still not satisfied that the regulatory environment is there to give any comfort to consumer post acquisition by BTL of this Smart/Speednet enterprise."
"We should have put in the proper legislative safeguard and guard rails and then we can see the proceeding of a fluid transaction, however there was a rush and I honestly don't know why there was a rush in concluding because to me it was more a seller driven transaction rather than a buyer driven transaction which is not good for the people of Belize."
"I would have preferred, or at least if I was in their shoe, to spend the $80 million on improving BTL's infrastructure, particularly in the area of cloud environment. That to me, that's where some money can be made for BTL going forward. Hence, I just don't see the logic behind it."
And while the proposed acquisition has to get approval from the PUC first-at least in theory-Sanchez believes that it's essentially a done deal. He seemed to have little faith in the Telecoms Act and in the wider private sector's willingness to fight against it.
Giacomo Sanchez, President, BCCI "The transaction essentially is a foregone conclusion because that vote yesterday essentially tells everyone that this deal is going through one way or another. And from a PUC standpoint, it's just a matter of timing before they give some sort of indication that it would have been approved."
Courtney Menzies: "So you don't trust that the PUC is particularly acting in the best interest of the public?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "I think until we hear from the PUC I think I'd be reserved to make a comment on that."
Reporter: "So do you consider it a done deal?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "From BTL's standpoint, yes, it's a done deal. I don't think this will go back or be reversed, it's just the nature of things."
Reporter: "The PUC has to approve otherwise BTL and Speednet will be in contravention of the Telecoms Act."
Giacomo Sanchez: "Well, the honest truth is that there may be some legal maneuvering to circumvent that, so I mean that's just the reality of how things happen and I can see that happening. Outside of that, there's not much as an interested public that we can do."
Reporter: "What is the Chamber prepared to do? Well, other sectors of the public, the unions, are also opposed as is the Opposition at this time and they may take to the streets, what can the Chamber do?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "We would love to be in that position where we just are out there and in the faces of, opposing the transactions. Unfortunately, that's not the nature of how our constituency operates, so we still need to go back to our constituency to get a feel for their feeling because oftentimes when you're dealing with public funds, it's so far removed from our own individual pockets that people kinda lose interest."
The PUC issued a press release today stating that they understand the views being expressed and are committed to remaining impartial and acting in accordance with the law. They added that, quote, "The Commission's evaluation on the matter will include critical considerations that include but are not limited to consumer protection, service continuity, quality of service commitments, transitional arrangements, and market transparency and fairness." End quote.
And as we showed you yesterday, the UDP and 3 of the 4 independent senators staged a walkout during the Senate meeting. This includes the business senator, Kevin Herrera. We asked Sanchez what he thought about it.
Giacomo Sanchez, President, BCCI "I think it was one of those responses that had to be addressed on the fly because I mean you had some serious business being undertaken by the Senate and a walkout strikes to the heart of the opposition that we currently have in terms of this overall transaction."
Reporter: "It was done ahead of a vote on the OSH bill, do you weigh one against the other in terms of importance?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "I think because of the gravity of the BTL acquisition, it ranks a little higher in priority in terms of importance, at least at this point. The OSH bill has been along for so long I think we've been on pause for a while so we can pick up the pieces on that and ensure we get a good piece of legislation coming out of it."
And what does the PUP Senior Minister think of the walkout-which was a first for independent senators? Those watching on the livestream couldn't see it when the President suspended the sitting, but Fonseca called it an act of democracy, something we should respect and celebrate.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education "It's democracy at work. I think we should all celebrate that, you know, there is nothing wrong with that, they decided that they wanted to take that action at that time, so you know, there is nothing wrong with that. I'm sure they will follow up with explaining why they took that action, so it is democracy at work and I think all Belizeans should celebrate the fact that we live in a strong democracy where we have different opinions about serious issues facing our country, so we should respect that and celebrate it."
And so now, the social partners are unified in opposition to the acquisition-but they question how and why it was done.
But there also seems to be a betrayal of a political commitment to the public regarding widespread consultation about the national telecom, BTL. Jules Vasquez looked at that:
February 15, 2026
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "Listen, I will not lie to you, when the Prime Minister, when it was announced that the Prime Minister pressed the pause button on the acquisition, me mi happy, happy, happy, happy, happy. You all tell the truth? You all wasn't happy too? Tell the truth, man!"
"The pause, that's PUP at its best. What was happening before? We don't know what is that. That is not PUP. The pause is PUP at its best. Because what the pause allows us to do now is to make sure that there is real, genuine consultation with the people of Belize on this issue, so that the technical people from BTL can go all across this country, go to the schools, go to UB, go to the community centers, all across the country, and talk to our people in a cordial way, in an honest way, in an open way, in a friendly way, and take their time doing it with no gun to nobody head."
But was there such consultation? If it happened, it surely escaped the attention or notice of our newsroom-and we don't see it on Digi's Facebook page. All the consultation meetings they posted were with high-level parties-and all of them before Hyde's mid-February speech.
February 15, 2026
Cordel Hyde, Deputy PM "Take their time, one consultation at a time, and if after a couple of months of consultations the people aren't with it, then BTL will have to take a chill pill, you know. They will have to take a chill pill, they will have to shelf it, because, ultimately, it's the people of Belize who owns the company. It's not Mr. Lizarraga, it's not the board of BTL, it's the people of Belize."
In the end, that populist spin didn't count for much though-that chill pill lasted for about 6 months.
5 days ago on July 31, Chairman Mark Lizarraga told the NTUCB in a letter, quote, "Belize Telemedia Limited ("BTL") confirms that stakeholder consultations were undertaken in relation to the proposed transaction..."
He adds, quote, "responsibility for this matter now rests with the Public Utilities Commission ("PUC"). Accordingly, BTL will continue to respect and participate in the applicable regulatory process and will abide by any determinations made by the PUC."
But four days later, Lizarraga's board took a vote on the acquisition-without any PUC approval, and they voted 8-2 in favor.
A press release announcing the long-delayed vote makes scarce mention of the PUC and any regulatory constraints; it simply says that the only thing pending now is "the satisfactory completion of continued due diligence and the negotiation of appropriate representations, warranties and other contractual protections for BTL as the buyer. Once negotiations advance to the definitive agreement stage, the Share Purchase Agreement will be submitted to the Board for separate review and final approval before execution."
And while the PUC put out a feeble and toothless release today saying "Accordingly, the Commission is unable to comment on the public discussion on the proposed transaction or indicate a likely outcome before completing its review. The Decision will constitute the PUC's official position on this matter."
This accountant and business leader says essentially the BTL board's announcement is the PUC's decision:
Giacomo Sanchez, President, BCCI "The transaction essentially is a foregone conclusion because that vote yesterday essentially tells everyone that this deal is going through one way or another. And from a PUC standpoint, it's just a matter of timing before they give some sort of indication that it would have been approved."
Courtney Menzies: "So you don't trust that the PUC is particularly acting in the best interest of the public?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "I think until we hear from the PUC I think I'd be reserved to make a comment on that."
Reporter: "So do you consider it a done deal?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "From BTL's standpoint, yes, it's a done deal. I don't think this will go back or be reversed, it's just the nature of things."
Reporter: "The PUC has to approve otherwise BTL and Speednet will be in contravention of the Telecoms Act."
Giacomo Sanchez: "Well, the honest truth is that there may be some legal maneuvering to circumvent that, so I mean that's just the reality of how things happen and I can see that happening. Outside of that, there's not much as an interested public that we can do."
Reporter: "What is the Chamber prepared to do? Well, other sectors of the public, the unions, are also opposed as is the Opposition at this time and they may take to the streets, what can the Chamber do?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "We would love to be in that position where we just are out there and in the faces of, opposing the transactions. Unfortunately, that's not the nature of how our constituency operates, so we still need to go back to our constituency to get a feel for their feeling because oftentimes when you're dealing with public funds, it's so far removed from our own individual pockets that people kinda lose interest."
And if this deal is indeed in contravention of the Telecoms Act, will the public push back? Chamber President Sanchez isn't hopeful.
Jules Vasquez "If it's against explicit statements in the explicit provisions, forgive me, if it is against explicit provisions of the Telecoms Act and it defies all commercial logic and it defies the public interest creating a monopoly, how then should the public proceed if a lawless transaction is about to happen, a lawless and senseless, let's say, is about to happen in front of our eyes? What should the public do?"
Giacomo Sanchez, President, BCCI "Well, the public should push back.However, there's only a few people in the know that will feel the way we feel. However, I mean, just about 90% of Belizeans could care less."
"That's just the nature of how business works in Belize, especially when it comes to complicated matters of legality and regulations."
The fish kill affecting communities along the Belize River Valley continues tonight-it is puzzling environmentalists and troubling residents.
Today our news team traveled miles of the river to witness the environmental impact firsthand.
While dead fish remain visible in several areas, one location in particular raised serious concerns. Our team visited Labour Creek, a waterway connected to a network of canals leading toward Santander Sugar.
Unlike the main Belize River, the creek appeared significantly darker in color, with noticeable algae buildup and a muddy, sludge-like substance coating portions of the water.
While there is currently no official confirmation linking the creek's condition to the ongoing fish kill, the observations raise important environmental questions as the investigation continues. Information obtained by our newsroom from sources familiar with the matter suggests investigators are examining whether an organic discharge may have entered the river system, reducing dissolved oxygen levels and contributing to the fish mortality.
But that is just a theory. The Department of the Environment is investigating and is expected to release its findings once finished.
But while they investigate, the fish are dying. We spoke with Conway Young, representative from the Community Baboon Sanctuary in Bermudian Landing. He said many persons in those communities rely on this river:
Conway Young, Representative - Community Baboon Sanctuary "So I don't think anyone has seen the amount that we've seen on the Belize River. So that's definitely concerning and alarming."
Reporter "When it comes to the species of fish, what are you all observing?"
Conway Young "Um, from the pictures that we've seen, um, a, a variety of catfish. Uh, we call them river lobster as well. So, so, um, we've seen crabs. We've seen freshwater snooks. Um, those are the one that I've seen that I, that I can identify."
Reporter "How do the persons of the Belize River Valley benefit off of the Belize River? What are some ways?"
Conway Young "Um, a lot of people still do subsistence fishing. Um, and so they're relying on that. And then more importantly as well too, that most of the small cattle ranches depend on the river to access water for their livestock."
"Um, so that's the other major ways that, that people rely on the river."
Reporter "When it comes to what the authorities have done, um, have they warned you all as yet?"
"Have they had any discussion with community leaders about what is going on?"
Conway Young "I don't know the extent of the, of the information that, that they've shared, but what we know is that they did, did come out with a team. They did some samples, and they said that they will get back to us. Um, but to date, I, um, I haven't heard anything back from them as yet, so we're still waiting."
And while the community suffers, Belize City's running water and drinking water supply could be affected. Both Bowen & Bowen's Crystal water plant and the BWSL water treatment plant at Double Run are downriver from the contaminated area.
In a statement to our newsroom, Bowen & Bowen said it is aware of the reported fish kill and has intensified monitoring of its water treatment and quality assurance systems. According to the company, continuous testing indicates its operations remain within its strict quality standards, and it is maintaining communication with Belize Water Services Limited while monitoring conditions.
Belize Water Services also confirmed it has activated its Emergency Response Plan. The utility said it has been monitoring reported water quality concerns in villages along the river and has detected minor changes, primarily involving dissolved oxygen levels. BWSL stated that these changes have not affected production at its Double Run Water Treatment Facility and that its teams are conducting hourly water quality tests while continuously monitoring key parameters to ensure the safety of the public water supply.
We have reached out to Santander but as of news time we have gotten no response.
He stands accused of one of the most brazen homicides in recent memory-opening fire on a driver navigating Albert Street on a busy Saturday morning, with small children inside the vehicle.
Kiffer McKenzie's alleged killer was arraigned in court today on one count of murder. 24-year-old Lennox Gentle was unrepresented in court and due to the nature of the offense, no plea was taken and he was remanded to prison. He will be back in court on October 1st.
Jimmy Rojas has been charged with two counts of damage to property after police say he was caught on surveillance footage vandalizing several police surveillance cameras in Belize City. According to police, during a routine inspection of the Belize Police Department's camera system on Monday, August 3, Police Constable Angel Baeza of the Public Safety Monitoring Unit discovered that four surveillance cameras at the corner of Croton Lane and Tibruce Street and three cameras at the corner of Flamboyant and Lavender Street were not functioning. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage, which allegedly showed Rojas climbing the camera poles during the early hours of Saturday, August 1, and using a knife to break them. He wore a hood and a mask while doing it. Rojas was detained yesterday and has since been formally charged with two counts of damage to property. He pleaded not guilty to the damage to property but he was previously involved in a burglary of a school which caused the bail to be revoked. He has since been remanded to the Belize Central Prison and will return to court on September 14.
Two robbers were shot today during an armed robbery on Mahogany Street, as the assailants tried to flee. It occurred around 1:00 in the afternoon while a salesperson was inside a parked delivery truck. He was approached by two men who demanded that he hand over the sales proceeds. He complied with them before pulling out his own weapon and firing at them. The men-whose names have not been released because they have not been charged-are currently under police guard as they receive treatment at the KHMH.
Earlier in the news, you heard from the Chamber of Commerce President. He and other members of the executive team held a media roundtable to discuss the Chamber's position on procurement reform. This follows the questionable procurement practices at the Ministry of Defense and the audit that is currently ongoing. The BCCI has provided GOB recommendations on how it can optimize its procurement system. But is the government willing to give it a try?
Courtney Menzies was at the session today and has this story.
On June 29th, following the announcement of the audit currently being conducted on the Ministry of Defense, the BCCI wrote a letter to the Prime Minister with recommendations on reforming the government's payment and procurement processes. These recommendations were established on the basis of greater transparency, accountability, and oversight.
The suggestions included ensuring that tenders and contract awards were publicized, and strengthening the financial resources and independence of the Auditor General and Accountant General's offices.
The BCCI pointed out that GOB's public financial management framework is currently outdated and the last Auditor General's annual report was in 2017. Even so, the reports available point to many irregularities.
Moreover, the BCCI also suggested enhancing the Smart Stream platform with an integrated monitoring system to flag irregularities as well as ensure that there is an independent approval system.
And while these recommendations appear excellent on paper, is the government willing to implement them? BCCI's president explained that it's an ongoing struggle.
Giacomo Sanchez, President, BCCI "It's an ever and ongoing struggle in that the frustrations that we as an advocacy organization the frustrations that we are faced with has to do with every time there's a new legislation and the legislation falls short of having something in there to make people accountable in the event that what the legislation sets out to accomplish isn't accomplished, that is where we fall short. So that is an ongoing frustration. And it's just a constant fight. Government is always looking at the Chamber as adversarial and each government that has come for the past 15, 20 years and that's not the case, it's just that we want better governance."
Jules Vasquez: "Is it that these flag triggers were not built into the system for a specific reason?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "I don't think it was intentional but there was no effort made to make corrections over time because it suits the users of the system."
And while the BCCI cannot force GOB to act, Councilor William Neal explained that they remain focused on advocating for policy changes and utilizing the media to garner support.
William Neal, Councilor, BCCI "What we have done through our policy unit is actually look at the policies themselves and advocate for policy changes. That is an ongoing process and it's a slow process and yes there's not always the political will to actually bring that to bear. But I think it's important that one, as partners with the media for example, we utilize our strengths to actually dig deep and look at the policy and partner with the media and other social partners to bring that information into the public domain so that there's a greater conversation. Unless you have that conversation, the government pretends that the silent minority is actually, okay the old adage that they always have, this will blow over like a breeze in no time because there's not enough ground swell. I think we have been very consistent in our good governance advocacy and push and the documents reflect that that we continue to say the same things and it's whether the actors within the society actually come in support of what we're saying."
Still, if all that fails, will BCCI take to the streets? They say it's not that simple.
William Neal, Councilor, BCCI "We been having that conversation especially of late, to see how you can actually get out into the streets and have people aware of what is happening and what action is required without it being politicized. Unfortunately that is the big challenge you have, the minute you hear oh this one is UDP or PUP or whatever. And that's why we have chosen to be grounded in policy to make sure what we're doing, we can stand behind."
Giacomo Sanchez, President, BCCI "Do appreciate our constituents in terms of our membership is almost divided down the middle and so you won't get the kind of ground swell you would expect and that's just the reality in it and hence the reason we're grounded in policy rather than just emotional and wanting to get out into the streets."
But is it enough to remain in their lane of policy, or will they be forced to pound the streets? As it is, it has been 37 days since they sent their letter to the PM and there's been no response. But the BCCI's president says they're giving GOB more time-but when will their patience run out?
And later, Sanchez spoke specifically on the fact that many of these contracts were awarded to politically connected companies. He explained that it definitely raised questions, and he agreed that GOB's habits wouldn't fly in the private sector.
Giacomo Sanchez, President, BCCI "Just off the cuff, it is highly questionable. Just because of who we know are heading the respective ministries and so on. And it goes without saying that you wonder if it's some sort of abuse of power and position and that kind of thing. So until the final audit is completed then we'll know for sure exactly what determinations can be made by the government."
Reporter: "Are you confident that when they put in place this Central Procurement Unit that it's going to resolve a lot of these concerns that we have?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "I think it's a wait and see."
Jules Vasquez: "What do you make of this consistent pattern of government acquiring high value items from middle men for inflated prices?"
Giacomo Sanchez: "If we have a proper procurement process, and I think it should be underscored that it should be price driven in that at the end of the day whatever sits in the consolidated fund, we should try to stretch that as much as possible as most every Belizean do at the end of the day with their pocket books, so I think from a global perspective, we need to ensure that the proper procurement processes are there and that we're getting the best prices, otherwise it raises questions of any type of shenanigans that might be occurring."
Jules Vasquez: "Would these practices pertain or persist in a private business?"
What will happen to the Cuban medical brigade of more than 90 medical professionals that remains in Belize against the wishes of the United States?
Well, the U.S. wants the program terminated by the end of the year, but Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca has been trying to find a way to continue the program-both as a practical necessity and a symbolic show of solidarity with Cuba.
Today he told us that they are still trying to find a workaround, including offering the Cubans permanent residence status.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education "Yeah, it is an ongoing discussion. It is an ongoing discussion, you know the Prime Minister was recently, as you know, in Washington, D.C., where he met with Deputy Secretary of State Landau, they discussed that matter, so it is an ongoing discussion. My position still remains and our position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains that we believe that there is an opportunity for us to keep certain elements and members of the brigade. How we do that and how we structure that is still under discussion, but I am hopeful that we can work out some arrangement which allows doctors, nurses, other medical professionals, Cuban medical professionals to get work permits or permanent residence status, something of that nature, but that discussion between ourselves, Ministry of Health and Wellness, and you know that is ongoing."
This subject surely came up last month when the Prime Minister went to Washington, D.C., to meet U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, and took Senator Eamon Courtenay as one of his advisors.
As Minister of Foreign Affairs, we asked Fonseca why he was unable to accompany the Prime Minister, and he shared that he was unable to attend due to medical reasons.
Jomarie Lanza: "Why did you not accompany PM on the recent trip to Washington to meet Under Secretary Landau? Why was Senator Courtenay in Washington advising the PM and not you?"
Francis Fonseca: "Yeah, my doctors have not cleared me to travel yet, so I can't travel. And I, both I and the Prime Minister asked Senator Courtenay to join him in Washington, D.C."
Jomarie Lanza: "How have you been feeling?"
Francis Fonseca: "Yeah, a lot better. I think getting stronger every day, not 100% yet, but getting there."
Last week we shared a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming that a total of 8 individuals had been transferred under Belize's Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States. When we spoke with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, we asked him for a review and he said that so far it's been going well.
Francis Fonseca: "As you know, we have received a number of people under that agreement. I think initially, we received one individual, a Haitian individual, and then I think last week as you said, 8 other individuals, I think 4 Haitians and then other Central American nationals, so it is really part of an amnesty program. Belize, as you know, we receive individuals seeking refuge, seeking amnesty from Central America all the time, several hundred every year, so we see this as an addition, supplementing, complementing that program and so far it has been going very well."
And from diplomacy to party politics, with the Belize City municipal convention set for the end of the month, as the area representative for the Freetown Division Fonseca didn't shy away from telling us who he is supporting in the upcoming election.
Francis Fonseca: "I'm supporting Mr. Miller, Eliud Miller. Well, the convention is set and as you know the National Executive set a date for it, it is August 30th, so I think the delegates list will be prepared and submitted sometime this week, and then you know the campaign proceeds over the next three weeks to engage with those delegates and we move forward from there."
We stress Miller is a member of Fonseca's Freetown constituency committee so the support is implicit.
There was a break-in at the Blake Building on Hudson Street in Belize City last night. Burglars targeted Belize Local Deals, located across from St. Catherine's Academy.
Security cameras in the store caught a group of 6 assailants breaking and entering the establishment.
They then ransacked the store and made off with a large quantity of electronics and other merchandise. The owner of the store, Belize Local Deals, shared the surveillance video online alerting the public to be on the lookout for items that were taken from the store. Those items range between phones, laptops, game controllers, TVs, and smaller electronic items.
More than 1,200 educators and school leaders from across the country gathered over the past two days for Belize's largest educational brainstorming event: the 2nd National Ed-Tech Summit. Jomarie Lanza was there and here's her report.
The two-day event finished today.
Education Minister Outlines Proposed Teacher Licensing Regime
And while these teachers spent the last 2 days learning cool teaching techniques, many are concerned about the new Education Bill that will impact the status of their teaching license. We asked Education Minister Fonseca about this and he explained what this new licensing regime entails.
Reporter: "In relation to the bills that have been presented in terms of education is it that this aspect of general licenses will it be more specialized requiring teachers only to have license for a specific area and if that is the case how will teachers stand to be affected?"
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education "No on the contrary what we are doing is expanding the pool and really building in flexibility into the teacher licensing regime one of the issues we have been discussing with the BNTU and with our school management over the past few years is how we can make that regime more flexible. As you know one of the challenges Belize faces like every other developing country is keeping our teachers, keeping our teachers at home."
"And so one of the key features of this licensing regime is that a teacher who does not necessarily have a degree per se you don't have a degree in math or a degree in science or a degree in a particular subject could still get a license to teach a particular subject if they demonstrate certain capacity and if they meet particular criteria that the ministry."
Marisol Amaya: "So it won't be helter skelter? So a math teacher will go and teach English?"
Francis Fonseca: "No no, again specific criteria in place but we want to build in flexibility into the, it is too rigid now it is too rigid where we have a lot of teachers who have skills in particular areas bur can't teach because they don't have all the required academic qualifications so we want to make it more flexible to allow for that to happen."
Garifuna Collective Wraps Up 20th Anniversary European Tour in Berlin
And we close tonight with video from the closing date of the Garifuna Collective's recent 14-day European tour marking the band's 20th anniversary.
They played their last show in Berlin at the Miriam Makeba Auditorium and we have fan videos courtesy of Dominique Norales who attended.
Enjoy and join me back here tomorrow night.
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BTL voted yesterday to acquire Speednet after months of controversy, corporate wrangling, and political intrigues.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
"As you will appreciate, the BCCI isn't against any type of merger in business and interfering with private matters. But this is significantly of a public nature given that the government has a great deal of interest and of course Social Security's participation as an equity holder in BTL and if you look at the over the past few months the issue came up and we addressed it at the time and then there were consultations. Coming out of consultations, we were still not satisfied that we were getting value for money. We're still not satisfied that the regulatory environment is there to give any comfort to consumer post acquisition by BTL of this Smart/Speednet enterprise."
And as we showed you yesterday, the UDP and 3 of the 4 independent senators staged a walkout during the Senate meeting. This includes the business senator, Kevin Herrera. We asked Sanchez what he thought about it.
And so now, the social partners are unified in opposition to the acquisition-but they question how and why it was done.
But there also seems to be a betrayal of a political commitment to the public regarding widespread consultation about the national telecom, BTL. Jules Vasquez looked at that:
"Listen, I will not lie to you, when the Prime Minister, when it was announced that the Prime Minister pressed the pause button on the acquisition, me mi happy, happy, happy, happy, happy. You all tell the truth? You all wasn't happy too? Tell the truth, man!"
The fish kill affecting communities along the Belize River Valley continues tonight-it is puzzling environmentalists and troubling residents.
Today our news team traveled miles of the river to witness the environmental impact firsthand.
Conway Young, Representative - Community Baboon Sanctuary
He stands accused of one of the most brazen homicides in recent memory-opening fire on a driver navigating Albert Street on a busy Saturday morning, with small children inside the vehicle.
Two robbers were shot today during an armed robbery on Mahogany Street, as the assailants tried to flee. It occurred around 1:00 in the afternoon while a salesperson was inside a parked delivery truck. He was approached by two men who demanded that he hand over the sales proceeds. He complied with them before pulling out his own weapon and firing at them. The men-whose names have not been released because they have not been charged-are currently under police guard as they receive treatment at the KHMH.
Earlier in the news, you heard from the Chamber of Commerce President. He and other members of the executive team held a media roundtable to discuss the Chamber's position on procurement reform. This follows the questionable procurement practices at the Ministry of Defense and the audit that is currently ongoing. The BCCI has provided GOB recommendations on how it can optimize its procurement system. But is the government willing to give it a try?
Courtney Menzies was at the session today and has this story.
Giacomo Sanchez, President, BCCI
William Neal, Councilor, BCCI
And later, Sanchez spoke specifically on the fact that many of these contracts were awarded to politically connected companies. He explained that it definitely raised questions, and he agreed that GOB's habits wouldn't fly in the private sector.
What will happen to the Cuban medical brigade of more than 90 medical professionals that remains in Belize against the wishes of the United States?
And from diplomacy to party politics, with the Belize City municipal convention set for the end of the month, as the area representative for the Freetown Division Fonseca didn't shy away from telling us who he is supporting in the upcoming election.
There was a break-in at the Blake Building on Hudson Street in Belize City last night. Burglars targeted Belize Local Deals, located across from St. Catherine's Academy.
