BNTU Keeps Disrupting, This Time In Orange Walk

Threats of criminal charges aren't holding the BNTU back - this morning, the Orange Walk members took to the highway, where they were experiencing even more "mechanical failures" with their vehicles. They parked across the road in Carmelita village and blocked traffic on the Phillip Goldson for about 20 minutes.
The police were there, but there was no rough stuff. Still, yesterday, the PSU president called out the Commissioner of Police for what he calls "weaponizing" the department against the teachers.

Courtney Menzies has this story.

These Orange Walk teachers are continuing the protests that started across the country on Wednesday. This morning at 5:00, they blocked the highway at the Carmelita speed bump, causing a long queue of traffic to form during prime commuting hours. Buses and vehicles heading to work and school were blocked for 20 minutes as the teachers sang the national anthem with the hoods of their vehicles up.

After the protest, these teachers left without conflict with police. And unlike the Dangriga teachers, they weren't made to face charges. However, yesterday, the president of the PSU stood up for his sister union and called out the commissioner of police trying to intimidate the BNTU.

Dean Flower, President, PSU
"We would have never thought that in an effort to demonstrate how effective he could be that the new commissioner would resort to weaponizing the police department against teachers. But personally, it is now dawning on me that we should not be surprised because this is the very commissioner who in his very first week of office attempted to violate the constitutional right of citizens by pleading, by begging for an SOE for 6 months to a year, demonstrating his incompetence. Today demonstrates that he is nothing but a political puppet."

And Flowers added that these charges are a slippery slope that can be utilized against other sectors.

Dean Flower, President, PSU
"The teachers are today, it may very well be the nurses of KHMH tomorrow. Then what? What is the taxi men decide to join us? It will be the taxi men too. The teachers came out yesterday to demand what is rightfully theirs and in response commissioner of police Rosado, this is his best response. I'm really ashamed of this guy. I think that he now sets himself up to be amongst the worse."

Since yesterday's meeting between the BNTU president and the ComPol, the charges against the Dangriga members have since been dropped.

Tonight, there are unconfirmed reports that police are in discussions with the unions to drop charges brought against the Dangriga teachers. We asked the commissioner of police about that and he gave us a very vague quote, saying, "dialogue at its core enables the exchange of perspectives and fosters understanding."

Government Burning Files, Clean Up Or Cover Up?

Land Rights Activist Nigel Petillo Went live on Facebook yesterday, after coming across a government vehicle dumping and burning documents on a road off the George Price Highway. Petillo raised the alarm yesterday under the suspicion that if they did not have anything to hide they could have easily discarded the files without having to burn them. Well, tonight we have two sides of the story. Jomarie Lanza reports:

Yesterday Nigel Petillo came across a Resilient Rural Belize truck dumping and burning office paperwork in a bushy area on private land right off the highway in Camalote. It just looked very suspect and raised widespread public concerns as to whether the material they were burning was either sensitive or important public information. And when Petillo caught up with them he did not hold back

Voice of: Nigel Petillo, Activist
"How will you come and do this here, what kind of *** is this how will you come and burn fire and dump garbage at our place. You can't do that here, you don't have to do this, how will you all do this? The government seriously? Man I am so disappointed in you all please move your **** from here. Don't continue this, it's not fair my brother this is not right none at all we built this community and how will you do this ***. No man I can't understand that man there is no excuse here, this is the problem I have with a lot of people that does this **** ya man. I have a lot of videos online with these same behaviour here. How will you do this, don't bring that **** to me. This is a lesson you will learn today. This is not ****** right. This you shouldn't have done this man, how are you so cold? What made you decide you can come here and do this *** ya. Real talk why didn't you go to the dumpsite? So why are you doing this then? Nobody is arguing with you."

And today in a press release RRB concedes the manner of disposal does raise valid concerns. But they say the files date back to 2010 and 2012 and have no relevance to any ongoing project or initiative. They also say that the files that were disposed of are for the Ministry of Economic Transformation and have no affiliation to the Resilient Rural Belize program.

But that did not stop Petillo from rummaging through the charred remains at the burn site

Voice of: Nigel Petillo, Activist
"Contract, Europe Aid, Feeder road rehabilitation project Phase II Orange Walk Progresso, technical specifications, expenditure verification report, supply and work contracts. Same thing those people are doing here you know, it's the same thing we want to know why you have to come hide and burn up things when the dumpsite is there, where you expect all of us, every other Belizean to go and dump things, all these metal folders and things, lots of debris left here. What are these guys hiding?"

The Ministry says, it's hiding nothing. Quote, "The disposal of files has been and will continue to be done - there is simply not enough space to store all past and current files. It is a common practice."

The release says, quote, "there was no instruction given by the Minister of State nor the Chief Executive Officer authorizing the method or location of disposal. There are procedural methods that were clearly not followed, and an internal review is underway."

Residential Fire In Dangriga Destroys Neighboring Clinic

Fire has destroyed 2 structures in the new site area of Dangriga. IT happened early this morning when a fire at a residential structure jumped over to a neighboring medical clinic owned by Dr Arana. And the value of the losses is estimated to be over one hundred thousand dollars.

By the time fire personnel arrived on the scene, nothing could be saved, and the Doctor's wife, who gave an off camera interview claims that the fire may have been man made when a stone mattress was set on fire.

Voice of: Iandra Arana, Wife of Fire Victim
"So the building is located on number 1 plum street this morning I was awoken by the police officers at my residence which is one citron, sorry Caludio Serrano street in the new site area, I was awoken by the police officers who informed me that the building is on fire, my husband's clinic is on fire and when I got there the neighbours house was completely burned and I got to understand that the guy that was living in the house had lit a sponge, I'm not sure if it's his mattress or what it is but a sponge got lit in that house and got engulfed in the fire and just because it's very close to each other, just the edge the roof part of my husband's clinic started to burn and by the time the police came the fire truck came and they came with a very small truck that went empty as usual and had to get filled back. The whole building was damaged at the end of that fire by the time they managed to get it out.The whole clinic building and the neighbours house was completely damaged too. The clinic is a three bedroom structure, zinc roof, the siding is zinc too and the rest of the building is completely wooden so it was completely damaged it's a three bedroom building it was fully equipped with ultrasound machines all these machinery used because it is a OBGYN clinic, our loss is estimated over 100k."

General Registry Still Under Ransomeware Attack

Tonight the General Registry at the High Court of Belize remains under the hold of a hacker or hackers who have launched a ransomware attack. This has crippled the general registry - and sources tell us that staffers are being advised not to even turn on their computers.
A benign notice from the Courts last night says, quote, "our High Court Registry is experiencing technical difficulties within our internal IT infrastructure. These have impacted our case management system."
The release adds that one portal for e-filing remains operational.

We are told experts from CITO and BTL are working with the court's IT staff to resolve the issue - but they are up against sophisticated ransomware. Up to news time, it remained under attack.

Ralph Fonseca Passes, His Political Legend Loomed Large

He retired from electoral politics 17 years ago - but just say the name Ralph Fonseca in 2025, and it still has meaning and resonance. No doubt, the 75 year old was one of the defining political figures in 21st Century politics. And that's why when he passed away this morning around 3:00 am after battling a long terminal illness - there was lots of emotion and reflection. Jules Vasquez - who reported closely on Fonseca's career when he was at the height of his powers, did his reflection by going into the archives. Here's what he found:

Ralph Fonseca was responsible for some of the most memorable lines in this political era:

Ralph Fonseca
"When I heard about this thing, I almost said, F-U, to the whole bunch of them, I don't need this. Put me back in my office in Miami and Panama and Montevideo and Cuba let me continue to make lots of money."

Ralph Fonseca, 13th Aug, 2004
"We have a lot of balls up in the air. Most of those balls, if you like, are hovering around my desk."

Fonseca's ascent to the highest level of power was when he served in Said Musa's Cabinet from 1998 - 2008. He was Musa's closest ally and advisor as his Minister of Budget Planning and Management, then Minister of Finance.

That's when - in 2004 - 7 Cabinet members - the G-7 went to the Prime Minister demanding his resignation, thus plunging the Musa administration into its deepest crisis - one from which it never truly recovered. In the thick of it, Fonseca gave me one of my most memorable interviews:

Ralph Fonseca, 13th Aug, 2004
"And for myself, if you cut me, I will bleed. Although people think that Ralph Fonseca is a work machine, I was hurt at first and then angry afterwards and then almost going into war mode. But I'm a politician and I'm more than a politician."

"If you're expecting me to say anything bad about any of these kids that went into the prime minister's office, you're not gong to get that. I'm a team player. I'm having some problems now, because of existing conditions. I'm going to solve them, given the time."

Fonseca survived that but was never the same in terms of wielding power. And he remained a divisive figure within the PUP and a hated one in the public - where just the mention of his name galvanized vitriolic opposition to the PUP.

Here was was at BTL during its ownership crisis being booed by employees:

But, it wasn't always like that. In 1984 he started out like Dean Barrow, a promising young politician trying to win the seat in the newly formed Queens Square constituency.

Barrow won that one but remembers Fonseca for his outsized ambition:

Dean Barrow, Former Political Opponent
"I've, I've got to say that Ralph proved to be a, kind of colossus who bestrode the narrow world of politics in Belize. He was a hell of a figure, a man of large appetites, large ideas - some might even say grandiose - who was undoubtedly possessed of a tremendous skill set."

"Absolutely brimming with self-confidence and with cause. So I have no hesitation in saying that. He has left a mark on governance, on Belizean political affairs that's well nigh ineradicable no doubt."

And that mark also led the UDP under Barrow to its greatest political success in 2008:

Jules Vasquez
"Without him, the UDP does not win - It can be argued - 25 to 6 in 1998, (2008)."

Dean Barrow, Former Political Opponent
"No doubt. You can't get away from it. As I said, sometimes for good, sometimes for ill. He was the man and he was not just a convenient, but an inevitable focus of the attacks, the political attacks that the UDP and the social partners launched."

That tainted Fonseca's legacy for many years but his mark as one of the defining figures of politics in Belize as a disciple of neo-liberal policies cannot be questioned:

Ralph Fonseca, was linked to Money Laundering in 1998 - Feb. 20th, 2007.
"I have been working as a financial consultant for over 20 years."

Reporter
"Have you done business in Panama?"

Ralph Fonseca
"Never ever had any problems with the authorities, but obviously I've dealt with people that have very large portfolios."

Merlene Bailey Martinez, Commissioner - DFC Commission of Inquiry
"Did you in any way benefit financially from the purchase of lands in Los Lagos?"

Ralph Fonseca, Testifies Before DFC Commission of Inquiry- March 9th, 2007
"No, Madam Commissioner. May I just add, Madam Commissioner, that I have owned hundreds of companies. That's the nature of my business. When I'm not in government, there are shell companies and they are sold off and they do many things afterwards."

And while that was politics - Barrow who visited Fonseca a number of times during his illness - says it was never personal:

Dean Barrow, Former Political Opponent
"I've been to see him. His wife was very kind, inviting me to come and see him at home. I'd been to see him when he was at Belize Medical Associates."

"And we had spoken before when, at the first onset of what turned out to be ultimately this terminal illness we had spoken. I remember one time he was in Miami and we spoke on the phone. I was here and he was saying, you know, whatever it is, Brother Dean, no chemo for me. I've seen what that has done to my friends. No, no, I'm if I have to go, as we all must, ultimately if I have to go sooner rather than later. So it is."

And now, in passing, both Barrow and another one time adversary remember his kindness:

Voice of: Michael Finnegan, Friend of Fonseca
"Ralph was a pretty good, decent guy. He treated people with dignity, respect and kindness."

Dean Barrow, Former Political Opponent
"He was never less than kind to those who would go to him from the opposition to ask for favors, I have to say, was never numbered among that lot."

"But there were others close to me that would say bwai, you know, I've gone to Ralph, and I told him, man you have to help me, and that he would."

"Again, as I said perhaps because he felt, mek I try help dem out, I mean I am at least politically a superior creature and he must be kind to others who don't quite fill up the stratusphere as I, Ralph Fonseca do. But withall it was quite a mix in trying to identify Rlph qualities and the impact that he had."

"But, I repeat, whether some people will say very much for good, some people will say very much for ill, whichever way you go, there is no doubt that he had one hell of an impact."

And, while we didn't have a chance to speak with Said Musa - he declared his position on Ralph two decades ago:

Said Musa - Sept. 6th, 2004
"I maintain absolute and full confidence in the Honorable Ralph Fonseca, so nobody is going to affect the friendship and the love that I have for Ralph Fonseca."

Fonseca was a three term representative for Belize Rural Central from 1993 - 2008.

PUP Chairman Reminisces On Ralph As Family Friend

And PUP chairman, Henry Charles Usher, said that Fonseca was more than just a political colleague; he was a close family friend. He reminisced on Fonseca's warmth and willingness to serve others. He also discussed the dueling perceptions of Fonseca as both one of the most criticized and one of the most beloved PUP politicians. He spoke to us via phone.

Voice of: Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman
"I was saddened to wake to the news of Ralph's passing early this morning. He was more than a political advisor, he was a close family friend, really someone I grew up thinking of as a family member. He had a larger than life personality, a big heart and a warm smile. I think Ralph was like his father, a servant of the people. Although was a capitalist, he advocated for capitalism with socialist conscience. He was always ready to lend a helping hand to anybody who asked for it."

"Even after his elected years were over, Ralph remained close to the party as an advisor. He spoke at national service day a couple years ago on his time with George Price and his time with the nationalist movement, the independence movement so that was good. I was happy I could have visited a few weeks ago and he said, chairman, the way he usually does, chairman, what are you doing? Don't you have to work to do? And I said sure I have work to do, but I have to visit you as well."

"He was a very polarizing figure to some but to those who knew him like myself, I saw him as somebody always willing to help. That rough exterior was what he portrayed to his opponents, to persons he had to negotiate with, to individuals he had to go up against but to his PUP family, he was always someone that was there offering assistance, offering guidance, meeting with him at his home was something that you felt welcomed, you didn't feel uncomfortable."

"I think within the party he will always be remembered as someone very close to George Price, very close to Said Musa, very closed to the leaders of the party, and playing such an instrumental role in leading the party to massive victories throughout the 90's, in '98 especially, that massive election victory. And yes there are those who remember the time between '04 and '08 when there were challenges that then party had to go through and Ralph's name was called, why? Because he was never afraid to make tough decisions, not afraid to be the face of those decisions and that is something that I know as prime minister Said Musa relied on to say that Ralph would take the slings and the arrows to make sure that the party is protected but I think he will be remembered for his work and for being able to deliver so many great victories and definitely for being an excellent area representative for Belize Rural Central."

"Please allow me to express my condolences to his wife Donna, his daughters, to his extended family and friends and of course to his BRC family. Ralph was a good Belizean, a servant of the people and a soldier of the revolution."

A press release from the PUP says "Fonseca, was a man with an astute mind, unafraid to make the difficult and at times unpopular decisions. He was a true nation builder who believed and lived by the principle, 'your word is your bond.'

Witnessing Demise Of UDP, Dean Barrow Says It's "More Than A Man's Soul Can Bear"

And in other political news, speaking with Dean Barrow today - we had to ask him about the state of the party which he led for a record 22 years.
The UDP is planning a so-called unification NPC meeting next week Saturday, But by now supporters know not to hold their breaths hoping for too much.

And the former party leader feels the same way - even as his son Shyne Barrow continues to cling to leadership. He lamented the fall of the party that held the seat of power for three terms. He explained that he's tried to intervene, but now, as he puts it, it's more than his soul can bear.

Dean Barrow, Former Prime Minister
"Well, it seems I'm not able to do much, if anything at all. And I say this because I've tried. I won't get into the details, but I have a since the elections and especially most laterally, given that the acting chairman of the party has at long last fixed a date for a national party council. I've been trying to work with Alberto and with others regarding how the NPC ought to be constituted for the purposes of this meeting, which I believe is to take place next Saturday. I have not been successful. I would leave it at that, except to say, to take up your refrain, it is a monumental tragedy, not just for the UDP, but for democracy, for the country. It cannot be a good thing. And indeed it is an outrage that the UDP should be so completely beset by stasis, by some kind of paralytic which is over their own administration, and there's blame enough to go around, so I won't, I'll refrain from pointing fingers, to the extent where they are absolutely of no use. Hopeless in terms of performing the function that an opposition ought to perform. Forget the fact that, as a matter of fairly recent history, the UDP was, marked itself as a force that history will have to take serious note of. To go from that five short years ago to this current situation is, as I said, it's it's almost more than a man's soul can bear."

BAA Suspends Security Contracts, But What Happens Next?

Last night we told you about the extraordinary release from the Belize Airports Authority announcing that it was suspending those controversial security contracts. But, that's not the end of the story. Jules Vasquez looks at all the questions which are still unanswered:

The Belize Airports Authority Press Release says some important things, like they're suspending the December 2024 contracts.

That proper procedures were not observed in the issuance of those contracts. And that all future contracts will be awarded in full compliance with best practices through a transparent process.

But doing things the right way takes time - and so what will happen in the interval ? The BAA says, quote "airport security remains a top priority and that operations will not be disrupted during this transition." So then will ISECURITY and Four Diamond continue to operate? We gather they will, but the release says nothing of it.

Second, both companies have been paid many hundreds of thousands of dollars in an advance and monthly fees under contracts issued improperly. Where is the accounting of that money? How much has been paid? And will the BAA now try to claw back that money - in the public interest? Or will they make the companies provide services to settle it - because if the contracts are suspended future payments cannot be made. This is a gray area with huge financial and operational implications.

Third, the release blames everything on the former board - but who is even on the new board? The release quotes the new Chairman, but does not even share his name. It's Naim Briceno. And what about board members who have been re-appointed from the old board to the new? Also, ex-officio Board member Narda Garcia - what role - if any - did she play in the issuance of the bad contracts and what role does she play on the new board? All questions still to be answered.

We will keep you updated on the tendering process once it goes live.

Former BAA GM Distances Herself From Contracts

And while the BAA has not announced who the new General Manager is, the former GM is trying to clear her name of any suspicion of wrongdoing. In a statement issued yesterday, Thea Garcia - who is now the Corozal Bay Area Representative says, quote, "My concerns in relation to the security contracts have been documented in writing and addressed directly to the Board of Directors of the BAA. They have also been documented in minutes of meetings. I was asked during a sick day to revise draft contracts. I did so and duly sent in my recommendations. I also took that opportunity to again advise that the documents needed to be vetted properly by an attorney in the best interests of the BAA." End quote.

We would press Garcia, who has offered this as evidence of her transparency, to let the public know what her concerns about the contracts were.

Belize's Best Speller Is From Succotz

The 28th Annual Bowen and Bowen National Spelling Bee Finals were held today in Orange Walk Town, where 12 finalists from across the country vied for the title of Spelling Bee champ for 2025. This year's winner emerged from the Cayo district. Jomarie Lanza tells us what was the winning word:

Second Place went to Jace Williams from All Saints Anglican School in Belize City, and Third place was awarded to Jamira Hines from St Peter Claver in Toledo.

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