CEO's Shocked: Leaked Contract Reveals $160,000 Base Salary for Procurement Director

Tonight, public officers and government CEOs are scratching their heads after the contract for a highly paid contract officer was leaked by a whistleblower.
A memorandum dated August 24th shows that Rey Guerrero's two-year contract as Director of Procurement was renewed with an annual base salary of $160,000â€”roughly double the salary of a government Chief Executive Officer.
On top of that base pay sits a 20 percent gratuity upon completion in 2028, plus nearly $33,000 in annual allowances for housing, vehicle, and telephone expenses.
All told, the total quantum of the two-year package reaches nearly $450,000.
The Procurement Unit has been heavily touted by the Prime Minister recently as a key fix following the high-profile Mira and Marin procurement scandals. It is designedâ€”notionally at leastâ€”to centralize, manage, and reform how the government spends public money on goods, services, and works.

We reached out to Guerrero for comment, but up to news time, he had not replied.

Public Service Union Clashes with Government Over Acting Solid Waste Appointment of PUP Area Rep's Son

Another memo leaked by a whistleblower is for Jose Mai Jr.
It confirms that the son of PUP Orange Walk South Representative Jose Mai Sr. is in a top technical leadership roleâ€”complete with over $2,100 in monthly allowances.
Tonight, it has triggered a clash with the Public Service Union over alleged political favoritism.
The letter is dated September 14th and signed by Public Services Commission Secretary Rolando Zetina. It reveals that Abelardo Mai Jr. has been appointed Acting Director of the Belize Solid Waste Management Authority.
The memo shows Mai moving from his substantive post as an Economist III in the Ministry of Economic Developmentâ€”where he earned roughly $34,000 a yearâ€”to Pay Scale 25, which carries a salary range of $49,768 to $82,410.
The government approved an allowance package totaling $2,166.75 per month.
The Public Service Union (PSU) issued a correction today retracting an earlier statement regarding Mai's academic credentials, clarifying that it was another relative who recently graduated from university in Costa Rica. But PSU President Dean Flowers says the correction does not change the facts.
The union argues that placing an economist from an outside ministry into a specialized environmental and engineering authority violates civil service regulations. The PSU claims senior, qualified technical officers already in the Ministry of Sustainable Development were bypassed without an open job posting, interview panel, or explanation.
The PSU has given the Ministry of Public Service 14 days to produce job descriptions, vacancy forms, and recruitment records, warning it will take further administrative action if procedures were compromised to favor political connections over merit.

We did reach out to CEO Zetina for comment, but we have received no response.

Public Service Union Opposes Temporary Appointment of Troy Gabb as Public Services Commission Chair

And in other public service news, the PSU is speaking out against the appointment of Troy Gabb as Acting Chairperson of the Public Services Commission.
In a press release issued today, the PSU expressed strong opposition to Gabb's temporary appointment, pointing to his weekly political commentary on Love FM. The union argues that his on-air criticism of public officers, opposition to trade unions, and support for privatization demonstrate a clear political bias.
Because the Commission oversees the hiring, promotion, and discipline of public officers, the PSU stresses that its leader must remain impartial. The union has officially written to Public Service Minister Henry Charles Usher, stating that the appointment breaches the government's Plan Belize promise to protect the public service from political interference.
While wishing substantive Chair Diana Price-Murillo a swift return, the PSU made it clear that it will oppose any effort to reappoint Gabb when his term ends in November.
Critics also point to Gabb's past tenure as Chief Executive Officer of the Development Finance Corporation, which ended in mid-2005 as the DFC teetered on near-financial collapse and became the subject of a Commission of Inquiry.

But is it a tempest in a teapot? Public Service Minister Henry USher told us this evening, "Yes it was for one meeting while Mrs Murillo was with her sick husband. She has resumed the Chairmanship."

CEO Arturo "Tux" Vasquez Makes Sudden Departure From Port of Belize Limited

And in other comings and goings in top government circles, 7News has been reliably informed that Arturo "Tux" Vasquez is no longer at the Port of Belize Limited.
Reports say Vasquez left yesterday and is being temporarily replaced by Chairman Ian Courtenayâ€”reportedly until a replacement is named.
We tried to reach Vasquez for comment, but up to news time, he had not responded.
We do know that he did not enjoy harmonious relations with former Port of Belize chairmen Gilly Canton or Lynn Young.
Reports also say that his contract was coming to an end in December and would not be renewed.

Vasquez, who was the former CEO under the Ashcroft Alliance ownership, was brought back in when government re-acquired the Port in December of 2023.

Grieving Parents Demand that Government Honopur Its Commitment Four Years After Son's Fatal Ambulance Collision

Two grieving parents still have not received any compensation four years after their teenager died as a result of injuries sustained in a collision with a government-owned ambulance.

Tonight, those parents have decided to speak out in hopes of getting some response from the government. Jomarie Lanza reports from Cayo:

You may remember 17-year-old Jaheem Williams. He was one of the two accident victims who died from injuries sustained in a head-on collision between a busito taxi and an ambulance in Ranchito Village in October of 2022.

He spent the last seven weeks of his life fighting in the intensive care unit.

Netticia Williams, Mother of Deceased
"Well, first when we got there, they said it was a spinal injury, and then one thing to the next, we had to do several CT scans. He had to do about three surgeries, and then a couple weeks after that, they said he had infection. So like, one thing to the next, until I guess his body couldn't take it anymore and he passed."

It's been four years since the family buried their beloved son, and since then, they also successfully sued the Government of Belize as the operator of the Ministry of Health ambulance.

The court found that "the greater measure of responsibility rests with the ambulance driver and the state who were the proximate and dominant cause of the collision."

But, even though judgment was issued in November 2025, there has been no payment or any word from GOB to settle their liability.

We spoke with his mother and father today in San Ignacio:

Jomarie Lanza, 7News
"What has happened since the judgment of November 2025, where the court ruled that â€˜the greater measure of responsibility rests with the ambulance driver and the state who were the proximate and dominant cause of the collision'? What happened after he passed?"

Netticia Williams, Mother of Deceased
"Well, after he passed, we ended up going to court, and from then to now, they had given us judgment that the insurance company and the government was to take liability. And we have sent letters to them, and still we have not gotten no response as to who will take the blame, who will take the liability."

Jomarie Lanza
"How does it make you feel that so many years have passed, the court has given a judgment, and the state is still ignoring you?"

Netticia Williams
"Well, on my point of view, I feel like my son's life gone just like that. They haven't even given us an apology of, like, to say... no apology from them, none at all. They are pushing us around. We just want closure with that."

Netticia Williams
"At this point, we have gone to court, we sent letters, so I think this is the last case to get their attention."

The court had given a date, September 24th of 2026, for GOB to respond to their submission, but now that the date has passed and there's still no response, the family has decided to speak out:

Jomarie Lanza
"You feel that the government is deliberately trying to wear you down, hoping that you will just let this slide?"

Netticia Williams
"Could be. I don't want to say yes, I don't want to say no, but we would really like them to reach out to us and let us know what is going on."

Jomarie Lanza
"Would you say this has affected your family in getting closure for what happened to your son?"

Netticia Williams
"In one sense, yes, because whatever happened will not bring back my son, and we just want closure and... sorry."

It's been four years of playing the waiting game, and though no amount of compensation can bring back their son, Jaheem's father says all they want is for someone to be held accountableâ€”that would give them the closure that they need.

Ed Williams, Father of Deceased
"His tests were costly, and we had to get support from his friends, football friends, and different people in the communities so that we could have kept up with his medical expenses."

Ed Williams
"Like I say, we don't think... we don't expect money would be satisfactory to losing our son, but it will help us in so many ways. And who is responsible should be held accountable, because, you know, you should not be driving reckless on the road, so somebody should take the blame. And like my wife said, so many years have passed, and we feel like they are handling our case without any urgency. And they should not have us replaying the situation over and over, because the longer it takes, the more we suffer mentally, spiritually, and everything. Because when we are going through... it is not easy to lose your child. And we feel in our minds that they are just, you know, maybe they are taking advantage, so to speak, or they are delaying this whole process. Just bring us closure so that we can just move past this stage in our life and move on."

We reached out to Attorney General Anthony Sylvester this afternoon, and he told us that he would respond to us tomorrow morning.

Law Enforcement on High Alert Following Report of "Wet Drop"

Tonight, law enforcement officials are on high alert following intelligence of a recent maritime drug drop. Reports originating early this week indicate that the product from a "wet drop" has entered the local illicit market.
Due to the sudden surge in supply, street sources tell us that a single one-kilogram brick is currently selling for under $5,000 USDâ€”less than half its standard market value of approximately $10,000 USD.

While the steep price drop is stimulating illicit trade, authorities warn that the influx of high-value narcotics poses an immediate security threat. The sudden presence of these contraband packages routinely triggers intense rivalry among local gangs and brokers attempting to liquidate the cargo, frequently escalating into targeted violence and fatalities.

Guatemalan Military Aircraft Incursion Draws Attention Following Presidential Comments

And while we don't know the source of that wet drop, we do know that a Guatemalan reconnaissance plane was mysteriously circling over Belizean waters for an hour last week.

Tonight, the teenager who did the whole country a favor and publicized it is in the news, because even the President of Guatemala mentioned him yesterday in his press conference. Jules Vasquez reports:

Bernardo ArÃ©valo, Guatemalan President
"No existiÃ³ tal vuelo como se afirma. MÃ¡s tarde vimos que salÃa un joven de 17 o 18 aÃ±os con una aplicaciÃ³n indicando que a travÃ©s de ella habÃa visto esto... es una cosa..."
("There was no such flight as claimed. Later, we saw that there was a 17- or 18-year-old young man coming out with an app indicating that through it he had seen this... it's a thing...")

This is the teenager they're talking aboutâ€”Johnathan Tasker. He's actually 19. He spotted the flight, as he told Ladyville Highlights last week:

Johnathan Tasker, "Flight Radar 24" App User
"With the app, you could get alerts with certain flights. So I have an alert based on military aircraft. So I just mi deh chill home like 8 o'clock, and then I get wah alert pon my phone that such and such military aircraft deh een di area."

And from there, he contacted persons to put the word out on Facebook. It caused a national uproar.

But the CEO in the Ministry of Defence, Francis Usher, says that is not what alerted them. He says:

Ministry of Defence Statement
"The Ministry through the JIOC and the BDF Air Wing, and working with the Department of Civil Aviation as well as international partners, have mechanisms in place to detect all aircraft (both declared and undeclared) that enter our airspace. It is through these mechanisms that we were alerted and began the process of verifying."

Critically, the Guatemalan aircraft took off its transponderâ€”

Francis Usher, CEO, Ministry of Defence
"At approximately 8:07 p.m., Belize time, the aircraft fell off of the radar system, the secondary radar system, which indicates or should indicate to us that it turned off its transponder. But even if you fall off the secondary radar, we can still track you using the primary radar."

John BriceÃ±o, Prime Minister / Minister of Defence
"They took off their transpondersâ€”obviously, they knew that they were in the wrong and were trying to hide it."

But what were they really trying to hide? Typically, military aircraft turn off their transpondersâ€”referred to as "squawking standby" or flying darkâ€”during tactical operations. And the question still remains: what was that mission in Belizean airspace?

The Guatemalans seem not a tad bit concerned:

Bernardo ArÃ©valo
"En todo caso, hemos puesto la aeronave a disposiciÃ³n de la OrganizaciÃ³n de los Estados Americanosâ€”la seÃ±alada como supuestamente involucrada en ese sentidoâ€”para que vengan y revisen sus registros. Porque esos registros bitÃ¡cora son los que muestran la ruta de vuelo realizada, y demÃ¡s. Estamos muy tranquilos porque, afortunadamente, contamos con un mecanismo permanente de monitoreo internacional."
("In any case, we have made the aircraft available to the Organization of American Statesâ€”the one indicated as allegedly having been involved in that regardâ€”so they can come and review its records. Because those recorded logs are what show the flight path taken, and so on. We are very calm because, fortunately, we have a permanent international monitoring mechanism.")

Belize City Council Removes Inventory from Jun’s Meat Shop Following Electricity Disconnection

Turning now to other news, Jun's Meat Shop located at the Michael Finnegan Market has served Belize City customers for over two decades. But it was closed down in mid-August after a fee dispute with City Hall.
Well today, all parties were back at Jun's as the Belize City Council removed their items.
But there's a malodorous twist in the tale.
Jun's light bill was not paid and BEL cut them off with all the meat inside the freezers.

Jaleeza Roberts reports:

This afternoon at around 1:20 p.m. at the Michael Finnegan Market, the doors from Jun's Meat Shop were opened after being left closed for weeks, and the putrid smell of rotting meat wafted out of the building.

It was a noxious smell and an odious sceneâ€”and according to Jermaine Hyde, Court Manager at the Belize City Council, the situation began with a stop order issued by the Trade License Board after Castillo failed to pay his trade license fees:

Jermaine Hyde, Court Manager, Municipal Court
"You will recall earlier we had issued a stop order. The Trade Board actually had issued a stop order to Mr. Castillo for his non-payment of trade license. After he was issued with that, he received a letter informing him to come and remove his stuff from the booth, which he signed for, I believe, on the 20th of August, and since then, he has not come to remove any of his goods from the booth. Now, today we're here simply because Mr. Castillo did not pay his electricity bill, and BEL disconnected his electricity. So he left all his goods, his perishable goods at that, in the shop, did not pay his electricity bill, was disconnected, and so all the meat that he left there began to rot. It became a public health issue, and the Council did the most responsible thing: to notify him that it has created a nuisance, a public health issue, and so we asked him to come with the staff of the Council to remove this rotting meat that he had left behind."

But the Council says the stop order was not the same as an eviction. Hyde maintains that Castillo was subsequently given written notice to remove his belongings from the booth, especially the perishable ones. According to the Council, that notice was delivered on August 19:

Jermaine Hyde
"He was issued a written one, which he signed for. He signed for it the 20th, the day after, and he was supposed to come and remove his items. Our staff... we have a market manager who is on the ground at any point in time. He could have made arrangements to come and remove his items. He chose not to. Same way, he chose not to pay his electricity bill, and this is the result. When you don't pay your electricity bill, BEL disconnects you, and you lose power. That is simply what we are here about."

And even though all the cards may seem stacked against Castillo, his attorney, OJ Elrington, maintains the Council is at fault:

Orson "OJ" Elrington, Attorney-at-Law
"The Council who created this disaster... you know, this is one of those moments that we wish that we had smell-o-vision so that they could understand the stench and the... and the gravity of the losses which have been suffered by my clients in this situation. They have lost over 75,000... at least $75,000 worth of goods because of the unlawful actions of the Belize City Council. So yet the City Council wanted them... You see, this is... it's a level of arrogance, a level of disrespect that they say, 'You know what, we caused you losses upwards of 75,000, because that's only the loss of... meaning not sales, etc., and all the other things. We caused you this tremendous loss, but not only that, but now we will summons you, oh decrepit one, oh lowly one, to come and clean the mess.' If that is not idiotic and asinine, I don't know what is."

And while they were brought there to now remove everything, the attorney was not having it:

Jaleeza Roberts, 7News
"Will you all remove all of the items out of this shop now?"

Orson "OJ" Elrington, Attorney-at-Law
"Absolutely not. Not. They can take themselves and their employees that they have here and remove those items. Those are spoiled goods, but we were so happy. You see, they're so... they're so brave that they would demand that."

Jaleeza Roberts
"Does your client intend to seek compensation for the losses?"

Orson "OJ" Elrington
"Absolutely. Every single dime, every single cent, every single iota of losses that they would have suffered as a result of the illegal actions of the Belize City Council and their agents, they will recover."

And the meat shop and grocery store, which has been operating at the market for over two decades, is now viewing it as a personal attack because they are not the only ones who have outstanding trade license fees. But to that allegation, the Council says:

Jermaine Hyde, Court Manager, Municipal Court
"Which is outright ludicrous, because if we went to the point of allowing him to do a consent to make monthly payments towards his fee, and he defaulted on that... so it is on him. He obviously has an issue with meeting his financial obligations, or else we would not be here today with BEL disconnecting his electricity."

Orson "OJ" Elrington, Attorney-at-Law
"They... they locked up, they illegally and unlawfully locked my clients out of their businesses. They did that despite us demanding that they properly return back the occupancy of the property to the clients. They ignored that, and in fact sent us a letter and said that they would respond to us at some points whatsoever."

Orson "OJ" Elrington
"It is ridiculous. It is the City Council trampling on the small man, and so this type of behavior should never be accepted."

An endless back-and-forth and a long battle aheadâ€”but Jun's Meat Shop is the one suffering losses right now.

Pink's Alley Mother Speaks Out After Police Detain Sons for Questioning

This morning, a mother in Pink's Alley watched as police picked up two of her sons, ages 24 and 21, from their residence.
She claims this is not the first, second, or third time the brothers have been detained, saying police routinely hold them for "questioning."
According to the mother, the men are sometimes held for up to 48 hours before being released without charges.

Here's how today's encounter went:

Marilyn Young, Mother
"I'm tired of the harassment from these police. Almost every week, they come to my house, take my kids, lock them for 48 for things they don't even do. All that they say is... is assault or this or that, or they always come with some [expletive]Ã¢â‚¬"you done know they always harass my kids. Big 3, 4 o'clock, they're taking us out of our bed. All my grandkids... they took my grandbaby last time when I was taking my son, and bucked his head. Nothing came out of thatÃ¢â‚¬"it's every other week. You don't see them harassing nobody elseÃ¢â‚¬"they always tell them my kids, my kids, my kids. They always have them, and what they lock them down for? Investigate, investigate, investigate."

Jaleeza Roberts, 7News
"Do they have a warrant when they come search your house?"

Marilyn Young
"No, ma'am. No warrantÃ¢â‚¬"just come and step in."

Marilyn Young
"This is the thing: every time, they yell about being a member of a gang. Please, we are tired of this, we are tired of thisÃ¢â‚¬"this is harassment. Every time, it's my kids they come for."

Marilyn Young
"My son, they don't even go anywhereÃ¢â‚¬"we stay and play game."

Marilyn Young
"Every time... and every time they come through this alley, the GI3, they go direct to my house. We are innocent, we are not doing anything. Those boys are behaving themselvesÃ¢â‚¬"nobody, no complaints, we stay in."

Marilyn Young
"They say they used to meet them out there. Now I got themÃ¢â‚¬"they get their game and they stay in. We stay right hereÃ¢â‚¬"as you come here, you will see us here."

Marilyn Young
"What they need to do is find the criminalsÃ¢â‚¬"find them!"

At news time, the men have not been charged, according to their mother.

BTIA Toledo Chapter Convenes Public Meeting Following Tropic Air Service Suspension Announcement

Yesterday, we reported that Tropic Air announced it would discontinue flights to Punta Gorda Town on November 1st.
This sent the community into a worried frenzy. No airline service means multiple sectors and services in Toledo will be essentially cut off from the rest of the country.
The BTIA Toledo Chapter quickly organized a public meeting for today to strategize the way forward.

The meeting was well attended, and several community members lamented how this closure would affect them. Importantly, they pointed out that they believe Tropic has a corporate duty. Here are snippets from the meetingÃ¢â‚¬"courtesy PGTV:

Wil Maheia, BTIA Member / Leader of PNP
"I believe that... Tropic, we have to get to the point in our country where we put people before profit. And with Tropic telling us they're losing money from Belize City to here, to me that is not rightÃ¢â‚¬"it's not correct. You are losing money from Placencia to PG if you are losing money, if the math is right."

Wil Maheia
"We, the people of Toledo District, have been serving Tropic for over 30 years, and for Tropic to come to us and give us 30 days notice is total disrespect."

Kamela Palma, Former Belize High Commissioner to UK
"I felt a visceral sickness, nausea when I read that Tropic Air decided in 30 days to stop services in the Toledo District. And the first thing I thought of was, where is Tropic Air's social corporate responsibility to the people of the Toledo District?"

Kamela Palma
"We have given this loyalty to this company, and in fact, not 30 days, maybe 30 years, maybe 30 months, but not 30 days. And one does not go without the other, because the other thing that came into my mind was that the government has to do somethingÃ¢â‚¬"you cannot allow this to happen."

Resident
"I definitely need Tropic Air to continue flying, or some other airline, because without it, our businesses will close down."

Resident
"If Tropic flights stop coming to Toledo, our services will be affected. That does not mean that it is being stoppedÃ¢â‚¬"that means it will incur additional costs. Because if the courier cannot go to Belize City, we need to send a vehicle up. Recently, we had a measles scare. Those samples have to be shipped before a certain timeÃ¢â‚¬"they cannot last more than 24 hours. We also are working with the Ministry of Rural Transformation to put water wells and pumps. Water sampling is taking place Monday and Wednesdays. Those water samples cannot last more than 24 hours. Today they were supposed to send samplesÃ¢â‚¬"those samples are not good, meaning if we went to Crique Sarco, Machakilha, that is lost, so those samples need to be taken again."

The Belize Airports Authority issued a press release today explaining that they held a stakeholder meeting last week where they reviewed the planned upgrades to the Punta Gorda Aerodrome and security requirements. To fund this, the aviation stakeholders considered a security fee of $10. It was then agreed that a phased approach would be adopted, starting at $4 and increasing by $1 until it reached $10.

BAA then says, quote, "While the Authority understands that Tropic Air has made a business decision regarding its Punta Gorda operations, the BAA wishes to emphasize that no final decision has been taken regarding the implementation of the proposed security fee, and stakeholder consultations remain active. The Authority understands the concerns that the suspension of service may create for the traveling public and the wider Punta Gorda community. The BAA remains committed to constructive and transparent dialogue with Tropic Air and other aviation stakeholders toward addressing operational concerns and identifying a practical path forward." End quote.

Senate Debates Over $59 Million USD in Foreign Loan Motions

And turning now to today's Senate meeting, over 59 million US dollars worth of loan motions were brought from the House. These loan motions were for Early Childhood Development and Female Empowerment, developing schools in Corozal and Cayo, modernizing the civil service, and in the event of natural disasters.

In the case of the 25 million US dollar contingent loan from the Inter-American Development Bank for Natural Disaster and Public Health Emergencies, the UDP senators pointed out their concerns:

Senator Glenfield Dennison Addresses Salary Disparities for Police Attorneys

And we also spoke to Labour Senator Glenfield Dennison outside the chamber. He was named in a story on LOVE TV yesterday where they discussed the imminent departure of multiple attorneys who are police officers. This would supposedly include the well-known ASP Stacy Smith and other cops who are trained attorneys.
The article focuses on compensation that police attorneys are not compensated the same as government attorneys.

Union Senator Glenfield Dennison is one of those government attorneys; he's a Crown Counsel at the DPP's office. He told us the disparity is not new:

Jomarie Lanza, 7News
"Are you aware that five attorneys within the Belize Police Department are reportedly threatening to resign over their salaries?"

Glenfield Dennison, Union Senator
"Jomarie, I don't think that's correct. I don't think that's correct, because in my knowledge, there are only three trained attorney currently in the employ of the Belize Police Department. What I do know factually is that six or at least five trained attorneys who were police have already left the Belize Police Department."

Jomarie Lanza
"What is your understanding of why attorneys employed by the Belize Police Department are reportedly earning around $37,000 annually, while attorneys in other government departments are earning significantly more?"

Glenfield Dennison
"Okay, first of all, let me categorically say that it is an injustice that they're not being paid based on the similar salaries that are paid to similarly qualified individuals in the public service, in service of the public. The distinction is the Service Commission under which they operate, and I see the will of that Service Commission to recognize the value of those members in relation to the work that they are doing, and the need to have the legal training being used for the development of the Belize Police Department. So I want to say that it is not their fault, and I join that they really should be paid in the similar... at a similar rate as all the other trained attorneys who are in the employ of the government. And this is not unique to... this is unique to the Belize Police Department"I want to make that very clear, because the Service Commission who is responsible is a Security Services Commission, and they have already recognized and have been aware of this issue for at least ten years, Jomarie. But they continue to insist that the salary, because they are police officers and the rank that they have decided to put those trained attorneys on, cannot reach the salary level that other lawyers are at, so the problem is that the police pay scale is different from the public service pay scale."

Senator Dennison Explains Government Pay Scales and Allowance Structure

But we all know the Union Senator's salary was plastered on political ads for some weeks, and today he says the disparity that exists between himself and the police attorneys is not a matter of special treatment, but rather the result of established government pay scales and allowances:

Glenfield Dennison, Union Senator
"Sure, I'm really happy to do that. Thanks for the opportunity. I pride myself on being a little boy from the south side, and so mothers out there, send your sons and daughters to law school if you want them to make those kinds of salaries that are out there, because it is not just meÃ¢â‚¬"I am not special. Anybody who enters the government service as an attorney as of the first of October 2026 starts on Pay Scale 23.13, and that is $65,000. That pay scale point was set by the Ministry of Finance in the 2012 memo. That was dated April 17th, 2012. What that memo did also is it laid out all the allowances for officers who are legal officers in the employment of the government. So that's where the thousand-dollar, the thousand-dollar housing allowance, the $500 utility allowance, the roving allowance, the motor vehicle... that's where all of those allowances come from. It's not special to me. It's by virtue of the recognition of the government for the post, and I stand proudly that I am one of the few lawyers who actually use my voice to advocate for similar treatment across the board for all technical people. So if you look at currently, if the government hires an attorney today, their starting salary would be 65,500 and... right now I'll tell you the numberÃ¢â‚¬"$65,585, that would be their starting salary, their base salary, because that's what the... the new memo that's effective 1st of October 2026 has as the point for Pay Scale 20.13, and then in addition to that, the person would also receive all the benefits of the Crown Counsel that are in the form of allowances."

Senator Labour Comments on Career Advancement Questions in Government Legal Service

There are also questions surrounding career advancement within the legal profession in government. Senator Dennison recently applied for two senior positions but was unsuccessful in both instances, including one where a junior colleague was selected for one of two available posts. We asked him if it's personal:

Jomarie Lanza, 7News
"You recently applied for a promotion and your junior got the job before you. What was the justification given to determine this?"

Glenfield Dennison, Union Senator
"I don't know. What you would have... you would have to ask the Judicial and Legal Services Commission. It's a very curious case. The officer who would have been promoted is a very hardworking individual. We work together very closely. I'm proud of him for being promoted. We both applied for the post. There were two vacancies, so he got one. I don't knowÃ¢â‚¬"you would have to ask the Judicial and Legal Services Commission why I wasn't offered one. And I also had applied for the post at the Ministry of Home Affairs to head Prosecution Branch. I was also unsuccessful. You would have to ask them. I really don't know."

Statesman Assad Shoman Delivers Keynote on Post-Independence Colonial Legacy

The Belize Policy and Research Institute at the University of Belize hosted a two-day research conference reflecting on the nation's journey toward independence. Delivering a fiery keynote address at the opening ceremony, 83-year-old statesman Assad Shoman delivered a stark assessment of Belize's post-independence reality, arguing that the nation has yet to fully break free from its colonial past.

Shoman pointed out that political independence did not mark the end of colonialism in Belize. He highlighted visible colonial markers embedded throughout daily life, pointing specifically to the national flag, anthem, and public holidays, which he argued continue to pay tribute to the era of slavery:

Assad Shoman, Keynote Speaker
"Britain created the dispute, prolonged it, and then handed the bill to Belize. It owes Belize for every cost incurred, from diplomacy and ICJ expenses to gunboats at the Sarstoon. Call it reparative justice."

"Belize is unique in other ways. We are the only country with a National Prayer enshrined in legislation. The only one with human figuresâ€”menâ€”on its flag. The only former Caribbean colony that maintains colonial symbols on its flag."

"Belize is also the only former colony whose national anthem praises slaveowners and colonisers. And the only country that, having endured trans-Atlantic slavery, annually celebrates an event whose purpose and result was to maintain invading plunderers on Belizean soil, allowing them to continue enslaving Africans for forty more years."

"Belize's two moments of "freedom" reveal the pattern: Emancipation in 1838 freed individuals but tied them to the same masters; Independence in 1981 freed a people but handed them to new mastersâ€”IMF, USAID, both ultimately controlled by the US Empire. One slavery after another, one empire after another."

"No, independence did not end colonialism. We still must decolonise."

Shoman also criticized the religious sector's influence over state legislation, citing the shelving of the Equal Opportunities Bill following opposition from the churches. According to Shoman, allowing religious organizations to dictate public policy is another clear manifestation of an enduring colonial mentality:

Assad Shoman, Keynote Speaker
"I recently found out that an Equal Opportunities Bill (EOB) which includes actions to implement the DDPA, has been trapped in the same holding pattern since 2020: consulted, revised, defended, attacked, withdrawn, resurrected, and still un-tabledâ€” a human?rights instrument delayed while discrimination continues. Six years is not a pause; it is a veto. The Bill wasn't delayed; it was executed in advance â€” a repeal before passage, a pre-emptive strike that kills equity before birth. And who is responsible for that? I am reliably informed that it is the Churches, and particularly the Evangelical churches, that have aborted the EOB. What manner of country is this that allows an unelected representative of a religious sect to veto a law that is fundamental to our Constitution and to our sacred international commitments? Well, this is just one more example where Belize is unique. It is the only country in the world where Christian churches have a constitutionally guaranteed seat in the legislature,"

"the Church member of our Senate can permanently block legislationâ€”as they have done with the Equal Opportunities Bill that seeks to give flesh to the fundamental human rights of Belizeans. This is so obviously inimical to our democracy that it is shocking that we should so complacently allow USA-funded and controlled fundamentalist churches to decide what laws are passed in our independent country. We can't even blame the former or present colonialists for thisâ€”neither the UK nor the USA allow such an aberrationâ€”but clearly it is the product of a deeply embedded colonial mentality, to give to a Western religion greater power than even the Western countries do."

The livestream of the conference is available on BELPRI's Facebook page.

Shoman Addresses Foreign Land Ownership And Its Impacts

And Shoman also spoke about land sales in Belize, noting that most of it is being bought and sold by foreigners. He explained that there are ways to prevent this from happening frequently and to protect Belize's land:

Assad Shoman, Keynote Speaker
"Belize is losing control of the land that makes a country a country. Foreigners freely acquire cayes, coastlines, and village lands without scrutiny. Speculative capital has driven Belizeans off their own shores and hollowed out cultural sovereignty, severing communities from ancestral landscapes and memory. Worse, foreigners not only buy our land but sell it freely. Belize has no law licensing or regulating real estate agentsâ€”no board, no exam, no competency standards, no consumer protection, no disciplinary mechanism. What it does have is a history of scams and fraudulent subdivisions. The lone bright spot is the evolving jurisprudence on Maya Land Rights. In 2010, Chief Justice Conteh ruled that Maya sustenance and continuity depend on lands occupied by their forebears; for them, he said, the dispute is about survival, not just land."

Assad Shoman
"We can reclaim what was stolen; we can restrict the sale of our territory to foreigners; we can set firm, differential limits on how much land nationals and non-nationals may hold. We must ensure that our children and grandchildren do not become land orphans in their homeland. We must legislate to assert that this country is not up for auction. Belizean land must remain Belizean, held in trust for those who will come after us, not surrendered to capitalists who see it only as an investment portfolio."

Belize Records 193 Regional Nationals Granted Status Under CARICOM Free Movement

One year after Belize implemented CARICOM's Full Free Movement policy alongside Barbados, Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, official figures show 193 regional nationals were granted status in the country.
According to data from the Belize Immigration Department covering October 2025 through September 2026, the vast majorityâ€”186 peopleâ€”acquired their status directly at ports of entry. Barbadians made up the largest group with 126 entrants, followed by 36 from Dominica and 30 from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Authorities report that most visitors entered for short-term purposes, including business, tourism, and sports. Meanwhile, Social Security Board records show only nine individuals registered through June 2026, indicating that only a small number of regional arrivals have actively entered the local workforce or accessed state benefits during the program's first year.

BFLA Executive Director Calls for Abortion Law Reform on World Safe Abortion Day

his morning, the Executive Director of BFLA appeared on Sunup on 7 to discuss an important but often taboo topic: abortion. September 28th marked World Safe Abortion Day, and BFLA is calling for abortion law reform. The laws regarding abortion were legislated in the 1980s and criminalize abortion except in the most extreme instances. However, as Burke pointed out, criminalizing abortion does not prevent it from happening; it just forces women to have unsafe and clandestine abortions.

Burke explained that in countries where abortions are fully legalized, hospital admissions for unsafe abortions are drastically reduced:

Joan Burke, Executive Director, BFLA
"The abortion law in Belize is within the Criminal Code, and there are some provisions in that law that make it possible for a woman to access abortion services. I want to say, when compared to the rest of the region, especially the English-speaking Caribbean, Belize has a more liberal law when it comes to other, in that at least there are three conditions under which a woman can access abortion. In some countries, it's noneâ€”if you are to die, you die. What we're looking at and what we're asking for is to go back to the drawing board and look at what are the gains in the region, and also the evidence that is being provided by WHO as they call upon countries to consider total legalization of abortion. I want to say that legalization doesn't mean that everybody is going out there to get an abortion like a pack of bread. It means then that the state and partners have the responsibility of providing information as it relates to responsible sexual decisions and making sure that the resources are available, that commodities, as we call it, or contraceptive options are available."

"The evidence has shown, for example, if we look at Barbados and Guyana within our region who have the law that totally legalizes abortion, Barbados reported a 71% decrease in admissions due to unsafe abortionsâ€”71% decrease in ten years, and Guyana reported a 97% decrease in 13 years in admission to their main hospital."

Belize Flat Fishers Association President Highlights Threats of Coastal Erosion and King Tides

And Eworth Garbutt, the President of the Belize Flat Fishers Association, was also on Sunup on 7 this morning. He brought attention to a topic we told you about last night: the King Tides. He pointed out that beaches from Gales Point Manatee to Barranco are facing erosion:

Eworth Garbutt, President, BFFA
"We are in October already. 2024 King Tides were obvious because we saw it when all the drains were flood. King Tides are the highest annual predictable tideâ€”it's predictable, and it starts from September to December. But we're really in September, October... the north usually already comes by November, December the tide get low, the rain ease off. But my point now is the way I want to see how we can put this together. The moon, the earth, and the sun align, all these things align, so the sun and moon are pulling, so it's time for us to pull. I don't feel us pulling, I don't feel it from the top, and I'm not blaming the government, but they're the leadersâ€”they ones that are in. I don't feel the synergyâ€”this is high time for us to come together, whether it be private company, government, NGOs, all hands on deck."

Eworth Garbutt
"What I have not seen during the 26th of September, which is the full moonâ€”that's the highest that this year, I measure it, we have 20 inches of high tide. So my dock was four inches from being completely covered. They charge you a lot of money for you to have your dock right now, but I'm not seeing out there... like even building codes are important, everything it comes to King Tide."

Eworth Garbutt
"This day, you see how calm this is? That's 26th of September, look how level it is to the land. If that came with wind, that building would be gone. God help us this King Tide that it wasn't... it was calm."

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