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
Is the Senate Special Select Committee being undermined by the government? Tonight, that's the question many are asking after two days of hearings set for today and tomorrow had to be postponed at the very last minute.
Why? Well the committee got a last minute letter from the Attorney General's office late on Friday evening. Chair of the Committee Janelle Chanona explained:
Janelle Chanona. Chair, SSSC "Friday evening at 6 p.m. we were forwarded a legal memo from the Attorney General's Ministry indicating to the President of the Senate that there are two things that would prevent today's meeting. One is that the Senate is on recess since Holy Week and two that as a result of being on recess that the committee should not be working because decisions taken at the committee meeting may be legally challengeable."
"We responded Saturday morning to that legal memo content and up to Sunday last night we got a response again after hours from the office of the president indicating that the decision was not just to cancel our committee meetings or to advise that the committee meeting should not proceed but that all committee meetings scheduled outside of recess be canceled or within recess be canceled."
"What we do lament and what we place on record is that the timing, had we been able to get this legal opinion which I will say right off is the very first time a legal opinion on such procedure has been asked for and received but it is regrettable that Friday evening into the weekend for a Monday morning meeting that this transpired, but we definitely share the interest of everyone that want to err on the side of caution and so last night we moved very quickly to inform the witnesses."
"We had some key witnesses planned for today to say that this was a technicality that was being brought to the committee's attention and that we are looking now at a new date in May for the committee to meet and move ahead with its work."
Four persons were set to appear between today and tomorrow - including developer David Gegg, one of the landowners, and the former chief environmental officer.
Those hearings have now been postponed until after May 5th.
Tonight, there are unprecedented claims of impropriety being made against a major commercial bank. And they come from Godfrey Smith, the attorney for ousted Stake Bank Developer Michael Feinstein.
It's part of the escalating hostilities between Feinstein and the Atlantic Bank
In a letter sent to the Governor and Chairman of the Central Bank today, Smith alleges that Atlantic Bank was playing fast and loose on the Stake Bank loan and, in so doing, running afoul of Central Bank regulations and putting depositors money at risk.
He alleges that Atlantic Bank's 60 million dollar loan to Stake Bank was not properly secured and alleges that the bank, quote, "created subsidiary credit facilities, under the guise of construction credit loans, amounting to roughly $21 mil to continue funding (Stake Bank) and to avoid CBB scrutiny." End quote.
Smith also alleges that the principals of Atlantic Bank had an interest in the Stake Bank investment and because of that brought Atlantic Bank into a related party transaction with Stake Bank, which is strictly prohibited under Banking regulations.
Smith asks the Governor of the Central Bank to urgently investigate these matters, and, if not, his client will go to court to force him to do so.
So what will the Central Bank Governor Kareem Michael do? Well, we reached out to him today - but up to news time he had not given us a comment.
Like we said, the letter is another attack in an escalating war, and credible sources tell us that the bank is also stocking up on ammunition by retaining foreign forensic accounting experts to review Feinstein's use of loan funds and fiscal incentives granted to the Company.
And switching now to crime news….there were no murders this weekend, but a man has been charged after a fatal collision on a dirt road in Crooked Tree village. Jomarie Lanza reports.
One man is dead and another is out on bail after a fatal collision in Crooked Tree Village on Saturday. The deceased, 56 year old Richard Crawford was on this red dirt bike, when 33 year old Andy Gillett who was behind the wheel of this Mazda tribute collided into him.
ACP Hilberto Romero, OCED "Ok about 6:20 am on Saturday, police responded to a fatal road traffic accident at Crooked Tree Village. Upon their arrival they saw a Mazda pickup with extensive damage and a motorcycle. Information is that Andy Gillett was driving the Mazda vehicle when he lost control and collided into a motorcycle being driven at the time by Richard Crawford. Crawford received severe injuries, was taken to the KHMH where he was pronounced dead on arrival."
"Andy Gillett has since been arrested and charged for the crimes of manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct and rover motor vehicle without due care and attention."
He was arraigned today and released on bail:
OJ Elrington, Attorney "Well, yes he was arraigned for 3 different charges; manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct and driving without due care and attention. The matter came before the learned magistrate this morning and he was granted bail in the sun of $8,000 with 2 sureties."
Reporter "Are you familiar with the accident this weekend?"
OJ Elrington, Attorney "No, right now we don't have anything beyond what is the summary of facts which I always say is misnomer, because it is the police's version of the facts and so until I have been able to.... we have disclosure on July 4th and then is when we will have the evidence that the prosecution intends to use against my client for the substantive matter."
Reporter "Could you tell us a little about the bail? Was there objection to bail?"
OJ Elrington, Attorney "No, the prosecutor did not object to bail and so he was granted bail in the sum of $8,000. He has to surrender his travel documents and has to keep away from any of the prosecution witnesses."
And a 7 year old is dead - after his father was speeding and caused the vehicle they were in to flip.
It happened on the old Northern Highway on Sunday. The commander of Eastern Division Hilberto Romero gave us more details today.
ACP Hilberto Romero, OCED "On Sunday the 21st day of April 2024, there was a fatal RTA between miles 28 and 29 on the Old Northern Highway. Police visited the area where they saw the vehicle, a Mercedes Benz overturned. Information is that the driver of that vehicle is Martin Swift who was along with several of his family members when he lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle flipped. Several of them received injuries.They were taken to the KHMH for treatment where Martin Swift junior, 7 years, succumbed to his injuries."
Reporter"Was speeding a factor?"
ACP Hilberto Romero, OCED "Yes, the area where the accident occurred there is a curve and yes, we believe speeding was the cause."
The other injured persons are in the hospital recovering and their injuries are not life threatening.
On Friday night we told you about Shanique Meighan. She's the sister of murder suspect Ellis Meighan - and her mother alleges she was arbitrarily detained under the SOE - to force her brother to turn himself in.
Well, after that story aired, on Friday night she became the first SOE detainee to be sent home. While other detainees will have to wait until this Friday for the SOE to expire, MeIghan got her free paper on Friday night.
In a written statement Meighan says that after being picked up and sent to prison in a bus with all males, she was placed directly in solitary confinement when she got to prison.
She says that on Friday, GI-3 officers arrived at the prison with a revocation order from the Minister of Home Affairs, indicating the state of emergency order under her name had been lifted. She concludes, quote, "It's concerning that without my family's advocacy and media attention to my situation, I might still be detained."
If you've ever sought private medical care in Belize City, there's a high chance you sat in Dr Fernando Cuellar's office. In the decades that he has practiced medicine, he provided great care and comfort from that office.
But today it sat empty, as it has for the past month. And after his passing on Saturday - Dr Cuellar's patients will never again see him sitting across that desk.
He was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the month. The disease took its toll quickly, taking his life before he was done living it. According to a statement from his family, he wanted to fight it, and to return home to continue saving lives.
But while the work of "Belize's Doctor" is done, his legacy continues, and today he was remembered by his colleagues at the Belize Medical Associates.
Courtney Menzies has this story.
Dr Fernando Cuellar had the longest waitlist at the Belize Medical Associates - and for good reason. He personified what it meant to be a medical professional - to preserve health and life as best as he could.
But while he was saving others, cancer was slowly killing him.
Earlier this month, he was diagnosed with blood cancer. And on Saturday night, he passed away in the United States, where he was seeking treatment.
According to Dr Marcelo Coyi, he began noticing symptoms in January. And today, the hospital's staff is still expecting that he'll walk through their doors.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates "It's sad, up to now we still believe he's coming back to work but unfortunately no. It's sad because he had been with us for 23 years from 2001 and he has been a very good doctor, as you can see from his patient load. He also began the intensive care unit here at Belize Medical Associates and all the training that goes along with it of the nurses, the instruments that you need and it also helped us with our protocols for emergency care and so he definitely was key to Belize Medical Associates and also I would say within the wider community, he was well respected, he had a lot of refers from our fellow physicians and so yes his absence is… we sadly miss him."
And so will his patients. The combination of Dr Cuellar's knowledge, candor, compassion and sense of humor made him the doctor of choice of many, and according to Dr Coyi, made it easier for him to get through to his patients.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates "That is what I think made him outstanding, apart from being a very bright person that he also had a lot of other good features like empathy for persons, for his patients. He felt for them and also his social skills, he was able to communicate quite easily with anybody, whether his patients are poor, whether his patients are rich, he would communicate with them and he had that ability that some of lack that made him such an outstanding physician."
And what also helped him in his professional career was his love for learning, and his willingness to take on even the most challenging tasks:
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates "Very jovial fellow. Academically, he used to read a lot. I think up to a week ago, before his death, he sent in our BMA chat group articles that he was reading and I said, boy, this man sick but still reading, because he always kept ahead of medical knowledge which changes day by day so you have to keep ahead."
Dr. Victor Rosado, Chairman, Board Of Directors, BMA "Intensive care medicine is probably one of the most coveted fields and only the very brightest would go into intensive care medicine where you make life and death decisions. It is so stressful, you don't have working hours, so most doctors now are trying to go for specializations that are 8 to 5 and that sort of thing. But he didn't shy away, and he never shied away from difficult cases, he never shied away from high profile, as he would never shy away from a good debate on a medical topic, marijuana in healthcare, and COVID, he never shied away. When the entire country was not knowing what to do with COVID, he was there, we need to do something, so we transformed an area of our hospital to treat COVID patients and he would put on his PPE and he treated patients. He was a trailblazer in that area."
And then he caught COVID himself back in 2021. It left him hospitalized - and even from his hospital bed he was giving interviews on his own condition. But though he survived it, it ramped up his diabetes, and forced him to amputate one of his toes.
And while it was the cancer that ultimately took his life, his age combined with the co-morbidities contributed heavily.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates "It's just unfortunately with the blood cancer, it could happen with anyone, we don't know the etiology, we don't know why it happens to any particular person but having had that diagnosis, these blood cancers are harder to treat in adults as opposed to in children so he was already at risk because of age then because of his co-morbidities of diabetes, which he had publicly announced and his amputation, he said it's a sexy toe he now has, that made it worse."
And while Dr Cuellar has helped many to navigate the throes of grief, now his personal and professional family are the ones that need comforting.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates "Grief is difficult, both to the family, the immediate family, siblings, and friends, his patients a lot of them are panicking and grief is hard and people have to go through the stages and some of them are initially not good, people get upset, people vex, but eventually I think when we go through that process, there is resolution, the acceptance of what happened and it's nobody's fault, it's not his fault, it's nobody's fault, it's just, that's life and we have to accept it as it is."
Dr Cuellar was fifty seven years old, and had four children.
We note that his contribution to public health was also substantial. Over many years, he held various positions at the KHMH, at one time being the Director of Medical Services.
And for us in the media, Dr Cuellar was more than a doctor - he was a medical authority that we could always turn to. He spoke without fear of retribution and always in the interest of public health. He was one text away if you wanted an interview on any topic - diabetes, heatstroke, blood clots, COVID - and he'd usually tell you to visit his office at lunchtime. His accessibility and honesty had a measurable effect on public health awareness in the community. Today, two news directors reflected on his willingness to speak publicly.
Isani Cayetano, News Director, News 5 Live "To hear the unfortunate news over the weekend that he had succumbed to his illness, I think it's a major loss for the country in terms of persons who accessed the healthcare system both at a private and public level, it's a loss for us in the media as well, simply because he was our consultant. If we needed any kind of professional opinion on anything that had to do with medicine, about the local healthcare system or what-have-you, Dr Cuellar was always more than willing to share his knowledge and his expertise with us and I think one thing I could always say that I admire about him is his candor. He never held any punches, he says exactly what needs to be said and takes no prisoners and because of that, perhaps others would have seen him as sort of a controversial figure but at the same time he was directing what needed to be said and I think we could all appreciate that and we need more people in professional life who could just speak their mind on a matter and share with us what would be the information that we need to know."
"When you know, when you have researched, when you are in a position to be able to communicate knowledge, that becomes your responsibility socially, and I think he embraced that."
Jules Vasquez, News Director, 7News Belize "I think that from a professional perspective, Dr Cuellar occupied a very singular and unusual space. He was that most sought out type of public figure because he believed in transparency, he believe in availability and he believed in open doors. We live in a society where everyone is afraid of their words, "I don't want to say that about this one." He was fearless, he was irreverent, but he did not do these things for just the sake of irreverence, he did it out of his deep concern for public health. I think this man was really an apostle of public health."
"He really believed, rightly, that public information was the antidote to so many public health issues and that we had to speak about things honestly."
And after Dr Cuellar contracted and survived COVID, the interviews he gave were virtual for a while - but still, he never refused, using his own experience as an example. And during the three years of the pandemic, he served as a voice of reason and reassurance, both inside the hospital and on air. And for media houses, he was a major help in relaying accurate and authoritative information in a time of extreme uncertainty.
Isani Cayetano, News Director, News 5 Live "You had a situation where you had all of these health professionals from the government and the private sector who were forming together to see how best they could shepherd through this pandemic and with his knowledge, he shared both the good and the bad. And it goes back to what I was saying, he never held anything back so if he felt that a policy wasn't really working or was too bureaucratic or whatever the case, you would hear from him. If he is of the feeling or the belief that this was working, you'd always hear from him in a positive light that these are the steps that needed to be taken and so while the pandemic was something that we have never lived through before now, to have someone like him as a voice in the background that say, okay, you know what, this is the right step, but this is also what we need to do, I think it was reassuring."
Jules Vasquez, News Director, 7News Belize "I think that Dr Cuellar was heroic during COVID. There has never been a time of greater uncertainty about public health and he spoke with such clarity, such authority, such fearlessness, in a time when everybody was scared, we were scared of our loved ones, of our neighbors, and he really was like, in a night of darkness, he was a torch that just made, that clarified the overall picture that much more and it really invested all of us with a lot of confidence I think that we'll make it out."
"When he got back from COVID, and he got it bad, he made himself available for interviews. When he lost his toe to diabetes, I felt bad for us to even call him but such was his public record that we know he's willing to talk about it. And he did."
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"You can't ever calculate how many people Tony Cuellar helped and healed just by using the media."
And today the Minister of Health expressed sentiments similar to Dr Cuellar's colleagues. He gave his condolences to the family, but emphasized the impact his death will have on the medical community.
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness "I want to, personally, as we put out on our statement on the ministry's social media page, extend our deepest condolences on behalf of myself as the Minister of Health and Wellness, the ministry, but the wider government and the wider general public who have gotten in contact with Dr. Cuellar, one way or the other, whether it was a personal discussion I had with Dr. Cuellar when I became the minister in a private discussion and his adamant position on wanting to see betterment for our country in the public sector, and he was right in many ways."
"He was a very vocal individual, but very right in his position. A lot of people may not have agreed with so many things he said, but at the end of the day he wanted betterment for this country. He wanted to see our healthcare system improve. He wanted to see life to improve, and it's so sad that he had to encounter such issue and has lost his life, sadly. And so it's going to be a great loss for the medical fraternity in this country, and I know that his colleagues across Belize, and not only in Belize, but those who have come in contact with across the globe, are very much felt the impact of his loss."
And turning now to other health news, the Central Medical Laboratory has gotten a much needed upgrade courtesy the European Union and PAHO. The facility has been retrofitted to improve its functionality and climate resilience. Here are the highlights from today's big reveal:
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness "But I am very happy that we have reached this milestone today, where the EU, through the support of PAHO as well, has been able to graciously afford us almost 1.3 plus million dollars worth of retrofitting at the Central Medical Lab."
"As you know, since the fire at the Central Medical Lab, there has been a lot of issues with the facility, infrastructure-wise, and in terms of spacing, even though that we have invested in terms of increasing the capacity within the Central Medical Lab, there is need for better improvement, better work conditions, ensuring that the facility is more climate resilient, and so forth."
"And so this retrofitting ground breaking today is testament to the commitment as a government, and in the support of our partners in PAHO and EU, who have been able to reach this milestone. And I know that the staff at CML here are very much eager, as I mentioned, for this retrofitting, while, as I said, we have been able to see the improvement within the work that is being carried out here at CML."
Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell, PAHO WHO Rep. "So the retrofitting of the Central Medical Laboratory is part of a bigger program, the Health Sector Support Program, for Belize. So this is a collaboration between the Pan-American Health Organization, World Health Organization Country Office, and the Minister of Health and Wellness, with funding support from the European Union."
"This is a program. It is roughly some US$10 million in total, and we focus on three strategic objectives. The first one is about improving the efficiency, the resilience, and the environmental friendliness of health facilities."
"The second strategic objective focuses on improving the organization of the health systems and services. And the third strategic objective focuses on developing a clinical data exchange platform, so that health information can be shared between the public sector, the NHI, Social Security Board, and the private sector as well."
"And the whole purpose of this Health Sector Support Program is to improve the health services in Belize, and to improve better health for all in Belize."
And with renovations in the works, the Lab Techs at CML are wondering if there will be a salary adjustment to go with it. Last year, pharmacists received their increase, but lab technicians have been waiting for any word that they'll be getting a much needed raise. Today the Minister confirmed it's already in the budget.
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness "When you look at the government structure and payscale in the entire system, you realize that we started in the nursing side when we did some adjustment with the nursing. This was before me. And then last year we did the adjustment for the pharmacist."
"As you know, a lot of these people were on the very low payscale. We were losing these people to the private sector. And then we have people advancing in their career and not getting up to payscale where they need."
"So we had to take a whole complete look. And so our ministry had that discussion with the public service, with the Ministry of Finance. Last year, like I said, we got the approval for the pharmacist."
"So they are now on the proper structure. We're now working in terms of, and I know the exercise has been done and we have allocated for it in the budget. So I don't want you to say, oh, we just passed a budget and then you'll come back and want a supplementary. We already accounted for that in the budget to ensure that our med technicians, our med technologists, our vector control unit, and our public health inspectors are all upgraded to the right payscale that they ought to be. One, its also about making sure we can retain our health professionals within the country, at the same time giving them a proper compensation for the work they do."
Last week we told you that a truck was stolen from the Western Regional Hospital parking lot and later discovered in Guatemala. Since then, the truck has been recovered and it is back in Belize. But who stole it, and how did they do it? The security guard reported seeing the truck leave at midnight, so why weren't the police immediately called? The Minister said he doesn't have all the details just yet.
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness "I don't know the details of the truck. I'll be honest with you. All I was informed in the morning, I was out in Chile at a summit, a ministerial summit on patient safety. When my CEO informed me that they were informed that a truck, one of the pickup was stolen. Immediately let me just say though It's not about whether it was stolen, it's about the quick reaction, the quick response that our ministry, on a personnel at the ministry, and I must give my people kudos for that, because they got on board, they got in contact with the police, the police worked very immediately and efficiently with us, and that's how we were able to get and track that vehicle across the Guatemalan side and the Guatemalan territories as well, worked very closely with our ministry and also our police personnel, through the Compol and his team, that we were able to get that vehicle right back in country the following day."
Reporter "It's alarming though that the security guard saw the vehicle leaving at midnight and it didn't raise any alarm bells or suspicion?"
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness "Of course it does. Of course it does, and I'm sure that we are going to ensure that the proper investigations are carried out, to ensure that one, those persons who were there to protect the equipment, the investments of our people, which are the taxpayers' money, to ensure that they can answer to any questions that may arise."
"I know the police are doing their own investigation into the matter, but I have not gotten any other details as it relates to that."
And while officers brought the vehicle back on Belizean soil, there's still a debate on whether they should move injured persons to the hospital. The Commissioner said no, while the Minister of Police said discretion should be used. Minister Bernard agreed with the commissioner but said more needs to be done so that the officers aren't put into that predicament.
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness "From a medical perspective, I'm no medical doctor. I am no medical technician, and you all know that. But when you look at, I mean, when you look at, the commissioner is right in his own way in saying what he said, because when you look at the responsibility of a police officer, they are no medical doctors either, there are no EMT."
"Now what we have seen in this country is that we have been able to train through the fire department, we have been getting additional EMT persons being trained in the field, we are working in the private sector, both in the ministry as well, we are trying to ensure that we enhance EMT services to build the capacity."
"We have to understand. If you are in the U.S, for example, you won't see a police officer moving anybody. There's a response team that will report that comes to the rescue. So in one way, the commissioner is right."
"It's something that we have been used to. Maybe the way he said it came out differently, but in right, the commissioner is right. And not a lot of people realize, oh, the police are there, the police doesn't want to touch the body, they don't want to move anything."
"You cannot just move a person that is injured, just right so. You could cause even more harm. And that's the reason why I think the commissioner made that comment. So it's not for us to condemn him for what he said, but at the same time, for us to understand what the roles and function of every partner when it comes to responding to an emergency has to play. The fire department, the police department, the medical team, and of course, our rescue team, BERT, for example, has their own response. And so we have to find a way as stakeholders to see how we address those type of issues as we go along. There's a lot we need to do, but let us get into that."
Reporter "In one way he's right, but it was the other side too."
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health and Wellness "There's more we need to do. My position is that there's more we need to do."
"So we need to get our EMT personnel, in fact, on the ministry level, we need to see that they train more persons in emergency response. We need more volunteers as well to come on board in terms of being able to respond to an incident on the scene."
It's 1.3 million dollars put to good use after years without repairs and upgrades. Now some of the soldiers at Price Barracks will have a brand new place to shower and rest their heads upon returning from those draining missions out in the jungle. Jomarie Lanza was there for today's handing over and here's what she learned.
14 years after the project was first developed, The soldiers stationed here at price barracks have finally received a long overdue upgrade to one of their facilities.
Through a project made possible with a loan from CABEI, the Ministry Of Economic Development handed over a fully equipped dormitory. The Minister Of Defense says that it is a proud day for them
Florencio Marin, Minister of National Defense "We are constructing and refurbishing where we can. The Price Barracks has all installations of the military throughout the country. Right now this is a barrack room for our soldiers it can hold I believe like a platoon size. it has all the basics for our good soldiers accommodation. There are showers a wash hand area an area for their washing machines. And the area where when they come from a patrol outside, they can do a quick wash. Clearly they can sleep and put their stuff safely. So it is very good accommodation. I am very pleased with this project. I feel a sense of pride and us getting it done."
It's a small win for the BDF, though there are other upgrades that are of higher priority. Marin says they will get it done bit by bit.
Florencio Marin, Minister of National Defense "It's a challenge because there are always priorities. If you remember, we just completed the Sarstoon FOB that was a priority to have but as well, the accommodations for the soldiers' rest is a vital part of any military component. After they come from very hard patrolling they need a place where they can rest up and get their personal stuff done. We also have the new dining hall that is coming into being. We fixed the ablutions earlier in the year. We have done some repairs in the other camps we are working on our warrant officers and Sergeant Majors accommodations as well. One by one we are getting them there. There is a lot of work that has to get done you are totally right, but we have to tackle them one by one."
The next project set to be completed is the dining hall on the base. CEO Martinez says that it was urgent after being declared a health hazard
Dr Osmond Martinez, CEO Economic Development and Investment "CABEI as you know was a silent partner for many years and so we have woken up that partner and this is the result of our ability to build relationships with development partners such as CABEI."
Reporter "How much was invested into this project?"
Dr Osmond Martinez "Into this one here it is 1.3 million BZ and then we have the second building as well that will be completed in just a month from now and the kitchen on the other side which was a health hazard it was declared a health hazard in 2019 by the ministry of health and so that construction is ongoing."
And while the dorm provides a place to rest - what's keeping soldiers up at night right now is the prospect of an impending pay cut.
Two weeks ago we told you that BDF soldiers would be taking a pay cut sometime in May after an error was found in the system that led to them being overpaid for the past 5 years.
We asked the Minister about it two weeks ago - and he didn't have a definitive answer.
And today, he was again deliberately vague:
Florencio Marin, Minister of National Defense "The BDF high command is sensitizing the soldiers as to the issue and we believe that everyone knows that there was a discrepancy in the salary and there are those who are not getting anything and they are soldiering on professionally as soldiers do and we should thank our BDF for that. In the cabinet we have approved some measures that will be able to address all of these but at the same time to be fair to everyone involved."
But can the Minister provide specifics on the BDF's planned involvement in a security support mission to Haiti?
That is, will our soldiers be heading to Haiti? Or will they be coming home?
On April 2nd 31 BDF soldiers, and 20 Coast Guardsmen, were deployed to Jamaica for a four week multinational force training in preparation for a mission to Haiti. Well, the four weeks are almost finished, and there's still no definitive answer on Haiti. For now, they will be coming on, and the rest? Well, that's up to Cabinet too!:
Florencio Marin, Minister of National Defense "Well they will be returning home. Remember, it is just a training. They are returning home This is being done for every major deployment as something as this. The soldiers, the military always prepares ahead of time to be able to be as ready as they can for the mission know with that being said the final decision for the troops to be deployed rests with cabinet."
And though these soldiers might not be heading to Haiti anytime soon - without first getting a green light from the government - they are very much needed in the south where Guatemalan incursions persist - especially in the Columbia Forest reserve where loggers even built bridges to haul timber back into Guatemala. A recent trek by the territorial volunteers into the Forest reserve shows that logging persist but Marin says the two bridges have been destroyed:
Florencio Marin, Minister of National Defense "If you remember, we already destroyed two of the bridges already for these things of course you know that as we destroy new ones are built. so it is something that we are always chasing after, always ensuring that we stay on top of it. One of the unique challenges to this though is that remember when it comes to the adjacency zone we are binded by the confidence building measures. So certain things we have to have verified before we just act upon it. But in the meantime, just because you don't see the military act on it it does not mean that the military is not aware of it. They are not collecting their evidence, not putting all the information together so that when we act on it they do so expeditiously just as you saw With the two bridges that were destroyed the other day."
And while there are more incursions into Belizean territory, there are fewer drug plane landings being reported. This may have more to do with the cartels than local enforcement - but Marin commended the soldiers:
Florencio Marin, Minister of National Defense "It is a real team effort with this yes we constantly have to be on the ball to be able to discourage these types of operations as you know we also have a caravan that is assisting us that goes to identify different aspects of what may or may not contribute to it. But it is our enhanced vigilance dedication of our soldiers. I give them all the credit for that to be able to keep this at a minimum I won't say that we have completely stopped it but part of it is the complete vigilance of our soldiers."
With the national gender policy under review, the ministry of human development is expanding it's awareness and outreach to various security forces in the country including the BDF.
In the past there have been grave reports of sexual assault occurring within the force, and though it cannot be entirely prevented says the minister, the least they can do is reinforce policies and educate their soldiers.
Florencio Marin, Minister of National Defense "We have found in our ministry that this type of training has to be ongoing so we cannot do one training and then it is all solved. We have it all is a part of trying to change the culture of it and so we need to sensitize our soldiers male and female soldiers to be able to operate within the boundaries and all because they are working together and it is an active process where even working with Minister Dolores to be able to get professional help so that these things can be minimized. To tell you that we can eliminate them, I can and I wish to be on top of it yes. As you know, we have a zero tolerance policy, so which soldier we find in breach of that they will be addressed."
And tonight the board of the Saint Francis Xavier Credit union may have been ousted by the Registrar of Credit Unions - and then lost a challenge to his decision in the high court - but they say they don't have to appeal. Here's what they told us in a Zoom today:
Everaldo Puck, Suspended Chairman, SFXCU "No, we will not appeal. We are just waiting to go back to govern and to administrate the credit union."
Jules Vasquez "There was an overall breakdown of internal controls. The breakdown of controls is based on deliberate interference by management and the board of directors to override policies and procedures for their benefits."
"The systematic breakdown has been a progression of credit union business. There's no accountability by the general manager who has been at the helm of the institution for over two decades. If these results are publicized or ventilated, it's not a good look for you all."
Everaldo Puck, Suspended Chairman, SFXCU "Our position is this. It's very difficult for anybody to want to publicize them because they are still questionable."
Jules Vasquez "Sir, this thing looks like you all were running this thing like a mafia. That is just from these snippets I get. Looks like you all were running it like a mafia."
Everaldo Puck, Suspended Chairman, SFXCU "I see what you mean, but it's not this present board. It's a past board."
Reporter "But in the reports that I've been reading, there was not necessarily, in my view, efforts made for proper accountability and transparency. Look at the situation where you have Mr. Dominguez as the general manager there at that credit union, his son managing another branch of the credit union, his son's girlfriend or wife managing another branch of the credit union."
Everaldo Puck, Suspended Chairman, SFXCU "We did not find it necessary to do away with those employees."
Reporter "You did not find it necessary to do away, so for you perception and optics in terms of accountability and transparency was not a factor."
Everaldo Puck, Suspended Chairman, SFXCU "No, their work was very transparent, and in fact, they were very fruitful."
Jules Vasquez "You all expect that you all will return to the seat of power at the credit union. Is that your expectation at this time?"
Everaldo Puck, Suspended Chairman, SFXCU "We expect that, yes. It will be a real robbery to extend the administration up to the end of our tenure."
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"Friday evening at 6 p.m. we were forwarded a legal memo from the Attorney General's Ministry indicating to the President of the Senate that there are two things that would prevent today's meeting. One is that the Senate is on recess since Holy Week and two that as a result of being on recess that the committee should not be working because decisions taken at the committee meeting may be legally challengeable."
Tonight, there are unprecedented claims of impropriety being made against a major commercial bank. And they come from Godfrey Smith, the attorney for ousted Stake Bank Developer Michael Feinstein.
And switching now to crime news….there were no murders this weekend, but a man has been charged after a fatal collision on a dirt road in Crooked Tree village. Jomarie Lanza reports.
"Ok about 6:20 am on Saturday, police responded to a fatal road traffic accident at Crooked Tree Village. Upon their arrival they saw a Mazda pickup with extensive damage and a motorcycle. Information is that Andy Gillett was driving the Mazda vehicle when he lost control and collided into a motorcycle being driven at the time by Richard Crawford. Crawford received severe injuries, was taken to the KHMH where he was pronounced dead on arrival."
OJ Elrington, Attorney 
And a 7 year old is dead - after his father was speeding and caused the vehicle they were in to flip.
On Friday night we told you about Shanique Meighan. She's the sister of murder suspect Ellis Meighan - and her mother alleges she was arbitrarily detained under the SOE - to force her brother to turn himself in.
If you've ever sought private medical care in Belize City, there's a high chance you sat in Dr Fernando Cuellar's office. In the decades that he has practiced medicine, he provided great care and comfort from that office.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates
Dr. Victor Rosado, Chairman, Board Of Directors, BMA 
And for us in the media, Dr Cuellar was more than a doctor - he was a medical authority that we could always turn to. He spoke without fear of retribution and always in the interest of public health. He was one text away if you wanted an interview on any topic - diabetes, heatstroke, blood clots, COVID - and he'd usually tell you to visit his office at lunchtime. His accessibility and honesty had a measurable effect on public health awareness in the community. Today, two news directors reflected on his willingness to speak publicly.
"To hear the unfortunate news over the weekend that he had succumbed to his illness, I think it's a major loss for the country in terms of persons who accessed the healthcare system both at a private and public level, it's a loss for us in the media as well, simply because he was our consultant. If we needed any kind of professional opinion on anything that had to do with medicine, about the local healthcare system or what-have-you, Dr Cuellar was always more than willing to share his knowledge and his expertise with us and I think one thing I could always say that I admire about him is his candor. He never held any punches, he says exactly what needs to be said and takes no prisoners and because of that, perhaps others would have seen him as sort of a controversial figure but at the same time he was directing what needed to be said and I think we could all appreciate that and we need more people in professional life who could just speak their mind on a matter and share with us what would be the information that we need to know."
Jules Vasquez, News Director, 7News Belize 
And after Dr Cuellar contracted and survived COVID, the interviews he gave were virtual for a while - but still, he never refused, using his own experience as an example. And during the three years of the pandemic, he served as a voice of reason and reassurance, both inside the hospital and on air. And for media houses, he was a major help in relaying accurate and authoritative information in a time of extreme uncertainty.
"I want to, personally, as we put out on our statement on the ministry's social media page, extend our deepest condolences on behalf of myself as the Minister of Health and Wellness, the ministry, but the wider government and the wider general public who have gotten in contact with Dr. Cuellar, one way or the other, whether it was a personal discussion I had with Dr. Cuellar when I became the minister in a private discussion and his adamant position on wanting to see betterment for our country in the public sector, and he was right in many ways."
Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell, PAHO WHO Rep.
Last week we told you that a truck was stolen from the Western Regional Hospital parking lot and later discovered in Guatemala. Since then, the truck has been recovered and it is back in Belize. But who stole it, and how did they do it? The security guard reported seeing the truck leave at midnight, so why weren't the police immediately called? The Minister said he doesn't have all the details just yet.
It's 1.3 million dollars put to good use after years without repairs and upgrades. Now some of the soldiers at Price Barracks will have a brand new place to shower and rest their heads upon returning from those draining missions out in the jungle. Jomarie Lanza was there for today's handing over and here's what she learned.
Florencio Marin, Minister of National Defense
Dr Osmond Martinez, CEO Economic Development and Investment
And while the dorm provides a place to rest - what's keeping soldiers up at night right now is the prospect of an impending pay cut.
And though these soldiers might not be heading to Haiti anytime soon - without first getting a green light from the government - they are very much needed in the south where Guatemalan incursions persist - especially in the Columbia Forest reserve where loggers even built bridges to haul timber back into Guatemala. A recent trek by the territorial volunteers into the Forest reserve shows that logging persist but Marin says the two bridges have been destroyed:
And tonight the board of the Saint Francis Xavier Credit union may have been ousted by the Registrar of Credit Unions - and then lost a challenge to his decision in the high court - but they say they don't have to appeal. Here's what they told us in a Zoom today:
Everaldo Puck, Suspended Chairman, SFXCU