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Important Note: This Internet version of 7 News is a verbatum
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Phantom Workers And Phantom Projects At Youth And Sports But Is There An Audit? (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
When Minister Anthony Mahler and Minister of State Devin Daly took over the Ministry of Youth and Sports, they revealed that 95% of the 7.5 million allocated to that ministry goes into salaries and administration. That leaves only 5 hundred thousand for programs and that to be split between these two critical areas. This signaled issues with management and resource allocation, as well as administrative bloat fueled by phantom workers in long dormant programs.
That state of affairs led to speculation about an audit being done. Today when the media asked Mahler about the findings, he was decidedly vague. But he insists that it wasn't rampant corruption as the public might have suspected. In fact, he says the main problem was that there needed to be more checks and balances.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, & Sports
"Well, that we need to put in and some more of the checks and balances, which we have been doing, that there has to be a higher level of accountability, which we will do, and that we will show the nation that we will do things differently. Under Minister Daly and my leadership."
Reporter:
"There is questionable transactions there to be looked deeper?"
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, & Sports
"I can't tell you that. No, I don't know about that."
Reporter:
"How much of that audit speaks to wastage within the Ministry of Youth and the National Sports Council?"
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, & Sports
"Well, it doesn't speak about wastage. It just speaks about and proper checks and balances and proper accountability for certain initiatives."
Reporter:
"Checks and balances and accountability in terms of what?"
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, & Sports
"For example, when you disburse moneys, for example, in out district committees, then there has to be accountability for it, right? When there is no accountability for the renting of facilities that to me, that should come in to our consolidated fund. That didn't happen. And these are the things that we're talking about, relatively minor. And because you're talking not about a great deal of money after salaries anyhow. So it's not this rampant corruption that people want to make. We're just in this environment where they want to paint all politicians is corrupt and that type of thing. And I mean, throughout history that has happened. So, yeah, as politicians we have to take our lumps and we all have to deal with the environment that we are operating in. But I think as long as you show work, you show progress, you are accountable to the people, then you should be okay."
Reporter:
"And in terms of putting in those checks and balances, what's your plan moving forward?"
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, & Sports
"Well, for one, we're going through some management restructuring in terms of national sports council. It's a little bit more difficult in terms of youth department, because that's a full government department and everything has to go through public service. But for both of them, we want a full restructuring of the programs and of the management structure so that you have the systems and the policies in place for better management."
Mahler Says Mexico Sports Center Repairs Require Large Investment (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
And while he's working on improving the fiscal management in the ministry, the Ministry of Sports is also in discussions to fix the wasting Mexico Sports Center. But it may be a slow process to get it to its former glory since he explained it's a lot of money to invest.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, & Sports
"We have been looking at that. And I'm talking to the ambassador, Ambassador Arnold, to ensure that we get it rehabilitated. We're working on certain things right now to raise the necessary capital to invest in most of the facilities. Now, when you talk about large capital investments like those facilities need all across the country, the monies that we are able is just to do some initial work to improve them, whereby our people can feel comfortable in going into those facilities."
The Mexico Sports Center in Belize, officially opened in January of 2020 and was closed after Hurricane Lisa in 2022.
Tourism Numbers Looking Shaky For Summer? (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
And we also asked the minister about tourism projections. While last year showed record arrivals, the summer of 2025 is looking very soft- according to industry observers. Mahler explained that it's due to several issues but particularly the economic uncertainty in the US under President Trump.
Mahler warned that - coupled with a travel advisory from Canada - can have dire effects on the industry. He told us what they're doing to prevent it.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, & Sports
"Well, from the first five months that we've seen, we're up by 1%. May was a bit soft. And I think the next couple of months will be difficult, but, we will ensure that we do everything possible to and have the numbers don't go down or don't go down much at all."
Courtney Menzies:
"Does it have anything to do with the tariff wars or something?"
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, & Sports
"Everything. I just got back from an investment conference for hotels, and the entire talk was about the uncertainty all around us and what that creates is it's a drying up of liquidity, and people's 401 K has been destroyed for the most part. And so they don't have that liquidity in their own lives to be able to take luxury vacations like what Belize offers."
Reporter:
"And you know that this week as well, Canada issued a travel advisory against Belize. How do you feel about that?"
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth, & Sports
"Well, I mean, there are times when these things are done for reasons other than anything happening in the country, because I don't see any uptick in crime. I don't see any of these things happening right now, but it happens. And we have to continue to navigate through all of that, so that it's not an easy thing to push an industry like tourism forward, especially in these troubling times of global uncertainties."
Canada issued a travel advisory for Belize on June 6th. It says travelers should exercise a high degree of caution due to high levels of violent crime throughout the country.
He Tried To Burn His Ex's Home Twice In 24 Hours (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
Imagine falling asleep in your own home-only to wake up to the smell of smoke and your living room in flames. That was the terrifying reality for a family on Flamboyant Street, who say they were targeted in a double arson attack by someone they once trusted and welcomed into their lives. Jomarie Lanza visited the family today and brings us their story.
"All of us could have gotten burned up" That's the reality the Castro family has come to terms with as victims of arson. And they have been hit twice in just under 24 hours. Home owner Hanisha Castro says that the cause of the fires leads back to a dispute between her daughter and an ex-boyfriend bent on revenge. He is now wanted by police.
Voice of: Hanisha Castro, Arson Victim
"At 6 in the morning my daughter had a dispute with her now ex boyfriend now and then she had asked him to leave the premises where we reside however he refused so this went on till in the evening like around 5:30 6 so we called for the police assistance to help us remove the guy from the thing."
"At 10:00 last night he came here he turn on my stove he turn on my gas tank all out and I saw him lighting my sofa at the entrance of this door he was stooping down with a blue lighter in his hand and he lit it and then fire. The fire on that one we managed to out then I went to the police station and I made a report there. However, thats where all the push around get."
Castro says she was unable to successfully file a report until their house was set on fire again for a second time, and the suspect did not even have to enter the house this time to light one of their window curtains on fire.
Hanisha Castro, Arson Victim
"So this morning I came in like 3:45 because I was really sleepy and a little after that, I smelled smoke, he had lit this curtain that was my next chair it was right there and at 4:00 the fire was on, that window got damaged and my sofa got damaged as well, that one got damaged seriously because we were already sleeping we dozed off call it like that. I went again to the police and I told them this is the second time this has occurred in less than 24 hours so this young man, he has a history of this already. He is a bitter person when his girlfriends they leave him so he threatened we."
"My rest of big girls are here and all of us could have gotten burned up in this place here had I been a heavy sleeper."
And until Sir Hugh Andrewin is in custody, the Castro's will be losing sleep, at the thought that at any moment, any hour of the night their house could be set on fire again
Hanisha Castro, Arson Victim
"My children they live in fear, miss I don't live in fear because fear is a sickness to me but my granddaughter, the way how I see my grandchildren this morning and their eyes so through all this smoke and thing we had to get them out of the house because they are priority to get them out and then the focus was to out the fire. So I would say he has no remorse about nothing and he will continue to do it if no one puts a stop to him. That is my feeling and I say this from the bottom of my heart as a mother, grandmother and aunt and cousin that love their grandchildren."
Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Sir Hugh Andrews can call 922-TIPS.
Looking For One Of Econ Dev's Favorite Contractors (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
Since May 29th, we've been reporting on contracts awarded by the Ministry of Economic Development to three companies. Those transactions were flagged in a review of the Toledo Teachers Credit Union, and we have been investigating why. This week we went looking for one of these companies - and here's what we found:
This is Ecumenical Drive in Dangriga town. We searched up and down, but could not find the office for Express construction. And no one in the area had heard of it. It has no registered Trade License in the town.
We got the company address from a quotation in a government contract - but it seems no one in government cared to check if the office exists, or if it s a registered company. They just routed contract funds through the ToledoTeachers Credit Union in Bella Vista - which dutifully processed it.
We did try to call Express Construction at the number provided on the government contract
She hung up on me - I hope it wasn't because of my badly broken Spanish - but Express is part of a trio of companies linked to PUP Toledo East political insider Jose Felipe Flores: Savana, Express and Allan's Construction - and Aleyda Flores is his wife.
The General Manager of the credit union explains why those accounts raised a flag.
Leopoldo Romero, General Manager, Toledo Teachers Credit Union
"These things came in the wrong way and from the wrong company. How will I put money from Savana's construction into Allan's construction that is not even registered? Express construction owned by the wife with false address, I have mentioned that before. And so looking at that situation we had to close the accounts and then stop doing business with them."
But, the government didn't stop - contracts and sources of funds provided under a FOIA request by the Ministry of Finance show Savana Construction receiving contract disbursements at least up to July - like this one for a Community Rehabilitation Center in Otoxha on July eighth - again for less than 50 thousand dollars - because a contract for more than that has to be sent to the Contractor General.
Those funds were placed into account of Allan's Construction. This activity led to the cancellation of the accounts in August:
Leopoldo Romero, General Manager, Toledo Teachers Credit Union
"Savannah construction was Registered but on hold because they did not pay their annual fees and Savannah construction was owned by two people, the pastor and former chairman of Bella vista village and this fellow who claims to own all the companies. And so when the contracts came under Savannah construction and we are placing the money in Allan's construction that is totally wrong. and so I did not print and I did not put those contracts in there because I would not collude with such transactions."
And while it was all too sketchy for the Credit Union, the man who signed the contracts Osmond Martinez says that what really matters is that the work was done - and he provided us these pictures of the Community Center in Otoxha - which he says ended up costing 65,000 dollars, even though the contract was only for 48,000 dollars.
Same for the community center in Crique Carco for which Savana got the contract for 41,000 dollars and Martinez says it ended up costing 55,000 dollars.
Osmond Martinez, Minister of State - Economic Transformation
"My friend, who are the beneficiaries, the people, you know, when you look at Crique Carco and Otoxha they have a community center that was almost about to collapse in their head."
Did ISecurity Have A Special Connect At OW Town Council? (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
And in another ongoing 7News investigation, we found that the politically well connected ISECURITY has been getting work at a place close to home. That's the Orange Walk Town council where the company's original owners Kevin Bernard and Ian Cal were once mayor and deputy mayor. But, their buddy the town administrator also had a connect. Here's the story:
In February of 2002, the Orange Walk Town Council boasted that ISECURITY was keeping an eye on things for them.
Well, at that time the former Mayor, Kevin Bernard and Deputy Mayor, Ian Cal were shareholders in ISECURITY and so was the town administrator Alberto Guerra. Bernard and Guerra, along with Jose Urbina transferred their shares to Cal in August of 2022.
Guerra's co ownership makes it a related parties transaction - since he was the town administrator.
But, the relationship between the town council and the politically favored ISECURITY has been ongoing. These invoices show services contracted just for the month of June. We are told the Council pays ISECURITY on an hourly rate for security services as needed - and not on a contract basis.
In a statement earlier this week, Minister Kevin Bernard said, quote, "I have had NO financial interest, stake, or involvement in ISECURITY LIMITED since August 15, 2022….Since that time, I have had NO involvement in the management, operations, or contractual dealings of ISECURITY LIMITED." End quote.
3 Weeks After Elections, Crique Sarco Village Chairman-Elect Still Not Sworn In. Here's Why (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
Village Council Elections are ongoing but almost 3 weeks after the vote in Crique Sarco, the chairman still hasn't been sworn in. According to the Elections and Boundaries Department's website, John Bo was elected with 77 out of 143 votes. But the alcaldes of the village are calling the elections illegitimate since - as they explained in a letter to the E&B Commission - the voter's list contains names of people that don't live in the village. Specifically, there are a group of voters that have their address listed as "Temash River," but as the letter explains, there is no settlement near the river in Crique Sarco. The alcaldes are accusing those villagers of actually living in Barra Sarstoon, a Guatemalan Village.
However, Bo maintains that these names have been on the voter's list in previous elections, and his win is legitimate. He spoke to us about his concerns via phone.
John Bo, Chairman-Elect, Crique Sarco
"To my understanding, the first and the second alcalde formally wrote a letter to elections and boundaries and further, on yesterday's date, they posting another thing on Facebook, they even sent a copy to the prime minister of Belize, Johnny Briceno, and the tension in this village council election is due to the fact that they have people living at the Temash Bar Mouth, they have a few people living there who are on the voter's list that came to vote for me. They came here on Election Day, 8 of them came to vote in my favor. That is the reason these people, it's burning them, especially the alcalde and the second alcalde."
"They went further when they posted another thing on Facebook demanding to the government of Belize that they should throw away the election that happened last month the 25th of May, should be thrown away because it seems it doesn't work at all. So also the 25 people names from this same area from the Bar Temash are on the voter's list should be withdrawn from the voter's list. So now and also they demand to the government that another date should be selected for another by-election."
"If I lost and they won, I wouldn't bothered going through all of these things, a win is a win. So my question now to these Alcaldes, what is the issue, what is the reason why now they are stopping me now for me to not do my swearing-in? What is behind it because it's official from Elections and Boundaries, I don't see why they are doing these things."
We reached out to the Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai about this matter and she said, quote, "The matter of the Challenge is presently with the Elections and Boundaries Commission. The Commission is presently reviewing the matter after which a decision will be taken and communicated to the Alcalde who is making the challenge. The Chairperson who won also wrote, disputing what the Alcalde is stating. I can say though that the voter's list used includes the same traditional areas used for all previous village council elections." End quote.
Joint Unions Write Back To PM Maintaining Demand For 8.5% (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
The exchange of letters continues between the joint unions and the government. In a strongly worded letter dated yesterday and addressed to Prime Minister John Briceño, the Joint Union Negotiating Team has rejected the government's counteroffer of a 4% salary increase, calling it "a significant act of bad faith" due to its conditional tie to the implementation of a contributory pension scheme by October 1, 2025.
"It is disingenuous to present this as a benefit," the unions wrote. They are calling instead for the immediate implementation of an 8.5% salary increase, in line with previous negotiations and the rising cost of living.
"You're selling crumbs as a feast," the unions stated.
Despite the sharp tone, the unions say they remain committed to a "collaborative and solutions-oriented partnership" with the government.
An After School Space For Students (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
The City Council today rolled out its second Youth Connect Student Hub, this time at the Hope Center on Central American Boulevard. It's a space for students of any level to receive tutoring, do their homework, or get assistance in other areas. And while it's only been rolled out in Belize City so far, the Minister of Youth plans to take it countrywide. Mayor Bernard Wagner and Minister Anthony Mahler told us more.
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The Importance Of Data In Managing Public Health (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
The Ministry of Health and Wellness collects and keeps track of all their patient data through what they call a BHIS, Belize Health information System, but they are not the only one's collecting this type of data. By partnering with other organizations like PAHO and WHO the ministry plans to increase its interoperability and how they can better control how this data is shared. They held a Data-Thon today and here are the highlights from that event.
Dr Andrei Chell, Director, PAPU MOHW
"So this is Belize's first public health datathon. We are doing this in partnership with PAHO, WHO country office along with colleagues at Washington DC. We are bringing different institutions here in Belize to really over the next two days have exercises to promote data sharing to see the different databases that each institution is using and really see where the data is coming from, right? We want to do a mapping really to see where all this health data is coming and how we as a ministry can then use this data to inform our policies and actions."
"So the main objective of this datathon is actually to put the ministry of health as the steward of health data governance so we are trying to look now at digital health transformation and we are all moving towards that digital era of modernising our health system so we as ministry now we have that mandate to actually ensure that whatever data we receive meets the quality of what we need and that data in turn will then inform our policies, our actions which then translates to the better health outcomes that we want to give to the entire Belizean population."
Juan Carlos Sarabia, Acting IT Manager, MOHW
"So in the IT department we do manage the Belize Health information system and as you know last year we did publish the clinic data exchange platform which is now in a production environment."
"So this datathon that we are doing for these two days helps a lot because it is also to introduce to the different stakeholders and the different ministries and units that we do have a system in which interoperability and data exchange can really happen. And it is not just the exchange of data but also being able to create dashboard reports and KPI's for the different institutions and the ministry of health and wellness."
"So the idea of the Datathon for us is to look at the gaps and also be able to do a data mapping because we do have institutions that collect some type of health data and the idea is to have an overall I guess idea of what a national health information system can be for the ministry of health."
After 2 Weeks Of Intensive Physiotherapy, Hero Pilot Doing Much Better (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
Last night we showed you the story that a US news outlet did on hero pilot Howell Grange. Well, today - as he winds down his two week intensive physical therapy regimen in the US - we got a chance to speak to him and his doctors via Zoom. Jules Vasquez reports:
After an intensive two week program of twice a day physiotherapy and chiropractic sessions, as well as going through spinal decompression on this specialized state of the art machine, Howell Grange can walk normally again:
Jules Vasquez
"Howell, how do you feel?"
Howell Grange, Pilot
"Good. I can wear proper shoes now without having pain in my feet."
And he has a team of specialists at the Universal Chiropractic in Buffalo NewYork to thank:
Dr Alwaled Abdelrohman, DPT Doctor of physical therapy
"Specifically when we saw his MRI and we saw the case, I was, from my end as a as a physical therapist, I knew that in a short period of time we could have a great results."
"And he had a lot of that burning sensation, numbness, shooting pain coming from his lower back. He had he he was telling me he couldn't sleep for so many nights because of the pain he got."
But that has changed now:
Howell Grange, Pilot
"From the last time you saw me, I'm walking 100% better, you know, and I don't have the burning sensation. And I don't have the numbness."
Dr. Richard Ziarkowski, Doctor of Chiropractic
"You know, we implemented a special recovery treatment for them because when patients get an aggressive treatment, you know, even just like sometimes, like once a day, you know, they can be, you know, extremely sore from getting that type of a treatment."
But with us doing it two times a day, you know, that brought up some concern. So, we have a wellness center that, you know, we just opened up and we have started stretching red light therapy, salt therapy. We have a wellness mat and a segmental traction table. And that's all geared to helping Howell recover from the treatment.
Dr. Richard Ziarkowski, Doctor of Chiropractic
"So so he would come in the morning to receive the physical therapy then the chiropractic care with the decompression. Then we would send him over to the wellness center. And that would allow his body to recuperate and heal faster. And then that, that that allowed us to get him in for a second series of physical therapy and, and the decompression on the same day."
And what made it work - they say was this patient's attitude:
Dr. Richard Ziarkowski, Doctor of Chiropractic
"He was a great patient because he was, you know, his outlook in his and even the minor changes as we were, as we were progressing, you know, he was very positive."
"And and I think that that his, his attitude actually helped with us, you know, as doctors to help him get to where he's at."
Dr Alwaled Abdelrohman, DPT Doctor of physical therapy
"Being, having Howell is probably going to be different from other patients, I guess he's is very positive. I guess one of the things I feel like mentally he was ready to get the treatment."
And now that they've gotten him to 90% - as Howell and his wife prepare to head home - they're convinced his recovery will be back to 100%:
Dr Alwaled Abdelrohman, DPT Doctor of physical therapy
"That's that's our goal. And we're going to continue working and collaborating with his physiotherapist and his doctors back in Belize to make sure that, you know, he's going to have the proper treatment and the proper, you know, you know, tools to get to reach 100%."
"If he if he's a hero in Belize, he's a hero in Buffalo, that's what we call it. Yeah, we we, we designed this, you know, specially for him and, you know, and, you know, and it worked out really well."
Grange's last day of therapy is scheduled for tomorrow and he returns home after that - this time without a walking cane.
Sketchy Merchants Selling Expired Product (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
Let the buyer beware - in Belize that sometimes means you have to have X-Ray vision. A concerned viewer today sent us this image of a bottle of Savlon Antiseptic with its actual expiration date covered up and replaced with a false, more recent expiration date. It's almost imperceptible that a new, fake label has been layered unto the old one - but when you peel it back - the expiration date of 2027, is revealed to actually be 2020. We can't say how widespread the practice is but we warn viewers to be on the lookout for this.
Taiwan Sponsors Micro Entrepreneur Initiative (posted on Thu Jun 12, 2025)
52 Participants have successfully completed phase one of the Economic Power of Micro Entrepreneurs program, an initiative under the Taiwan ICDF and the Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender affairs, which provides business training, mentorship and start up support for micro entrepreneurs. The closing ceremony for phase 1 was held today, which also marked the launch of phase 2. These are the highlights of the event.
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