News and Opinion Blog about Belize and the Caribbean Coast
LATE NEWS OF BELIZE AND THE CARIBBEAN COAST
By Lan Sluder
BELIZE FIRST
UPDATED 7 SEPTEMBER 2010
CROCODILE SANCTUARY BURNED IN TOLEDO ALLEGEDLY BY ‘MAYA MOB’ INCITED BY LOCAL FORTUNETELLER AFTER DISAPPEARANCE OF TWO CHILDREN The American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES) facility near Punta Gorda, operated as a volunteer reptile rescue and rehab center by a young American couple, Vince Rose and wife Cherie Renee Chenot-Rose, was burned to the ground Sunday, September 5. From news reports, a group of about 100 villagers from San Marcos village, armed with rifles and machetes, came to the ACES property on Water Hole Road in the Forest Home area when the couple was away, looking for two missing children they believed were at the ACES facility. It is unclear whether there was a caretaker at the property when the villagers arrived.
The villagers reportedly shot some of the crocodiles and the property was set ablaze, burning down the owners’ home, laboratory and two guest caba–as. The buildings, reportedly valued at BZ$1 million, were totally destroyed. They were not insured.
Two young Maya children, Benjamin and Onelia Rash, 9 and 11, from San Marcos village, had gone missing earlier in the week, after being in Punta Gorda selling craboo and limes. A local fortuneteller, oracle or “psychic” allegedly had claimed that the missing children had been fed to the crocodiles at ACES. Police had been to the crocodile facility but had found nothing linking it to the children’s disappearance.
Cherie Chenot-Rose posted this to her Facebook page on September 5: “ACES no longer exists. While Vince and I were on Ambergris Caye rescuing three problematic crocodiles for the Belize Forest Department, two children went missing from a village near Punta Gorda. The local Maya villagers believed that Vince and I fed the missing children to the crocs. We were not even there, as I stated, but were on Ambergris Caye. As a lynch mob, the villagers burnt ACES / American Crocodile Education Sanctuary to the ground. The status of the crocodiles is unknown because the fire is so hot the Belize Defense Forces cannot get to the property. No one has been arrested. Vince and Cherie are now homeless and do not have anything to [our] name. Everything was lost. Our lives have been threatened if we return to Punta Gorda. We do not even know if our dogs survived.”
Since the incident, the media, online forums and the jungle telegraph have been alive with charges back and forth. From one perspective it has been viewed as a version of the Frankenstein story, with villagers marching on the doctor's house with pitchforks. From another perspective it has been viewed as the unfortunate legacy of decades and centuries of racism and ill treatment of the indigenous people of the region. And from another perspective it has been treated as gringos not fitting in with the local culture. There are other views as well, ranging from the burning being simply an accident caused by the heat wave to the welfare of dangerous reptiles being put ahead of the welfare of children.
Cherie Renee Chenot-Rose and Vince Rose measure a crocodile
(Photo from the ACES web site.)
In response to a television reporter’s question soon after the fire, Vince Rose said: “It's just unacceptable that a pre-meditated group of savages - and they are not human beings, they are savages - they should not even be out on the streets. They should all be in prison because they are not human beings.”
Police and the Punta Gorda Fire Service are investigating the fire as possible arson. Vince Rose has said publicly he plans to bring legal action against individuals involved for attempted murder, arson and trespassing. An article in the San Pedro Sun newspaper claims that some of the same people in the ACES mob allegedly may have been involved in burnings of other homes in Toledo.
The two children who went missing August 30 near Punta Gorda have so far not been found, despite a massive hunt by as many as 100 Belize police in Toledo and Stann Creek districts. On August 31, the Belize police reported the following: “The whereabouts of two minors from San Marcos Village, Toledo is unknown at this time and Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating them. On the 31/8/10 Pedro Rash, a 38 year old farmer of San Marcos Village Toledo District, reported that at about 6:30am on the 30/8/10, he and his two children; Benjamin Rash, 11 yrs and Onelia Rash, 9 yrs both students of San Marcos Village; left towards the San Marcos Junction along with his father. On the way they were met by their uncle Domingo Rash where their father left them in his uncle care as he was heading towards Punta Gorda Town. However, up to the time of making the report none of the children have arrived home as yet. The description of the children are as follows: Benjamin is about 5ft in height, weighs about 65 lbs, slim built, narrow face, Brown complexion and was last seen wearing a blue T. Shirt with red sleeve and a black short pants with a pair of green slippers while his sister; Onelia Rash is about 3 ft 6 inches in height, weighs about 55 lbs, broad face, straight black shoulder length hair, brown complexion and was last seen wearing a white and red blouse, black skirt, and had no slippers. Both children are of Maya Descent, and were last seen by their uncle Domingo Rash at Hope Ville area in Punta Gorda.”
In Guatemala, attacks by groups of Maya on foreigners and local people who are believed to be responsible for kidnapping children or stealing them for adoption or for harvesting organs long have been fairly common. In one incident in 2007, a mob of 500 near Chicaman, Quiche, seized two foreigners including one American, along with a local person, who they believed to be involved in child abductions, but later released them without harm. Also in 2007, in Sayaxche, PetŽn, rumors escalated into mob action against a Guatemalan couple believed to be involved in child stealing. The husband was beaten and burned to death, and the wife threatened but released. The U.S. State Department warns travelers in rural areas of Guatemala to avoid close contact with local children and not to photograph them without permission.
ACES was located on 36 acres on the Rio Grande River. Rose and Chenot-Rose came to Belize about six years ago and had built the facility themselves from scratch. The not-for-profit organization was involved in researching and protecting the estimated 10,000 to 20,000 wild American Saltwater Crocodiles still remaining worldwide. ACES helped fund the work by offering two eco-tourism caba–as, powered by solar and wind. The organization’s future now is unclear, though there has been discussion of it relocating to Ambergris Caye. (September 6, 2010; updated September 7, 2010)
FORMER PUP SECRETARY GENERAL MURDERED Police are now treating the death of the former Secretary General of the People’s United Party and educator Carlos Espat, 47, as a homicide. On September 4, police responded to a report and went to an apartment building at the corner of King and Albert streets, Belize City. Upon entering a bathroom inside an apartment in the building the body of Carlos Espat was seen lying face up inside the bathroom tub, apparently dead. Initial investigations revealed that two brothers of the deceased, Mark Espat and Phillip Espat, had arrived at the apartment earlier and discovered the body. Police initially treated the death as an accident but are now investigating it as a murder. A post mortem found that death resulted from head and chest injuries from blunt object trauma. Carlos Espat, known as a low-key but effective PUP political strategist, was the brother of Jorge Espat, former Minister of Defense, Phillip Espat and Mark Espat, the deputy party leader of the PUP and former Minister of Tourism. (September 5, 2010)
BRITISH HONDURAS COLONIAL MEMOIRIST RICHARD CONROY DIES AT 82 Richard T. Conroy, who served in the U.S. diplomatic corps in Belize at the time of Hurricane Hattie and published in 1997 a classic memoir of his time in Belize, Our Man in Belize, has died of heart disease in the Washington area at age 82. In 1961, as an obscure diplomat, Conroy was posted to what was then the backwater of British Honduras. Soon he had to go through Hurricane Hattie, which killed several hundred Belizeans. Of that experience he wrote that he and other survivors were reduced to living on the only provisions they could salvage: liquor and baby food. After his stint with the State Department, he went to work for the Smithsonian Institution. He also was the author of another diplomatic memoir and of three mystery novels set at the Smithsonian. (September 5, 2010)
BENNY'S OPENS MEGASTORE ON NORTHERN HIGHWAY Benny's has opened a six-story megastore at Mile 2 1/2 of the Northern Highway. Some have compared it to a cross between Home Depot and Best Buy. It has the first escalaters in Belize, and plenty of secured parking. Benny's, established in 1947, is owned by Ralph Feinstein and family. Sean Feinstein is the managing director. (September 2, 2010)
UNDER NEW LAW, BELIZE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTROL WATER RIGHTS EVEN FOR PRIVATE WELLS
Under a new bill about to be signed into law, the Belize government will own, control and license all
water rights in Belize except rainwater in cisterns for personal use. Even if landowners are drilling on their own land, they will have to get a license for a well. A new authority, the National Integrated Water Resources
Authority, would be the agency to issue licenses to any person or company wanting to dig wells to extract water. A separate body, the Public Utilities Commission, regulates the charges for water. At present, wells for home or farm use where the usage is under 5,000 gallons a week would not pay any fee, but it is possible this could change in the future. The changes are being implemented under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. (August 31, 2010)
CHINESE STORES ACROSS BELIZE CLOSE FOR A DAY TO MARK MURDER OF YOUNG CHINESE GIRL Virtually all of the many Chinese stores and shops across Belize closed August 19 to mark the funeral of Hellen Yu, 14, who the previous week was shot dead in the robbery of her parents' store on Iguana Street Extension in the Collet Division of Belize City. Her father, Ziren Yu, was also shot in the robbery but is recovering. A young Creole man, Jermaine Matura, has been arrested and charged in the robbery and murder. Matura, 18, is the nephew of two brothers who were killed earlier in the year in gang warfare in the city. (August 21, 2010, update August 31, 2010)
MURDERS BY THE DOZEN: SHOOTINGS AND MURDERS CONTINUE TO PLAGUE SOUTHSIDE OF BELIZE CITY Three more Belize City residents were gunned down this weekend. More than 100 shootings and 30 murders have taken place on the Southside of Belize City this year. Most of the shootings and murders have taken place in the area bounded by Regent Street West, Albert Street, Euphrates and King Street. Police efforts to control gang activity and violence in this predominantly Creole area have not been successful. (August 17, 2010)
SERIES OF ARTICLES RAISES BELIZE'S PROFILE AS A RETIREMENT DESTINATION A series of articles in large-circulation U.S. magazines and on the Yahoo internet main page has raised Belize's profile as a possible retirement destination. An article in AARP Magazine by Barry Golson profiled Corozal Town as an expat haven. Another article by former International Living Editor and Publisher Kathleen Peddicord in U.S. News & World Report touted Belize as one of the 10 best retirement options outside the U.S., and the article was picked up by Yahoo and given prominent space on the site's web page. Observers noted that the Peddicord article had some questionable information and cost figures on Belize, but the country nonetheless benefited from the publicity. Belize-oriented web sites have seen a jump in visits since the articles appeared. BELIZE FIRST Editor Lan Sluder contributed to the AARP article. Sluder has written four books, three eBooks and a number of articles on retirement in Belize, including the recent paperback and Kindle books Easy Belize and Island Living in Belize, available on Amazon.com and elsewhere. (August 16, 2010)
NEW JAGUAR SANCTUARY DESIGNATED About 7,000 acres of jaguar habitat between Belize City and Belmopan has been designated as a sanctuary for the big cat, Panthera onca, the conservation organization Panthera announced. Panthera said the Labouring Creek Jaguar Corridor Wildlife Sanctuary was designated by Belize officials as a protected area and adds one more stretch of safe passageway to the range of the jaguar. However, there is still a large swath of land that is a part of the jaguar corridor that is not yet protected. This land is roughly bounded by Gracie Rock, La Democracia, St. John's Bank and the Labouring Creek Jaguar Sanctuary.
Jaguars still exist in 18 countries in Latin America, but their numbers have been reduced due to land development, farming and hunting. As many as 600 to 850 jaguars are believed to be in the wild in Belize. Each jaguar requires a range of 2,000 to 3,000 acres. There are about 1.7 million acres of “wild lands” remaining in Belize. The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Southern Belize is the only jaguar preserve in the world. Panthera is based in New York and London. (August 10, 2010)
FUEL PRICES ON THE RISE AGAIN After a brief drop in late May, fuel prices in Belize are on the rise again. The new prices for gasoline and diesel:
Premium: BZ$9.75 per U.S. gallon
Regular: BZ$9.44 per U.S. gallon
Diesel: BZ$8.51 per U.S. gallon
Prices vary slightly around the country, with San Pedro and the Deep South usually having the highest prices. (August 9, 2010)
CENTRAL BANK OFFICIAL SAYS BELIZE BANK HAS SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF NON-PERFORMING LOANS An official of the Belize Central Bank said in a court affadavit that about 28% of Belize’s Bank’s loan portfolio were non-performing Ð that is, that payments on the loans were not being made or were delinquent. Although some observers claimed that the disclosure of Belize Bank’s problems was a political move by elements of the UDP against the PUP, which has been closely allied to Belize Bank’s ownership, Prime Minister Dean Barrow went on the record saying he thought Belize Bank, Belize’s largest local bank, could resolve the problems, working with the Central Bank. Belize does not a deposit insurance program to protect the savings and deposits of customers in case of a bank failure. (August 7, 2010)
MENA COMPANIES FORCED INTO RECEIVERSHIP The Mena group of companies has been placed into receivership by First Caribbean International Bank. Fresh Catch Limited Belize, the tilapia farm which opened in 2002, was defaulting in loan payments. Another Mena company, Wood Depot, also ran into financial troubles despite efforts to save it from the creditors. If the businesses are permanently closed, several hundred employees will be out of work. (July 31, 2010)
BTIA AND PUBLISHER OF DESTINATION BELIZE MAGAZINE FALL OUT; ANNUAL MAGAZINE NOT DELIVERED The Belize Tourism Industry Association says it has had "significant challenges" with getting this year's Destination Belize magazine published, claiming that publisher of the four-color tourism annual magazine, Ulrich Communications in Miami, has not met deadlines and hasn't responded to emails, among other failings. Ulrich has been working with BTIA for 17 years. Destination Belize and BETEX, a trade show in Belize City, are the two major marketing programs of BTIA. In a letter to members dated July 2, BTIA President Dionne Miranda wrote, "The BTIA is currently in the process of finalizing its selection for a new publisher for a new travel magazine, multimedia package for the 2011 to 2013 period and we have received proposals from both local and international companies. Ulrich Communications will not be the publisher." Some observers note that the problems with the magazine could be related, at least in part, to the general problems print publications are facing in competition with online media. Also, over the years, some small hotels and other tourism operators have complained about the high cost of advertising in Destination Belize. (July 2, 2010)
NO SIGNICANT DAMAGE FROM TROPICAL STORM ALEX Tropical Storm Alex swept through Central and Northern Belize June 26 but caused little damage, except for blowing off several roofs, mainly in Orange Walk, and slowing down the Lobster Fest celebrations in Placencia and Caye Caulker. The Cauker Lobster Fest has been rescheduled for July 11-12. The Dia de San Pedro activities in San Pedro also were canceled due to the storm. (June 27, 2010)
SERIES OF THEFTS AND BREAK-INS PLAGUE NORTHERN BELIZE A series of home and business break-ins is worrying residents of the Corozal Town and Consejo village areas of Northern Belize. According to local reports, a series of break-ins has taken place in Consejo village and in the Consejo Shores development. Within the last few weeks, at least four thefts and break-ins have occurred in Consejo Shores, residents say, including thefts of outboard engines from developer Bill Wildman and a break-in at the Don Quixote Hotel. Xaibe residents also have been plagued by thefts. One resident complained of multiple thefts totaling some US$37,500 in the past year alone. Crack addicts are blamed for some of the incidents. Many of the thefts appear not to be reported to police, because residents say reporting to police can make the victims targets of "pay back" actions by thieves and also because the police rarely solve the crimes. (June 23, 2010)
HOTEL MOPAN CO-OWNER JAILED ON CHARGES OF POSSESSION OF GUNS WITH EXPIRED LICENSES
Tomy Shaw, co-owner of the famed Hotel Mopan in Belize City, and son of tourism pioneer Jean Shaw, has been charged and jailed for alleged possession of unlicensed guns, a 12-gauge shotgun and a 22 pistol, plus ammunition. Police found the guns in a search of his home in Belama phase 2. According to news reports, the guns had been licensed but the licenses expired in September 2009. Shaw was denied bail and was remanded to prison until July 21, but he can appeal to the Belize Supreme Court to be granted bail. Separately, Channel 5 News reported that Shaw was being questioned in connection with the death of recent Pallotti graduate Neisa Pipersburgh, that she had been at his house at a party in the days before her murder, but Shaw hasn't been charged in that matter. (June 21, 2010)
SUSPICIOUS FIRES HIT THREE RESTAURANTS IN PLACENCIA VILLAGE A series of fires the night of June 19 destroyed two restaurants in Placencia village, Serenade and Sunrise, and damaged another, De Tatch. All buildings had thatch roofs. Arson is suspected. (June 20, 2010)
WINNERS OF BTB AWARDS ANNOUNCED The following hotels and tourism operators were winners in the 2009 BTB Tourism Awards announced in June 2010:
Celi McCorkle, San Pedro Holiday Hotel, San Pedro, Lifetime Achievement Award
Brian Young Sr., Seahorse Dive Shop, Placencia, Minister's Award
Hopkins, Destination of the Year
Jaguar Reef Lodge, Hopkins, Hotel of the Year
International Center for Responsible Tourism, Environmental Award of the Year
Blue Water Grill, San Pedro, Restaurant of the Year
Lodge at Big Falls, Big Falls, Toledo, Small Hotel of the Year
Caves Branch Adventure Camp, Hummingbird Highway, Tour Operator of the Year
Tutti Frutti Gelateria, Placencvia, Small Vendor of the Year
Eloy Quevas, Monkey River Retreat, Tour Guide of the Year
Benjamin Awe, Lodge at Chaa Creek, Cayo, Frontline Person of the Year
Museum of Belize, Belize City, Receptive Service of the Year
Three Kings of Belize, Cultural Award of the Year
Chaa Creek in Cayo, Xanadu Resort in San Pedro and Hamanasi in Hopkins also were recognized as Green Globe Certifed Hotels, and Rudolph Thompson, a tour guide, was recognized for using CPR to save a life.
(June 20, 2010)
PM BARROW’S LAW PARTNER SHOT IN COLD BLOOD IN BELIZE CITY, TWO MEN ARRESTED Rodwell Williams, Prime Minister Dean Barrow's long-time law partner and friend, was shot Monday, May 31, around 8 pm leaving his law offices on Albert Street West in Belize City. He was leaving his office after working late and was accompanied by an unarmed security guard. Reports are that the assailants were two men who arrived on a bicycle. According to Prime Minister Barrow, two men stopped Williams and the security guard, searched the guard to be sure he wasn’t armed, and then shot Williams in the stomach with a single shotgun blast. Williams underwent surgery Monday night at Belize Healthcare Partners Hospital, a private hospital in Belize City, and later was transported by air ambulance to a hospital in Miami. He reportedly is in critical but stable condition and has improved slightly since admission.
Two young men, reportedly associated with a Southside gang, have been arrested and charged with attempted murder and other crimes.
“Anybody who knows Rodwell will know what absolute wonderful human being he is. I am sure that I do not ask in vain when I ask that you all pray for him,” Prime Minister Barrow said. The PM traveled to Miami to visit Williams in the hospital.
The motive behind the shooting is as yet unknown. Speculation is that it is connected with Williams' law practice, and that the shooters were paid hitmen.
In mid-April there were reports that shots were fired into the Barrow & Williams law offices, but it is unclear whether that incident is related to the shooting. Two men reportedly have been taken into police custody in connection with the shooting, but to date no one has been charged.
Williams, 54, was born in Belize City and received his legal training at the University of the West Indies in Barbados and at Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica. He has practiced in Belize since 1985, in recent years primarily in the civil rather than criminal area.
In possibly related developments, in a cabinet shake up June 1, Prime Minister Barrow split the Ministry of National Security into two parts, a Ministry of Police and Public Security, head by Douglas Singh, and a Ministry of Defence headed by Carlos Perdomo. Despite police statistics that show serious crime to be declining, many Belizeans say they believe crime has reached epidemic proportions, especially in Belize City, where the homicide rate is among the highest of any city in the Americas. (June 1, 2010; updated June 8, 2010)
GASOLINE PRICES BACK OVER US$5 Gasoline prices are back over US$5 or BZ$10 a gallon. Belize has the highest gasoline prices in Central America. (May 9, 2010)
DANGRIGA NAMED "NUMBER 2 EMERGING DESTINATION IN WORLD" BY TRIPADVISOR
Dangriga, in what some have termed a surprise due to the town's relative lack of hotels, restaurants and other tourism facilties, has been named the No. 2 “Emerging Destination in the World” by TripAdvisor.com in its Travelers’ Choice 2010 Awards. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, was named the world’s No. 1 emerging destination. About Dangriga TripAdvisor says: “Love culture, not crowds? Leave the bustle of Belize City for quieter Dangriga, at the end of the Hummingbird Highway. The town is a suitable base for exploring the Stann Creek district: visit the Maya Center and the world's first jaguar preserve, explore the beach and try snorkeling at the reef a few miles out.”
San Ignacio was named the No. 10 Outdoor & Adventure Destination in Central and South America. TripAdvisor says: “It’s true: parts of Belize are getting touristy. But San Ignacio remains rustic, making it a great base for budget-friendly tropical adventure travel. Canoe on the Macal River, or walk to Mayan ruins at Cahal Pech (just be warned: it's uphill).”
Ambergris Caye was named the No. 2 Relaxation & Spa Destination in Central and South America. TripAdvisor says: “Why visit Ambergris Caye? If you’re a diver, it’s a perfect departure point for a trip to the Blue Hole, a reef like no other on earth. It’s a perfect circle of limestoneÑ400 feet deep with 200-foot visibility. If reef-diving’s not your cup of tea, find a spot on any of the local beaches and enjoy a laid-back tropical vibe.” Ambergris Caye also was named No. 21 in the Top 25 Destinations in Central and South America and also the No. 10 Beach & Sun Destination in Central and South America.
Tikal in Guatemala, a short distance from Belize’s western border, was named the No. 10 Culture & Sightseeing Destination in Central and South America. (May 8, 2010)
WATER TAXI BUSINESS CONSOLIDATING A consolidation of the water transportation business in Belize is under way. On Ambergris Caye, the long-established Island Ferry has just closed down, and John McAfee's Coastal Xpress ferry service has purchased most of Island's Ferry's boats. Now it appears that consolidation could also be in order for scheduled water taxi service between Belize City and San Pedro and Caye Caulker. Reportedly there are no longer any Caye Caulker residents involved in the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association and that in effect a merger with the San Pedro Belize Express water taxi company is taking place. Rates already have been increased between Belize City and San Pedro and Caulker, and rates are likely to go up ferry trips up and down Ambergris Caye. (April 26, 2010)
CRIME DOWN IN BELIZE, POLICE SAY; ‘YOU’RE CRAZY,’ BELIZEANS RESPOND Police Commissioner Crispen Jeffries says the latest statistics show crime is down in Belize. Through the three months ending March 31, murder was down by about 14%, according to police department figures; robbery fell by 21%; burglary is off by 30%, and theft is down by 35%. All figures are compared with the same three months of the first quarter of 2009. Some local residents, however, say they doubt the official figures and say they feel less safe. They note that in the first two weeks of April alone, there were seven murders in Belize, six in Belize City and one in Belmopan. An online poll by Channel 5 News found that 89% of the more than 600 respondents said they had more concern about their personal safety. A study by BELIZE FIRST found that in 2008 there were more homicides in the country of Belize than in Manhattan, even though Manhattan has a population four times larger than that of Belize. (April 18, 2010)
BELIZE TOURISM OFF 5.2% IN 2009 According to statistics released recently by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, international overnight arrivals to Belize were off by 5.2% in 2009, dropping to 232,373, but Belize fared better than some other Caribbean Basin destinations. Winter high-season tourist arrivals in Belize were down 7.1%, while summer arrivals were down only 3.8%. Belize’s biggest drop in arrivals was in tourism from Europe, which were down almost 14%. Only four Caribbean Basin destinations saw an increase in arrivals in 2009: Guyana, Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Twelve Caribbean destinations saw double-digit declines in tourism arrivals. Anguilla and Montserrat had the biggest declines, at over 22% and 17% respectively. (April 5, 2010)
ROBBERS WAITING TO JACK TOURISTS KILLED BY HUNTERS ON NORTH AMBERGRIS Two thugs set up a road block on North Ambergris Caye, apparently planning to rob tourists in golf carts or on foot. Their plans were thwarted, however, when two local hunters came upon the roadblock. When the would-be robbers pulled a pistol, the hunters opened fire, and one of the robbers, a 21-year-old unemployed man from the San Pedrito area of the island, was hit. He died later. (April 13, 2010)
SAN PEDRO PROPERTY TAXES JUMP Some property owners on Ambergris Caye got a shock when they got their latest property tax bill: Increases of up to 2000%. The San Pedro Town Council said some of the bills had mistakes, and the Council is looking into it. (April 10, 2010)
GAS PRICES INCREASE AGAIN Gasoline prices have increased again. The cost of premium is now BZ$9.89. Regular is BZ$9.57, and diesel is BZ$8.33. Prices vary slightly around the country. (April 1, 2010)
GST RAISED TO 12.5% To help plug a budget deficit, the government has announced that the GST, basically a Valued Added Tax, will rise by one-fourth, going from 10% to 12.5%. Observers note that the GST is a regressive tax, hitting low and middle income Belizeans harder than a progressive tax such as the income tax, which provides for higher rates of taxes for higher income people. Fewer than 15% of Belizeans pay any income tax. (March 20, 2010)
NEW TOURISM BOARD DIRECTOR NAMED Seleni Matus has been named the new director of the Belize Tourism Board. Lindsay Garbutt has been appointed chairman of the BTB board of directors. Matus, a native Belizean, returns from the U.S. to run the BTB. She has held a variety of posts with NGOs and at one time headed Programme for Belize. She replaces Tracy Panton, who served as director for 12 years. The Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. is minister of tourism. (March 20, 2010)
SIR BARRY BOWEN KILLED IN AIR CRASH IN SAN PEDRO
Sir Barry Bowen, 64, a seventh-generation Belizean, the country's most prominent entrepreneur and one of Belize's wealthiest men, a former Senator and financier of the People's United Party, died Friday, February 26, 2010, in the crash of a private airplane he was piloting. The accident occurred about 5:30 p.m. on approach to the 3000-foot airstrip at San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, the resort island off the coast of Belize where Sir Barry had a home.
Four other people in the modified Cessna 206 with turbine Rolls-Royce engine also died in the crash: Michael Casey and Jill Casey, both teachers at Gallon Jug Community School on the Gallon Jug Estate, the Bowen property in northwestern Belize, and their two young children, 2 1/2-year-old Makayla and 5-month-old Bryce. The Caseys, from Albany, NY, had been teachers at Gallon Jug for nine years.
The cause of the crash is as yet unknown, although observers noted that there had been unusually high winds during the day. One witness on the scene said that the aircraft appeared to be coming in low and to the east of the usual approach to the airstrip. The fixed landing gear of the Cessna is believed to have clipped something, perhaps a pole on a barge, and then lost a wing and came to rest in a swampy area on the back side of the island.
Sir Barry had been a licensed pilot for 43 years and almost daily flew his plane from Belize City, where his companies were based, to San Pedro. He formerly was a director of Belize's first national airline, Belize Airways Limited, established in 1976.
The Bowen business interests in Belize are extensive. They include Bowen and Bowen, Ltd., founded by Barry Bowen's father, Eric Bowen, which became the exclusive Belize bottler for Coca-Cola soft drinks and Crystal bottled water; Belize Brewing Company, which brews Belikin, Lighthouse and Belikin Supreme lager beers, Belikin stout and, under license, Guinness stout, and almost completely dominates the beer market in Belize; Belize Aquaculture Ltd., a large shrimp farm near Placencia in Stann Creek District; Gallon Jug Estate, a 130,000-acre tract in Orange Walk District that includes Chan Chich Lodge, a world-renowned jungle lodge, and Gallon Jug Agro-Industries, a 3,000-acre experimental farm that produces organic coffees (the only commercial coffee production in Belize), cacao and cattle; and Belize Estate Co., the Ford auto and truck dealership in Belize City.
Sir Barry, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2008 and was Honorary General Consul to Belize for the Kingdom of Norway, is survived by his wife, Dixie Summerscales Bowen, five children, several grandchildren and other family members.
(February 27, 2010)
MURDER DAZE IN BELIZE CITY Another round of murderous violence is taking place in Belize City, this one centered in the South Side. Between January 29 and February 2, 13 people were shot in Belize City. Three died and a fourth is currently on life support. As many as a dozen of the shootings took place on the South Side in the Faber’s Road area and in the Euphrates Avenue-Orange Street-West Street triangle. It is thought that at least seven of the shootings are gang-related, while most of the other appear to be random shootings. Police seem unable to do anything about the violence in Belize City, instead concentrating on arresting people for marijuana possession and other minor crimes. (February 3, 2010)
BELLA MAYA CONDOTEL CLOSES; DEVELOPER SAYS IT WILL RE-OPEN Bella Maya, the condotel at the north end of the Placencia peninsula, closed January 11. The developer, however, says the project has received an investment and will reopen, but no date has been set. In an email to BELIZE FIRST, Bella Maya's Paul Willcox said, "We took the decision to close in January because we were feeling the effects of a poor 2009 (in terms of revenue rather than occupancy). Our January and February bookings were also not fantastic, so we took the opportunity to close to focus on getting an investor involved in Bella Maya, and to complete some of the units on the lagoon side of the property. My business partner and I have been exploring the idea of bringing in another partner since midway through last year, and I’m pleased to inform you that we have now secured this investment, and therefore secured the future of Bella Maya. We are yet to set a reopening date. The investors are keen to get as much work done as possible, and even make upgrades to the current product as well as proceeding with a widespread sales and marketing strategy. (January 13, 2010, updated February 3, 2010)
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