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The Public Service Union (PSU) has declared that it will not defend public officers found guilty of misconduct or corruption, stressing that union membership must never serve as protection against accountability. In a press release issued on October 6, 2026, the union reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the rights of public officers while making clear that such protection does not extend to shielding members from the consequences of proven wrongdoing. The statement comes

One year after Belize joined three Caribbean nations in implementing unrestricted movement for their citizens, 146 CARICOM nationals have secured free-movement status in Belize, marking an early milestone in regional integration. The figures were released by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat on October 6, 2026, as the regional body marked the first anniversary of its Free Movement under Enhanced Cooperation initiative, which officially commenced on October 1, 2025

Prime Minister John Briceño has reshuffled his Cabinet, placing National Security under Michel Chebat and appointing Ramon “Monchi” Cervantes Jr. and Dr. Osmond Martinez to ministerial positions. The changes, announced on Tuesday, October 6, also assign new responsibilities to several existing ministers, including Henry Charles Usher, as the Briceño administration reorganizes key government portfolios. Among the most consequential changes is the appointment of Chebat as Minis

The Child Protection and Justice Steering Committee (CPJSC) is calling for stronger child safeguarding measures at public events across Belize following concerns raised by scenes involving children during this year’s Carnival celebrations. The national child protection body said children should be able to participate in cultural, sporting and community events in environments that are safe, age-appropriate and respectful of their dignity and rights. While recognizing Carnival

Belize is importing far more goods than it exports. But Central Bank data show that the country's powerful services surplus, driven heavily by tourism, offsets most of its merchandise deficit. Belize's merchandise trade numbers are moving in the wrong direction. During the first eight months of 2026, the country imported BZ$2.207 billion in goods, up 15.8% from BZ$1.906 billion during the same period last year. At the same time, domestic merchandise exports fell 14% to BZ$272

The churches have taken a hardball position on the recently revived discussion surrounding the legalization and liberalization of abortion laws in Belize, following a recent push by the Belize Family Life Association. Church Senator Luis Wade has gone on record to say that the churches will oppose any such move, since the current legislation in place is adequate as it stands. Wade said the churches will be keeping a watchful eye on any developments and suggested that the coun

The Public Service Union has objected to Troy Gabb’s appointment as acting chair of the Public Services Commission, questioning whether his public political commentary is compatible with the independence expected of the body. The objection comes more than two months after Governor General Dame Froyla Tzalam appointed Gabb to act as chairperson of the Commission, effective July 20, 2026, while substantive Chairperson Diana Price-Murillo is on leave. According to the July 23 Ga

By Melvin Abdon When local news channels broke the story and social media filled with angry partisan arguments, one fact became hard to ignore: Belize was facing another challenge to its sovereignty. On the night of September 24, 2026, radar operators reportedly tracked an uninvited Guatemalan military aircraft deep inside Belizean airspace. The aircraft, identified by the tail number FAG 706, allegedly circled over Lighthouse Reef with its transponder switched off before ret

Dozens of delegations walked out of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium, staging a highly visible protest during his address. The walkout unfolded live during the 81st session of the General Assembly, with diplomats filing out of the chamber and leaving large sections of seats empty as Netanyahu prepared to speak. The Palestinian delegation had encouraged diplomatic missions to participate in a coordinat

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has taken an unusual message to the United Nations: governments, not technology companies, must ultimately set the rules governing increasingly powerful artificial intelligence. Altman addressed the 15-member UN Security Council on Wednesday, September 23, as world leaders grapple with how to manage technology advancing faster than many of the institutions expected to regulate it. His appearance placed one of the world's most prominent AI executives befo

A Caribbean diplomat has emerged as one of the leading contenders to become the next United Nations Secretary-General, potentially placing a CARICOM national at the helm of the world body for the first time. Guyana's Ambassador to the United Nations Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett is competing to succeed António Guterres when his second five-year term expires at the end of December. The candidacy carries particular significance for Belize and the wider Caribbean. CARICOM Heads of G

Belize has filed its written observations with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in response to Guatemala’s written statement concerning sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes, marking another step in the long-running territorial dispute involving Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. The Government of Belize submitted the documents to the Registry of the ICJ on September 21, the deadline set by the Court for Belize and Honduras to respond to Guatemala’s written statement. Bel

Belize is growing, investing and building towards greater energy independence. Belize is also expensive, struggling with unreliable electricity and demanding greater accountability. Both portraits emerged this week from the country’s two political leaders. Prime Minister John Briceño’s 2026 State of the Nation Address and Opposition Leader Tracy Panton’s response offered sharply contrasting assessments of the same country at 45 years of Independence. For Briceño, the evidence

Belize’s food prices have risen almost 40% since 2020, yet IMF guidance continues to suggest governments should protect vulnerable households directly rather than rely indefinitely on measures that restrain market prices. For Belizean households, the arithmetic of the grocery basket has become steadily less forgiving. The Statistical Institute of Belize’s Consumer Price Index shows the “Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages” sub-index at 138.6 in July 2026, compared with a base of

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize says none of its 11 demands has been met as submitted, after Cabinet responded in a 3-page letter to the Unions’ major proposals involving BTL, the PUC and the Revenue Authority Bill. The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) issued its preliminary response this week to a three-page letter from Prime Minister John Briceño outlining Cabinet’s position on demands submitted by the umbrella union body in August. The NTUCB said

Campaign finance reform is returning to Belize's national agenda, with the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other social partners renewing efforts to establish rules governing how political campaigns are financed. The Reporter has obtained an updated draft of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2026 being circulated by the BCCI as part of the renewed initiative. The effort comes after campaign finance reform has surfaced repeatedly over the past six

Belize has enacted a new Occupational Safety and Health Act, establishing expanded workplace protections for employees and new safety obligations for employers across the country. The Government announced Wednesday that the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2026 has been enacted and gazetted, describing the legislation as a modern framework intended to strengthen workplace health and safety standards. The legislation applies across public and private-sector workplaces, incl

Global food prices rose by 1.9 percent in August, with every major food category tracked by the United Nations recording an increase as sugar prices surged by nearly 12 percent. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that its Food Price Index averaged 133.3 points in August 2026, increasing 2.5 points from its revised July level. The broad-based increase pushed the index 2.5 percent above its August 2025 level, although international food prices remained 16.8 pe

Belize has again entered a period of load shedding after shortages in local generation left the national grid unable to fully absorb disruptions in electricity supplied from Mexico. Belize Electricity Limited confirmed that controlled power interruptions have already been used following two major outages in late August, reviving a problem that affected customers last year and exposing continued weaknesses in the country’s generation reserves. On August 25, BEL experienced an

Cabinet has approved a $2-per-gallon fuel subsidy for eligible bus operators through March 2027, unless fuel prices fall below $12 per gallon before then. The decision extends government support to the public transportation sector following weeks of uncertainty over whether the subsidy would continue and warnings from the Belize Bus Association (BBA) that high diesel prices were making operations increasingly difficult. In a September 2 letter to BBA President Philip Jones, C