Belize: villagers on trial for protecting Maya site

Thirteen Maya villagers are to stand trial in Belize over their expulsion of a settler they said had illegally encroached upon the grounds of an archeological site. A trial date of March 30 has been set in the case of the "Santa Cruz 13," who were arrested in a police raid of their village in June—days after expelling Rupert Myles from the Uxbenká site in southern Toledo district. Among the 13 charged with "unlawful imprisonment" is Q'eqchi Maya community leader Cristina Coc. Villagers say Myles illegally built a house on the grounds of the site against the wishes of the community, and Belizean authorities failed to respond to their call to have him removed. Villagers admit they restrained Myles when he became unruly at a community meeting that had been called to work out the matter, but deny his claims that they assaulted him. They also deny his charge that they are discriminating against him because he is Creole. Myles, who has a common-law wife in the Maya village, built his house on the Uxbenká site after being denied a request to do so on village lands. Village authorities say the decision was made based only a shortage of available land.

In his defense, Myles asserts that Uxbenká has not been formally demarcated by the Belizean government as an archeological site. The villagers counter that the site lies within their traditional lands, and they therefore have jurisdiction over it. Since a 2007 decision ofSupreme Court of Belize, Santa Cruz is one of only two villages in the country to have "customary ownership" of its traditional lands formally recognized. The case was jointly brought with the nearby village of Conejo.

Additionally, the laws of Belize prohibit building on or damaging any archeological site. In May 2015, Keith Prufer, director of the Uxbenká Archaeological Project at the University of New Mexico, sent a letter (PDF) to the Belize Institute of Archaeology expressing his concern that Myles had "bulldozed into the archaeological platform... He has also built new buildings, and has burned vegetation to the very edge of the steel plaza, further endangering the ruin. The bulldozing activity has irreparably damaged the platform." Despite this, Myles has continued to have access to the site and has resumed construction since the charges were brought against the Santa Cruz 13.

The villagers also invoke their right and responsibility to defend the sacred sites of the Maya people under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Maya Leaders Alliance and Toledo Alcaldes Association—representing the traditional elders and elected mayors of the district, respectively—issued a statement (PDF) asserting: "The Maya villagers will continue to defend these cultural heritage sites that are important to all Belizeans."

The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, has made note of the case, saying in an official statement: "I am concerned by the inaction of the Government of Belize to assist Maya villagers to protect their property rights in the face of threats to those rights. It appears as though the repeated requests to local police by Santa Cruz village leaders for assistance in removing the individual from the archaeological site within their village lands, went ignored."

Representatives From Florida In Belize For Trade Mission

Placencia, Belize  – A team of business persons from a number of companies in the United States arrived in Belize, Thursday, March 17 for a trade and investment meeting which opens Friday, March 18 at the Placencia Hotel & Resort.

The 15- member trade and investment mission is there to discuss investment and trade opportunities with private sector and government officials.

Some members of the team have been in Belize since earlier in the week having one-one-one discussions with various officials including Mr. Glenford Ysaguirre, Governor of the Central Bank of Belize.

Michael D. Young, Executive Director of Belize American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Inc.

“Over the next three days the visiting mission will be brought up to date with the investment opportunities which Belize offers in a wide range of sectors including hotel development, agribusiness and financial services, among others,” says Michael Devin Young, representative of the Belize Ministry of Trade and Investment in Florida and president of the Greater Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce (GCACC).

According to Young some members of the mission will also be exploring trade opportunities, seeking to source products from Belize for export markets and to introduce new products into the local market.

The mission is organized by the Belize American Chamber of Commerce of Florida (BACCOF) in collaboration with Broward County, Florida, the Belize Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI), the United States Embassy in Belize & its American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), the Ministry of Trade and Investment, & Beltraide .

Among the speakers listed for Friday’s opening session are Florida State Representative Hazelle Rogers and Broward County’s Economic Development Specialist, Ms. Paola Isaac, who are accompanying the mission.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Erwin Rafael Contreras is slated to address the meeting on Saturday, March 19.

Lines Step Up Shore Options

Norwegian Cruise Line has released details on Harvest Caye, the line's upcoming new private destination in Belize, which is set to open this November. 

The new destination will have the country's only cruise ship pier, a white sand beach, a 15,000 square foot pool, multiple dining options and access to the mainland for adventure tours, including explorations of Mayan ruins, river rafting, nature tours and more. In terms of adventure attractions, the 130 foot tall Flighthousewill serve as the central area for a number of aerial activities ranging from zip lining, suspension bridges to free fall jumps, a tandem “superman” style zip line and stunning views of the mainland. For dining, there will be five outlets, including the two-story Landshark Bar & Grill, an expansion of Norwegian’s partnership with Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. 

Starting in November, ships on Norwegian's Western Caribbean itineraries will call at the destination. Norwegian's sister brands, Regent Seven Seas Cruisesand Oceania Cruises, will also call at the destination on select Caribbean sailings. 

In terms of shore excursions, Azamara Club Cruises has announced a newPrivate Journeys program that will allow guests to customize land tours on cruises around the world. 

Prior to or once on the ship, Azamara guests will be able to work with the line'sDestination Insiders to create customized land tours drawing on the Insiders' local knowledge. Options will range from tours of popular sights to private guides based on a guest's interests, travel style and budget. 

Finally, Princess Cruises is partnering with local ports and destinations as part of the line's new Global Partners + Local Experts initiative. 

Through the partnerships with ports, tourism boards, tour operators and port agents, Princess will offer video of individual partners sharing their thoughts, experiences and recommendations about the places they call home. In addition to the film project the program will include a number of other destination-based elements, including local speakers; exclusive guest experiences in port; new tour programs and tours; partner port guides and walking maps; new port welcome and departure experiences; and an insider’s guide including “cool things” made in each port.

Smart Telecom

Belize City, Belize and Or Yehuda, Israel: March 16, 2016: Belize-based mobile operator Smart Telecom today announced that it has selected FTS’ convergent billing solution to offer more innovative and affordable services to its customers. The implementation of FTS’ billing software will provide Smart with greater opportunities for revenue growth as it evolves to 4G LTE technology.

Smart Belize logo

FTS is a global provider of billing, charging, policy control and payment solutions. The new billing platform is a positive step for Smart as the company continues its commitment to being Belize’s leading telecoms innovator. FTS’ billing solution is scheduled to become operational during 2016.

FTS' Leap™ Billing provides Smart with convergent charging, billing, invoicing, customer management and partner management. FTS also acts as a systems integrator for the project, providing Smart with a turnkey solution, including network elements, SCP, voicemail and IVR from multiple vendors.

“Leap Billing enables us to maintain our position as the trendsetter in telecommunications in Belize,” commented Ernesto Torres, Smart’s CEO. “Our decision to work with FTS was not only made based on the flexibility of Leap Billing, which features everything we need to bring new services to our customers, but also because we have found FTS to be an adaptable and resourceful company to work with.”

“We’re very pleased to be working with Smart and are looking forward to a long-term partnership that further enhances the customer experience for Smart’s subscribers,” said Avi Kachlon, FTS’ CEO. “This contract further advances our position in the Caribbean and Latin American region, and we’re very excited about the new opportunities that this presents for FTS.”

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About Smart Telecom
Smart is committed to providing the latest state-of-the-art, high quality products. Our phones, plans, High Speed Mobile Internet Service and innovative features are designed to keep customers on the cutting edge of technology and mobile communication. Smart provides the widest coverage footprint in Belize and customers can enjoy mobile service in most rural and remote areas of the country, in all towns, cities, villages, cays and offshore areas. Smart’s goal is to provide Belizeans across the nation with access to high quality, reliable and affordable mobile services. The Company offers 4G LTE Service, Fixed Wireless home phones, High Speed Mobile Internet and a suite of value added features and plans. Smart now operates the fastest network in Belize, providing mobile, home and Internet service to over 130,000 customers. For more information, visit www.smart-bz.com.

About FTS
FTS, part of the Magic Software Group, works with telecommunications, content and payment service providers globally to help them manage complex transactions and relationships with greater flexibility and greater independence. Analyzing every transaction from a business standpoint, FTS offers end-to-end and add-on telecom billing, charging, policy control and payments solutions to customers worldwide, and services both growing and major providers. FTS implements solutions, including convergent billing platform installations, in mobile, wireline, broadband, MVNO/E, payments, e-commerce, M2M and the Internet of Things, mobile money, cable, cloud and content markets. FTS’ solutions dramatically lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) for telecoms and content service providers. For more information, visithttp://www.fts-soft.com/ and follow FTS on Twitter @FTS_Billing.

For further information, please contact:

Joshua PR: Kate Gordon, Tel. +44 7980 921961, kate.gordon@joshuapr.com

FTS: Moshe Peterfreund, Tel. +972-9-952-6500, press@fts-soft.com

Harvest Caye to Feature Cruise Ship Pier, Seven-Acre Beach, Adventure Activities & More

 Norwegian Cruise Line's new private island port in Belize, Harvest Caye, will have its own cruise ship port, making it the only port in the Central American country where passengers will walk off the ship rather than tender to land.  The port will also boast a seven-acre sand beach, 15,000-square-foot pool, zip lining, suspensions bridges and free fall jumps, and five dining and beverage venues.

Water Fun

Passengers seeking an exclusive beach experience can rent one of the Harvest Caye's 11 beach villas, each of which can accommodate up to 10 people. The villas are equipped with air conditioning, a dedicated lounge and dining room, a private bathroom, indoor and outdoor showers, hammocks and exclusive dining and beverage options with dedicated concierge service so passengers never have to leave the beach to get food or a drink.

For those who prefer pool fun to beach fun, Harvest Caye will offer a 15,000-square-foot pool featuring swim-up bar with stools and lounge tables in the water. The pool will be encircled by lounge chairs and umbrellas, along with 15 canopy pool cabanas available for rent. In the cabanas, you'll find upscale lounge furniture, privacy drapes and beverage service.

Water sports will also be on offer, with kayaking, paddle boarding and canoeing all available in the Caye's shallow lagoon. Jet skiing will not be offered as the line felt it was not environmentally friendly enough for the area, where manatees are prevalent.

An onsite marina will offer catamaran excursions to destinations in southern Belize. Excursion options will include trips to a Mayan temple, a tour of mangrove estuaries, rainforest river tubing and jungle river rafting.

Adventure & Wildlife

Harvest Caye will be about more than just sun and sand; adventure is on the menu as well.

"We have one or two things that will get the heart racing in the spirit of our brand," Andy Stuart, president and COO for Norwegian Cruise Line, told journalists at a Seatrade conference press conference.

At the center of the adventures will be the 130-foot-tall Flighthouse (a lighthouse-like structure), a central area for a variety of aerial activities including zip lining, suspension bridges, free fall jumps, and a tandem "superman" style zip line. The zip line course will have more than 3,000 feet of zip line with stops at three different platforms. A ropes course will be located on a platform in the saltwater lagoon. All will cost extra to use.

The port will also offer passengers several opportunities to learn more about the local flora and fauna. Options will include manatee observation tours at the lagoon, an up-and-close encounter with endangered Scarlet Macaws and Toucans in the island's aviary or a variety of butterflies in the Butterfly Garden, and an educational presentation on the country's indigenous reptiles such as boa constrictors at the educational center. All environmental and conservation-related activities will be free.

Food, Beverages & Shopping

Harvest Caye will feature five dining and bar outlets, available a la carte to passengers. Among the choices will be a two-story indoor/outdoor Landshark Bar & Grill, an expansion of the line's partnership with Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, where people will find a scenic upper deck to sip drinks on and a swim-up pool bar for those who don't want to leave the water.

Passengers seeking to try Belizean cuisine can dine at the Laughing Bird Bar & Grill, the Manatee Bar & Grill or the Horse-Eye Jack Bar & Grill.

For those who can't go a day without shopping, there will be a shopping village, which will feature popular name-brand retailers, as well as local Belizean crafts.

"There is so much to do on the island from the spectacular seven-acre beach and watersports to interactive wildlife programs," Stuart said. "Beyond Harvest Caye, we will strongly encourage our guests to explore Belize through the spectacular eco-adventure and cultural tours this incredible destination has to offer visitors."

Harvest Caye opens to Norwegian Cruise Line passengers sailing on the line's Western Caribbean itineraries starting November 2016. After Harvest Caye opens, Norwegian Cruise Line will begin an overhaul of its private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay.

Tensions between Belize and Guatemala

Tensions between Belize and Guatemala at an “all-time high” following a military clash on Saturday (March 12) at the Sarstoon River on the southern Belizean border.

A press statement from the Government of Belize Press Office,  which was published on Facebook on March 13, says that on Saturday there was a confrontation on the Sarstoon River between the Belize Defence Force (BDF) and the Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF).

“The GAF approached the Belize’s Forward Operating Base (FOB), though they never actually attempted to come on to our land, and behaved in an extremely hostile and threatening manner, insisting that our troops should not be at the Sarstoon. The Belize Forces stood their ground and after some time the GAF withdrew. In the intervening period the BDF Commander General Jones had spoken to an opposite member in Guatemala and Prime Minister Dean Barrow had sent a message to President Jimmy Morales,” writes the Belize Press Office.

The Belizean government said, however, that although the confrontation was resolved peacefully, “it is clear that tension with Guatemala over the Sarstoon and Belize’s insistence on its sovereignty rights in accordance with the 1859 Treaty Demarcation of the river, is at an all-time high”.

Talks between Guatemala and Belize were due to take place on March 15 in Washington D.C. under the supervision of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Saturday’s military clashed followed several alleged land invasions which communities said had committed by Guatemalan fishermen and cattle ranchers.

Communities under threat

At the beginning of March, Belizean national newspaper Amandala reported that communities in southern Belize had claimed Guatemalans were invading their land.

Wil Maheia, founder of Belize Territorial Volunteer (BTV), told Amandala that Guatemalan fisherman had set up illegal camps on the northern bank of the Sarstoon River, and that the Belizean authorities were doing little to address the issue.

Maya communities living along the western border in Toledo also said they were under threat from land invasions carried out by Guatemalans.

Land invasion

On March 5, Pablo Mis, the coordinator of the Maya Leaders Alliance (MLA) and Toledo Alcaldes Association, said ongoing land invasions were threatening Maya communities living on the border, and that villagers were being forced back by Guatemalans wanting to develop illegal cattle ranches and pastures inside Belize.

“Those on the Guatemalan side have a great level of boldness in coming further and further into Belizean territory,” Mis told Amandala.

The MLA coordinator also revealed that Maya communities have been living in fear of violent attacks because similar incidences had occurred in the past.

“Those who live along the border live under a great deal of stress, because they are the ones who directly feel the impact when there is a situation along the border,” he said.

Cultivating More than Veggies In Belize City

Cultivating More than Veggies In Belize City

Tucked away on a long street in Belize City, lies the first Urban Garden in the country.  Belize, for all its lush landscape, actually imports a disproportionate amount of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Which makes The Urban Garden for Food Security and Peace, more than an urban garden, it is also a project which aims to empower residents to not just eat healthily, but also locally while becoming independent of costly imports. After visiting their garden, we interviewed the principal gardeners/activist to learn more.

E.C.  When was the garden founded, was it the motivation of residents, city officials?

UGFSP As children we always had backyard gardens so gardening is not a new concept to some of us. The Urban Garden for Food Security and Peace is a Belize Action Community project that seeks to grow both people and trees to mitigate poverty. This idea was extended to other organizations and individuals in 2006, when Belize began holding mutual improvement alliance meetings at Liberty Hall in Belize City.  Many old and young people have participated so far and we continue to look for more organizations and people to step up to this task.  In 2015 after a youth summit, where we had young adult youth leaders from 5 Central American Countries, we found several passionate young Afro Belizean adults who wanted to be a part of a program that could positively influence their social, economic and environmental ambitions for themselves and Belize.  At this particular time food security and peace is of vital importance. All over the world and in Belize we are experiencing many diseases at alarming rates because of the food we eat that is harming the human body.

E.C. How did you come up with the name?

UGFSP It was created by Louis E Guild of the Belize Action Community who has been involved with human and environmental development issues all his life.

E.C. How many working members do you have and tell us a little bit about how you and others gave up paying jobs to be a part of this project?

UGFSP The UGFSP is a vocation for ten people. I (Emerson Guild) have had no greater joy than volunteering for this UGFSP Project.  Now our primary support comes from EmergentCorp, Belize Youth Department and The Ministry of Agriculture. These agencies along with others, continue to support the volunteers of the UGFSP. And yes there are four people, including myself, volunteering at the UGFSP who have given up paying jobs to be a part of this noble idea that continues to demonstrate self-reliance and team work.

Here is some of their feedback

• Sheryl Joseph I joined the Urban Garden for Food Security and Peace because my sister introduced me to the garden, I was very inspired the very first time I stepped in the garden…learning about our vegetables and fruits was such a simple but yet, eye opening change. I’ve felt liberated to share the little info that I’ve learned.  The garden allowed me to do I always say to think right, you must eat right.

• Jamal Reid In August 2015, Emergent Corp facilitated the 11thCABO youth summit, held at UWI (University of West Indies) in Belize City. Two to three weeks later we decided to embark on Our Urban Garden for Food Security and Peace mission with Kadeem Bennett the founder of Belize Volunteers Club and Mr. Emerson Guild Manager/Director of Emergent, I realized that it was something that I liked to do plus I really do enjoy teaching other people that come to visit the work we have done, especially the children that visit us from the schools since it shows them something important & meaningful that they can be doing with their lives.

• Shenyl Joseph I gave up my paying job to be a part of the Urban Garden because I was tired of the call center and wanted something more, at the garden I see and feel creativity because I am creative.

E.C. What is the underlying issue in Belize City with fresh food that this garden aims to resolve?

UGFSP Creating food security and peace as a catalyst for environmental harmony in troubled communities.

E.C. We noticed that you have a composting area, tell us about that.

UGFSP We are composting and creating organic teas for fertilizer on our garden site with materials such as dry grass, fruit and vegetables peel, leaves, anything natural that can biodegrade and be used in a different way.

E.C. What have been the key successes so far and what do you hope to improve?

UGFSP Here is our short list:

1. The Urban Garden for Food Security and Peace is still active, especially since the flood that had destroyed/drowned almost 400 of our plants
2. We have already harvested since the garden started Hot peppers, Bell/sweat peppers, and harvested almost every day is our Spinach, Callao and tomatoes.
3. We have motivated a few people to start their own gardens.
4. We have found different ways to do gardening with either vertical, raised beds or self-feeding boxes, using recycle materials such as empty plastic bottles etc.
5. One of our members Kadeem Bennett visited Grenada to participate in an open forum about agriculture.
6. Some of our members will get the chance to participate in a 2-week permaculture course which is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system.

We hope to improve in all aspects of us working together, whether it is in our personal development or in our everyday work at the Urban Garden, we’re definitely striving to improve in everything we do.

E.C. What would you say is the most rewarding aspect?

UGFSP The most rewarding aspect of is harvesting the food from the plants, you learn something new each day, working together in unity.

E.C. How has the community responded?

UGFSP We have and continue to receive invitations to visit schools and community centers to deliver our message and also many residents have visited our Urban Garden.

E.C. What is the next step for your group, what is your biggest goal/aspiration?

UGFSP Our goal at UGFSP is to create and explore good practices and examples for food security and peace. Our daily work activities may seem casual but are very scientific in nature and geared to the pursuit of “LIFE” the activity in harmony with nature.