Stories about Belize
Year in review: In 2023, the climate crisis was top of mind for the Caribbean
Of the many stories Global Voices Caribbean covered this year, the lion's share have been linked to global warming, and the importance of climate justice to the region's survival.
COP28 delivers ‘death certificate’ for island nations
The Global Stocktake is meant to be the big outcome of the climate negotiations this year, but we have significantly deviated from restricting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Caribbean journalists: ‘Shortfalls in climate reporting can be improved’
Caribbean journalists are finding it essential to report on climate justice issues, and ensure those who play a greater role in causing climate change are held accountable.
How Belize’s bright biodiversity is inextricably linked to blue carbon
Leveraging blue carbon will require ambitious, conservation-forward policies to maintain and restore coastal and marine ecosystems in order to mitigate the crippling effects of the climate crisis.
Did 2022 see the Caribbean become more ‘gay-friendly'?
While Barbados is the latest regional territory to deem its "buggery" laws unconstitutional, there has been some confusion — and even legal reversals — over LGBTQ+ rights in other Caribbean nations.
The Caribbean responds to Queen Elizabeth II's complicated legacy
Many in the region have been attempting to achieve a fine balance between acknowledging Queen Elizabeth II's steadfastness and wrestling with a legacy that inflicted its share of pain.
Antigua & Barbuda is the latest Caribbean country where ‘anti-buggery’ laws have been deemed ‘unconstitutional’
On July 5, the country's High Court ruled that clauses in the Sexual Offences Act criminalising homosexual sex were against citizens’ constitutional rights to both privacy and freedom of expression.
The Caribbean's ‘looming’ food security storm suddenly seems more threatening
It is estimated that there are as many as 2.8 million people — nearly 40 percent of the population — suffering from food insecurity in the English-speaking Caribbean, most of them from low-income households.
‘Seh Yu Sorry!’ Royal visit to Jamaica sparks protests and calls for slavery reparations
"[Queen Elizabeth II] has done nothing to redress the suffering that took place during her reign [and] the entire period of British trafficking of Africans, enslavement, indentureship and colonialization."
World Oceans Day: The Caribbean Sea faces dual threat of climate change and overfishing
It is clear the Caribbean is on the frontline of climate change, and its creeping impact on the marine environment is showing itself in various ways.
Caribbean denounces Trump’s decision to put Cuba back on terrorism list; hopes for a reversal with Biden
Some expect the Biden/Harris administration to re-establish a working relationship with the island; other Cuban commentators find that unlikely. Either way, CARICOM wants Cuba taken off the US' terrorism list.
From COVID-19 to Caribbean literature, this is what the region looked like in 2020
COVID-19 was at the top of the news cycle this year. In the Caribbean, the pandemic exacerbated already existing issues, but also allowed regional netizens to reimagine their collective future.
World AIDS Day 2020: How has the Caribbean dealt with HIV during COVID-19?
Threatened livelihoods, disruption in supply chains, and changes in health care delivery are all challenges which people living with HIV/AIDS in the region have had to grapple with under COVID-19.
The Caribbean's case for reparations: Part III
Reparatory justice can play an important role in dealing with challenges like disease, climate change and COVID-19, all of which pose existential threats to the region.
The Caribbean's case for reparations: Part II
"We transformed these broken colonies into functional democracies without any support […] and now we have this debt crisis because we were abandoned by those who plundered our wealth."
The Caribbean's case for reparations: Part I
"When a wrong has been committed, it must be repaired. If you recognise that colonization has been a source of massive crimes against humanity, then reparations are legitimate."
Belizean Independence reminds me of the complicated legacy of colonization
My granny’s Blackness and her attachment to the British Crown provided me with some of my first lessons about the complexities and peculiarities of diasporic Blackness.
Restarting Caribbean economies under threat of COVID-19
As a major source of foreign exchange and employment for most of the region, safely opening up borders to overseas visitors has become ever more pressing.
Is there more to the Caribbean's single-use plastics ban than meets the eye?
The move to go plastic-free is timely. According to the United Nations, 70 to 85 percent of marine litter in the Caribbean originates from land, and the lion's share is plastics.
Belize's new fisheries bill: A ‘model for how to manage marine resources’
Belize has been working toward this legislation for nearly a decade, partnering with the Environmental Defense Fund to ensure both its integrity and that it addresses resulting concerns.
Belize gets serious about ocean conservation with new Fisheries Resources Bill
Climate change, overfishing and pollution affect the preservation of ocean habitats in Belize, but new legislation hopes to protect marine life by managing overfishing.