Feb 3, 2021
UB Has Newly Reconstituted Board
The University of Belize has a newly reconstituted board of trustees. In December 2020, the Ministry of Education announced new appointments: the Minister’s representative attorney Anthony Sylvestre who is now the board’s Chairman. Retired Major Lloyd Jones has been elected as the vice-chairman and will be representing the interest of the tourism industry. Cresencio Sosa Senior is also a new member, and he will represent the private sector for industry while Doctor Yvonne Palma will represent the Ministry of Education. C.E.O. Servula Baeza represents the Ministry of Agriculture and the private sector for agriculture will be represented by Eccelston Irving. Doctor Deysi Mendez is also on the board as a representative for the Ministry of Health. The returning members are Luke Palacio for the N.T.U.C.B., Doctor June Young for the faculty, Fermin Magana for the ATLIB, Darlene Vernon for the alumni association, Steve Good for th
The terminated Professor from the University of the West Indies, Brendan Bain, continues to be a controversial topic within Belize and Jamaica, which has caused the university to come under sustained criticism and denunciation.
On Friday, May 23, the Belize Evangelical Association of Churches along with Belize Action’s Pastor Scott Stirm organized a midday demonstration at the Battlefield Park in front of the Supreme Court. They were protesting against Bain’s termination, calling it a silencing of freedom of speech. Following after the protests being held in Jamaica, majority of the 100 or so participants who showed up donned tapes over their mouths with the slogan, “Freedom Under Attack”. The taping of their mouths represented their sentiments that UWI was used by the LGBT community in the Caribbean to silence Professor Bain for his witness evidence which was taken as being “anti-gay”.