And switching now to religious matters, Belize City saw the inauguration of its largest mosque today.
The impressive structure stands proud on the Phillip Goldosn Highway after the generous donations that brought it to life and gave it an incredibly quick build time.
Here's more from the community celebration of the Mosque's open doors.
It was an inauguration for the Ahmaddiya Muslim Jamat's Masjid Noor in Belize City today. A celebration to officially open the building that is poised to become a cornerstone of a community.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
"This mosque is appropriately named Masjid Noor, the Mosque of light and of course a mosque is other speakers have said, there is so much more than the building we see here today. It is a place of worship, a place of love and dignity, a place of brotherhood and community, its a place of respect and discipline and really it is a place of enlightenment."
And indeed this Mosque far from just a centre of worship has also been designed with the goal of being a drop in centre for young people, they'll come here to seek advice, to play video games, and to plan the basketball games that the Ahmaddiya Jamat have come to be known for.
Chester Willams, COMPOL
"I am grateful for the work that I see the Ahmaddiya Muslim continue to do in Belize City. We know often times we see things happening in our streets and our young people going astray and there is nothing for them to do or no sot of intervention to keep them in check, but again while we have some sectors
of society who sits on the fence and complained, the Ahmaddiya Muslim has been on the ground actively involved in different activities as a means of intervention with young people and as myself and my minister discussed in a meeting last week we had with other stakeholders, that we do believe that one of the best interventions is through sports and we are grateful to see that the Ahmaddiya Muslim continue to support sports."
And it's with that starter legacy in mind that Belizeans rather than fearing something new and perhaps alien to our culture have been welcoming to the minarets and silver dome that slowly rose over cemetery road.
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
"Our city appreciates our warm and fruitful partnership and we recognize you for your stellar contributions in sports, education, social work and community development. We congratulate you on this signature accomplishment, the inauguration of your bigger, better headquarters, which we believe to be a signal of bigger and better things to come."
Kareem Musa, Minister of National Security and New Growth Industries
"If I may quote your kharif mashallah, a very beautiful masjid has been constructed and might I say very speedily, Naveed."
Naveed Mangla
"The fact that you have come to attend a mosque inauguration, which is a purely Islamic event is a sign of extraordinary courage on your part. It is also sign that you are not amongst those who not have fallen pray to the false belief that Islam is a religion of violence or extremism."
"We are extending our hand again to whoever is listening to me that if there is any way that we can work together for the betterment of our people in Belize, our gates will remain open to you."
Masjid Noor had already been opened but could not have been inaugurated due to Covid regulations.
