The 4th annual Belize Prize for Investigative Journalism was held this past Saturday and for the 3rd time since its inception, Channel 7 took home the top prize. The winning entry detailed the abduction of Joseph Budna and the cover-up by the cops, including the leaked surveillance footage of the moment Budna was beaten and kidnapped.
Courtney Menzies has a recap of the event:
World Press Freedom Day was observed in Belize with the annual Prize for Investigative Journalism Awards.
Michael H. Lund, UNDP Deputy Resident Rep.
"As we gather here tonight to recognize the journalists of Belize, we should also reflect on the importance of press freedom. World Press Freedom Day, observed each year on 3 May, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 as a reminder to governments- and to societies- of our duty to respect and uphold freedom of expression, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Ladies and gentlemen, we are not doing so well. Around the world, journalists face harassment, intimidation, legal threats, and economic insecurity. Indeed, World Press Freedom Day is a moment to remember those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of truth. According to The Committee to Protect Journalists at least 129 journalists were killed in 2025, making last year the deadliest on record."
And for the 3rd time in 4 years, Channel 7 took home the top prize for the story: "Taken: The Budna Abduction and the Police Cover-Up."
And this year's competition was supported by the UNDP. The Deputy Resident Representative spoke about the role investigative journalism plays here in Belize and the significance of press freedom.
University of Belize Prize For Investigative Journalism [JLtDYlNtrLI].mp4
Michael H. Lund, UNDP Deputy Resident Rep.
"Here in Belize the Investigative Journalism Award is important because it validates high-stakes reporting and honours the critical role journalists play for a functioning democracy."
"In Belize we should be concerned about the level of civic engagement. While Belize placed the highest among all countries in the 2024 UN Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index for the English-Speaking Caribbean regarding support for democratic values, Belize also recorded the lowest level of civic engagement. In this context, investigative journalism is not a peripheral actor-it is one of democracy's essential safeguards. Bringing democratic values to life and spurring civic engagement."
And that engagement is why Joseph Budna is in prison in Guatemala. Budna was abducted after a series of videos he made on his Facebook page acting as a citizen journalist.
And while his story has been heard across Belize, Budna remains incarcerated, and his kidnappers continue to serve in the police department while the authorities seem to have moved on. This failure to make a single arrest was highlighted in the speech by 7News Director, Jules Vasquez.
University of Belize Prize For Investigative Journalism [JLtDYlNtrLI].mp4
Jules Vasquez, News Director, 7News
"This is not a profession, this is a mission - first, I need to say that while this was and is the most important investigation I've yet undertaken - (and forgive me for reciting the details again) A Belizean citizen tonight languishes in a Guatemalan jail - the victim of a crime that happened in plain sight, an abduction carried out by state actors, by lawmen - and not one arrest has been made - instead we have seen official obfuscation, state level secrecy, and, of course, promotions for those involved."
And he emphasized the important of reporting without fear or favor and, in fact, remaining unfavorable in the eyes of the state.
University of Belize Prize For Investigative Journalism [JLtDYlNtrLI].mp4
Jules Vasquez, News Director, 7News
"Journalism is not a popularity contest - it is an unpopularity contest. Why? To certain people, the truth is unpopular, transparency to them is toxicity - but to be disliked and maligned by those who murder the truth is an honor. What did Orwell say? The ministry of Truth manufactures lies."
"I urge my colleagues - and I know in a small society it is hard - to be rude, to ask the outrageous, to interrogate the truth, to offend the political elites, to reject comfortable falsehoods."
"I do not want to fall not into the trap of comparison amongst my peers, my colleagues - but into the collective spirit of outrage against the political status quo and the spoils economy that fuels the PUDP."
The other finalists were News 5's Paul Lopez and freelance journalists Marco Lopez and Andre Habet.
Previous Channel 7 investigative stories that have won this prize include the investigations into the David L McKoy building and the corrupt practices behind issuing gun licenses.
