Manolo Romero established Belize’s first electronic Bulletin Board System in 1994 when the Internet was in its nascent stage. Ahead of even the then telephone monopoly BTL, the Belize Online BBS polled via long distance dial-up a UUCP feed at the University of Puerto Rico 4 times every day delivering electronic mail to some 390 Belizean families thus making the Internet a reality in Belize.
Soon after, the University College of Belize began offering email for students and faculty. Both email services were eventually shut down by the local telephone monopoly Belize Telecommunications Ltd. Shortly thereafter Belize.com was launched using servers based in the U.S.A. outside the reach of the Belize government.
Manolo was trained as a journalist at the Caribbean Institute of Mass Communications, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica. He began his career as a cub reporter at Radio Belize in 1975. He did tours of duty as Assistant Editor of The Reporter Newspaper, Editor of the Belize Times, Photo Editor of Fun and Games Magazine (Published by the Amandala Newspaper Group), News Editor of Radio Belize, and Chief Information Officer at the Belize Information Service.
He was also a popular music D. J. on Radio Belize along with contemporaries Rene Villanueva, Ernesto Vasquez and Enrique David Martinez. His final posting in the Belize government was as Communications Advisor in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 1995. Manolo is a single parent.
He is Director of Belize.com Ltd. which operates this web site and related media networks. He enjoys surfing the Internet, travel, good books, model photography, dance club dancing with his preferred dance partners (a few are featured on our web properties), and working on his web sites.
Susan and Izzy Garcia are natives of Northern California, U.S.A. and own resort condos in Ambergris Caye, Belize and Panama. Susan is a well-known trial-attorney. Izzy, is a consulting engineer. A former executive engineer at Advanced Micro Devices, he now runs Garcia Project Management, a regional construction project management and consulting firm.
Manolo and the Garcias founded Internet Travel Marketing. Inc. in January, 1994, as a joint Belizean-U.S. enterprise. The purpose of the partnership was to create and maintain Belize Online, as a vehicle for promoting responsible tourism and investment in Belize, and for providing affordable online advertising to the tourism and investment sectors in Belize. They went online in April 1994 as the first Belize Website.
Belize Online Inc. and Belize.com Ltd. operate the only independent Geo Portal devoted to the country of Belize. We are not controlled by any government or para-statal entity. Our support comes solely from private sector advertising partners and business affiliates. Belize Online is the Registered Trademark of Belize.com Ltd.
Our Promise to you: Belize.com is free of Belize Tourism Board marketing hype. “Official” and other “private” web sites bankrolled by the Belize Government Tourist Board or trade lobbying bodies are long on carefully edited touristy fluff but short on the down-to-earth information real travelers are looking for. We love our country and this will always be reflected on Belize.com. But we will always strive to give you truthful and independently researched information on Belize – the straight dope on Belize.
Would you like to submit content for our consideration? If you have an interesting, well-written first-person Belize travel adventure or cultural experience, you may send it to us for consideration. We also welcome educational, adventure, scientific, or research material relating to Belize. We welcome submissions for inclusion on this web site and will credit you as requested. Contact us here. You can also submit Belize-related information at the Belize Forums, This is also an excellent facility to post questions. Would you like to list your web site on Belize.com? It’s easy to become an advertising partner with Belize.com? Use our Contact Form for Inquiries.
Belize.com Ltd.
944 Orchid Garden
Belmopan
BELIZE
Tel: 822 2759