This update covers developments relating to the freedoms of expression, association and assembly in Belize from September 2025 to early February 2026.
Introduction
Belize Ombudsman’s mandate ends without successor, office becomes inoperative
On 24th December 2025, the Office of the Prime Minister of Belize informed the country’s Ombudsman, Gilbert Suazo, by letter that his contract would not be renewed upon its expiry on 31st December 2025. Suazo questioned the process and stated that any decision affecting the Ombudsman’s mandate should involve Parliament and respect the constitutional independence of the office.
By the end of 2025, local media reported that the Office of the Ombudsman had been left without an office-holder, with no successor appointed. Although the institution remained legally in force and was not formally dissolved, the absence of an Ombudsman left the office effectively inoperative in early 2026. Without leadership, the body could not receive, investigate or process complaints.
The former Ombudsman reportedly initiated legal proceedings, alleging procedural shortcomings in the termination of his mandate and arguing that constitutional protections require stronger insulation of the office from executive influence.
Belize has experienced periods when the Ombudsman’s office remained unfilled, raising concerns about accountability gaps.
Peaceful Assembly
Mobilisation grows around BTL acquisition and worker claims
On 27th January 2026, around a hundred people protested peacefully outside the headquarters of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) on Saint Thomas Street in Belize City, opposing BTL’s proposed acquisition of Speednet/SMART, a private telecommunications provider.
The demonstration included members and supporters of the United Democratic Party (UDP), the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), the Public Service Union (PSU) and the Christian Workers' Union (CWU). Protesters held placards criticising the proposed transaction, which they argued could re-establish a telecommunications monopoly and lacked transparency.
According to media reports, tensions escalated when a group of protesters attempted to breach police barricades and enter the building. After barriers were breached, clashes occurred between police and protesters. Media outlets also reported that officers had earlier deployed tear gas while seeking to prevent further escalation. Protest leaders later de-escalated the situation. While the attempted forced entry into the BTL building may have justified limited police intervention to protect persons and property, the reported use of tear gas and pepper spray raises concerns under international human rights law.
Further peaceful protests followed. For example, on 30th January 2026, members of Belize Communications Workers for Justice staged a demonstration outside BTL’s headquarters on Saint Thomas Street, calling on the company to settle long-overdue compensation for former workers. The protest was led by Emily Turner, a former BTL employee, who told reporters that the group sought payment of severance packages. Turner stated that while some former employees had reportedly received notice that payments were forthcoming, others remained without clarity. She also raised concerns about the proposed tax treatment of severance payments, arguing that such compensation represents earned benefits rather than new income. She said the group would continue mobilising until all affected workers received their full entitlements.
We’re sending a message out to BTL that they must pay now. We’re not prepared to wait. We don’t want to talk. I think our team has already taken the decision that we will continue this action until they tell us the date and the time they will give us that cheque. And we want them to give the cheque to every single person. We don’t want them to be telling us anything about statutes of limitation. We should all respect the judgment of the CCJ because we are a country of laws. And I think that’s our message and we’re encouraging the public to also blow their horn when they pass on St. Thomas Street. Six days, we have six days. Six days were approved for us and so we start today and the different members as they make themselves available, they will be joining us. So we’re a healthy little crowd here today that have started this and we continue until next week Friday.
- Emily Turner, a former BTL employee.
On 3rd February 2026, the NTUCB reported that the Belize Police Department had denied a permit for a protest outside the SSB offices in Belize City. According to Ella Waight, President of the NTUCB, the union submitted a permit request on 2nd February 2026 at the Raccoon Street Police Station for a protest scheduled from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm the following day. She stated that police had denied the request on the grounds that the UDP had already received authorisation to demonstrate at the same location earlier that morning, between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon. Despite the refusal, union members proceeded with the protest on 4th February 2026, walking outside the SSB offices on Princess Margaret Drive. The protest received support from other labour organisations, including the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU).
In a separate incident, on 4th February 2025, police detained Brian Audinette, also known as “Yellowman”, a UDP activist, during a UDP-organised demonstration in Belize City. Authorities later released Audinette without charge. According to the Commissioner of Police, Richard Rosado, the detention followed reports of a message circulated within a UDP chat group that allegedly referred to plans to “bruk up” the Social Security Board (SSB) building during the demonstration. Police stated that the wording raised concerns about a potential risk of violence in the context of a public protest.
Rosado said the information prompting police action originated from within the UDP itself, noting that several party members contacted law enforcement to distance the protest from any suggestion of violence and to avoid exposing participants to harm or legal consequences. Police characterised the detention as a preventive and investigative measure to assess the credibility of the alleged threat, rather than an attempt to restrict political expression.
Residents protest proposed protected area over lack of consultation
On 6th January 2026, dozens of residents protested a government proposal to expand a protected area for scarlet macaws in and around the community of Red Bank Village, southern Belize. The mobilisation followed public statements by Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, who said the government intends to strengthen the protection of riverine and nesting areas used by the birds, citing environmental vulnerability and a halt to further land allocation near the river.
The Minister stated that consultations were under way with farmers, landowners and resident stakeholders, and that the proposal could include community-based economic activities, such as handicraft production, small food businesses, contributions from tour operators and a possible entrance fee. He said revenue could support local development through mechanisms such as the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT).
Residents, however, said authorities had not carried out adequate consultation and lacked clear information on the proposed boundaries, legal status, and practical implications of the protected area, as it had been used for small-scale private farming, firewood collection and access to land used for daily livelihoods.
In mid-January 2026, 200 residents attended a public consultation. Rodwell Ferguson, Area Representative for Stann Creek West, acknowledged the outcome and stated that the government would step back following the vote. He also assured residents that surveyed land would not be allocated in ways that block access for farmers or tour guides.
While some local tour guides and conservation advocates argued that a sanctuary is necessary to protect declining macaw populations and address threats such as illegal logging and unregulated development, other residents said the community already coexists with the birds and questioned both the government’s approach and the transparency of the process.
Motorcycle fee proposal draws protest in southern Belize
On 3rd January 2026, a dozen protesters gathered at the border between Eldridgeville and Jacintoville, in southern Belize, to oppose a proposed BZD 300 (~ USD 150) motorcycle-related fee under consideration by the Ministry of Transportation. Protesters said the measure would disproportionately affect low-income and rural riders, for whom motorcycles often represent the primary and most affordable form of transport.
Among those speaking was Wil Maheia, an activist based in Toledo District, who criticised the proposal as unjust and poorly targeted. He argued that a flat fee fails to distinguish between riders who comply with traffic regulations and those who do not, and noted that existing licensing procedures already certify riders’ competence. Maheia also stated that many traffic fatalities relate to poor road conditions and limited enforcement rather than rider qualification alone.
Protesters highlighted that in southern districts such as Toledo, motorcycles serve as a primary means of commuting, work and access to essential services, particularly for people unable to afford four-wheel vehicles. They warned that the proposed fee could deepen social and economic inequality by transferring the costs of road safety to those least able to absorb additional financial burdens.
The Ministry of Transportation has stated that the proposed fee forms part of broader efforts to improve regulation, safety compliance and accountability among motorcycle users. Officials have previously pointed to motorcycles’ involvement in traffic violations and road fatalities, arguing that additional revenue could support enforcement, licensing administration and road safety initiatives. Authorities have not announced a final decision or implementation timeline and have indicated that consultations remain ongoing.
Expression
Private apology follows public criticism of journalist by Prime Minister’s Office
According to media reports, in November 2025, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) of Belize issued a public press release criticising Jules Vasquez, Director of 7News, a national television news outlet. The statement focused on the journalist personally rather than addressing the substance of his reporting, raising concerns about the use of official government communications to discredit members of the media.
Following the release, Prime Minister John Briceño contacted Vasquez privately to apologise. The OPM did not issue a public apology or retraction through official channels. When questioned by journalists on 12th December 2025, the Prime Minister confirmed that he had apologised in private and stated that his office would avoid issuing similar statements in the future.
Association
Government withdraws proposed Thirteenth Constitutional Amendment after pressure from civil society
In December 2025, the Government of Belize agreed not to proceed with the proposed Thirteenth Constitutional Amendment following sustained pressure from trade unions and legal professionals. The decision followed a meeting held on 15th December 2025 between Prime Minister John Briceño and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB).
As previously reported, the amendment, introduced in July 2025, proposed expanding state authority in designated “special areas”, retroactively validating all previous states of emergency, and establishing a specialised Gun and Gang Court. It would have authorised the Governor-General, acting on the advice of the National Security Council of Belize, to declare emergency zones in which certain rights could be suspended, subject to parliamentary oversight. Police authorities publicly supported the proposal as a tool to address organised crime.
From the outset, the proposal prompted nationwide public debate and opposition, including town halls and public forums. Critics argued that the amendment failed to address the structural drivers of violence and instead risked entrenching exceptional security measures, with implications for civil liberties. The NTUCB emerged as a central critic, warning that the proposal could disproportionately affect ordinary citizens and weaken constitutional safeguards.
On 7th January 2026, following negotiations, Ella Waight, President of the NTUCB, confirmed that the Prime Minister had committed to abandoning the constitutional route. The government indicated that it would instead pursue amendments to the Criminal Code, requiring any future declarations of a state of emergency to receive approval through the National Security Council rather than being embedded in the Constitution. Waight described this approach as more inclusive, while emphasising the need for clear safeguards.