In a development raising questions about governmental transparency, Ombudsman Gilbert Swazo has revealed his unexpected receipt of a termination notice on Christmas Eve from Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie. The correspondence, which arrived mere days before Swazo’s official contract expiration on December 31st, 2025, expressed gratitude for his service while conspicuously omitting any discussion of contract renewal.
The timing of this communication coincides with ongoing legal tensions between Swazo’s office and the administration regarding a significant Freedom of Information appeal. Earlier this year, social activist Jeremy Enriquez sought disclosure regarding legal expenditures in the government’s redistricting litigation. When the Attorney General denied this request, Ombudsman Swazo ruled that partial transparency was legally mandated under FOI statutes—a decision the government is currently challenging in court.
Cabinet Secretary Leslie maintains the letter represented standard procedural notification regarding contract conclusion, emphasizing that no definitive decision regarding reappointment has been finalized. However, Swazo interprets the correspondence as indicating the National Assembly’s prerogative to discontinue his tenure.
When questioned about potential chilling effects on future oversight officials, Swazo emphasized the constitutional imperative of maintaining the Ombudsman’s independence. “The institution must operate based on the constitution, the law, and the rule of law,” he stated, adding that he maintains no regrets about his adherence to legal principles during his tenure.
The conversation also addressed potential ethnic dimensions, as both Swazo and Enriquez belong to Belize’s Garifuna community. While acknowledging the perception, Swazo declined to attribute the non-renewal directly to ethnicity, instead reaffirming his commitment to constitutional governance and expressing confidence that historical accountability would ultimately prevail.