In a sharp rebuke of the ruling Belizean administration, Opposition Leader Tracy Panton is demanding the immediate termination of a decades-long logging license granted to a company owned by the son of Sustainable Development Minister Orlando Habet, calling the deal a blatant case of nepotism and a profound violation of public confidence. The 30-year contract, awarded amid a nationwide moratorium on new logging licenses, has sparked growing outrage over alleged government corruption and favoritism, with Panton rejecting the administration’s claim that Minister Habet had no knowledge of the arrangement.
Speaking in an evening television broadcast transcribed for online publication, Panton expressed incredulity at the government’s public statements defending the contract. “It blows my mind that members of the administration stand up and look into a camera and blatantly lie to the Belizean people,” Panton said. “You will tell me that the minister had no idea that he was giving his son a thirty-year logging contract. Not five years, not a term limited to his time in office – thirty years. That should be canceled immediately. The Prime Minister should have already issued a statement saying that has been canceled. That is not acceptable on any level. It is nepotism. And it is again, a betrayal of the public trust.”
What makes the deal even more contentious is the current government-imposed moratorium on new logging license approvals, a policy that has restricted access to logging rights across Belize and driven up the value of existing active licenses. This restriction makes the 30-year arrangement particularly valuable and profitable for the beneficiary, deepening suspicions that the contract was awarded through improper influence rather than transparent, competitive processes.
As of July 21, 2026, the Prime Minister has not issued a public response to Panton’s demands, nor has the government announced any plans to review or revoke the controversial license.