As the countdown ticks down to Sunday’s internal People’s United Party (PUP) mayoral convention for Corozal Town, the small northern Belizean municipality has become the center of one of the country’s most closely watched political contests, pitting three-term incumbent Rigoberto Vellos against challenger Shajerie Rogers in a race rife with factional undertones.
Vellos, who has led Corozal Town for three consecutive terms, has launched a public defense of his tenure, pushing back against what he frames as coordinated efforts to unseat him and derail his administration’s progress. In a public address posted to Facebook Thursday night, the incumbent mayor struck a defiant tone, emphasizing that he and his council have delivered tangible results for the town’s residents during his time in office. He stated he is not seeking special treatment and is fully prepared to go head-to-head with Rogers at the convention, but pushed back against the factional maneuvering that has marred the lead-up to the vote.
Most notably, Vellos claimed that multiple public infrastructure and development projects developed in partnership with Belize’s central government have been abruptly paused or slowed in recent weeks – a move he suggests is politically motivated to sabotage his campaign ahead of the convention. “We keep a positive mindset, and we remain committed to working alongside the people of Corozal,” Vellos said in his address. “Our partnership with this community is strong, and we will keep moving forward together, no matter the challenges.” The three-term mayor added that local residents remain firmly in his corner, backing what he calls Team Rigo ahead of Sunday’s vote.
The challenger, Rogers, has secured the public backing of Corozal Bay Area Representative Thea Garcia-Ramirez, a high-profile PUP figure whose support has framed the contest as a proxy battle between competing factions within the party. Ahead of the vote, Garcia-Ramirez pushed back against framing of the race as a divisive internal split, arguing that the contested convention is a healthy demonstration of democratic process within the party. She emphasized that regardless of which candidate wins on Sunday, she is ready to collaborate with the victorious ticket to hold the Corozal Town Council for the PUP in the upcoming March general municipal elections.
Beyond the immediate contest, Garcia-Ramirez used the lead-up to the convention to sound the alarm about a pervasive issue in Belizean politics: systemic gender-based harassment and violence that discourages women from seeking public office. Speaking from personal experience as a female elected official, Garcia-Ramirez noted that political spaces in Belize still operate largely as an exclusionary “boys club”, where women candidates face disproportionate shaming, scandalmongering, and abuse – particularly on social media platforms.
“Any country that chooses to shut women out of electoral politics does itself a profound disservice,” Garcia-Ramirez said. “It weakens the very democracy we claim to value, when half the population is sidelined from leadership.” She went on to praise the growing number of women stepping forward to run for office across Belize, noting that every woman who puts her name on the ballot moves the country closer to fair, equal gender representation in government. Garcia-Ramirez also highlighted that the PUP has deep bench strength in Corozal, with multiple qualified candidates stepping forward to run – a contrast she says to the opposition, which has struggled to field a full slate of candidates for the town council.
The outcome of Sunday’s convention will shape the PUP’s nominee for Corozal Town mayor in the 2026 municipal elections, making the internal contest a critical test of factional power within the party and a key indicator of political dynamics in northern Belize ahead of the general vote in March.