A public dispute over a major proposed telecommunications acquisition has escalated in Belize, as all four independent senators have formally united to refute claims from Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) that the firm repeatedly extended meeting invitations to discuss its planned purchase of Speednet/SMART, only to be rejected.
In a joint public statement released on the morning of August 12, 2026, the four cross-bench senators — representing business, labor unions, faith institutions, and non-governmental organizations respectively: Business Senator Kevin Herrera, Union Senator Glenfield Dennision, Church Senator Louis Wade, and NGO Senator Janelle Chanona — issued a clear, unified denial. The group stressed that neither they, nor their affiliated organizations, have ever received any invitation, verbal or written, from any BTL representative or third-party acting on BTL’s behalf, to discuss any component of the proposed acquisition of commercial interests.
The conflict traces back to comments BTL Chairman Mark Lizarraga made to reporters following a cabinet meeting in Belmopan earlier that week. During the interaction, Lizarraga claimed the telecommunications giant had repeatedly reached out to independent senators to open talks, only to have their overtures refused. He added that BTL had even submitted a formal letter to the Senate requesting an opportunity to deliver a presentation on the deal, emphasizing the company was willing to meet with any stakeholders open to constructive dialogue.
Within hours of Lizarraga’s remarks, Senator Chanona was the first to publicly challenge his account, releasing an online statement that confirmed she had never received any form of invitation from BTL or any third party acting on the company’s behalf, whether by verbal communication, written correspondence, or email.
Further investigation by local outlet News Five has shed additional light on the correspondence around the request. News Five obtained a February 5 letter in which BTL requested a general briefing with the full Senate, addressed to Senate President Carolyn Trench Sandiford. Five days after receiving the request, Sandiford acknowledged receipt of the application, noting that she would consult with the Clerk of the National Assembly before providing a formal response, and copied the clerk on her reply. Crucially, when Chanona followed up directly with Senate Clerk Clarita Pech Tuesday evening to confirm whether any specific meeting request had ever been addressed to the independent senators, Pech confirmed that as of that date, the Senate Clerk’s office had never received any meeting invitation or request from BTL or its agents specifically addressed to the four independent senators.
In their joint statement, the independent senators also noted that any third party involved in communications with BTL regarding this matter is responsible for accounting for their own actions. The group clarified that any decisions made by outside parties — including the National Assembly or the Office of the Senate President — regarding communications from BTL must be addressed by those entities themselves.
Moving forward, the independent senators are taking proactive steps to advance scrutiny of the proposed acquisition, having sent individual formal letters to four key oversight bodies and stakeholders: the Public Utilities Commission, the Office of the Attorney General, BTL’s Board Chairman, and the Office of the Prime Minister. In these letters, they are requesting access to all public records and information relevant to BTL’s planned purchase of Speednet/SMART.
The four senators have repeatedly made their position clear on the proposed merger: they argue that any consolidation that would create a full monopoly in Belize’s telecommunications sector is a regressive step that runs counter to the public interest.