In a sharply escalating standoff over corporate governance and public trust, Belize’s major trade union bodies have ramped up pressure against Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) Chairman Markhelm Lizarraga, calling not just for his resignation but for his immediate departure from the role with no retirement benefits whatsoever.
The hardening stance was announced publicly during a National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) press briefing held in Belize City on August 18, 2026. Union Senator Glenfield Dennison laid out the unions’ non-negotiable demand in blunt terms, stating: “He needs to do the honorable thing and resign and get no benefits, go directly home — do not pass go, do not collect your pension, do not collect any compensation, just leave.”
The root of the unrest stems from Lizarraga’s stewardship of the now-defunct proposed acquisition of Speednet/SMART by BTL. Unions argue that Lizarraga’s management of the high-stakes deal cost him the confidence of both BTL’s 1,200-strong workforce and the general Belizean public, after he failed to provide sufficient transparency and open communication around a transaction that would have had major impacts on industry employment and national digital infrastructure.
NTUCB President Ella Waight expanded on the organizations’ collective concerns, noting: “We believe that the chairman has not been sufficiently honest, transparent and forthcoming with Belizean workers and the Belizean public and therefore has lost the confidence of many BTL employees, working people across the country, and ordinary Belizeans.”
The movement to remove Lizarraga has gained significant traction on the ground: the Belize Communication Workers Union (BCWU), which represents roughly 60 percent of all BTL employees, has formally issued a vote of no confidence against the chairman. BCWU General Secretary Harrison August emphasized that Lizarraga failed repeatedly to meet basic standards of governance, saying the chairman “has failed to act with transparency, timely communication, consultation, and good faith engagement, particularly on the decision that directly impacts the employees of BTL and the people of Belize.”
For his part, Lizarraga has pushed back against the criticisms, defending his professional record amid the cloud over his handling of the acquisition. When previously questioned about concerns over his integrity tied to the deal, he pointed to the notable corporate turnaround BTL has achieved during his tenure as chairman, arguing that his performance should speak for itself. “You will judge me by the works and the results,” he stated.
The unfolding conflict marks one of the most high-profile industrial disputes in Belize’s telecommunications sector in recent years, with implications for the future of BTL’s leadership and the regulation of major corporate acquisitions in the country’s key digital industry.