A growing political storm has erupted in Belize around the leadership of state-linked telecoms provider Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), as opposition party the United Democratic Party (UDP) has joined forces with the nation’s trade unions to demand the immediate resignation of BTL Chairman Markhelm Lizarraga. The standoff centers on a scrapped acquisition deal for communications firm SpeedNet, and has escalated into a broader debate over public governance, accountability for state-owned assets, and transparency in public spending.
In an official statement released to the media, the UDP emphasized that any entity holding public assets must be held fully accountable to the Belizean public, a principle the party says Lizarraga violated when the BTL board formally approved the SpeedNet acquisition. Even though the national Cabinet later voted to reject the proposed deal, the UDP argues this does not nullify the board’s original approval of the transaction or absolve the chairman of his responsibility for the failed process.
The opposition has doubled down on calls for full public transparency, demanding the complete disclosure of all costs incurred during the botched acquisition attempt, including expenses for legal services, external advisory support, business valuation, and mandatory due diligence checks. The UDP framed the controversy as a fundamental test of good governance in Belize, reiterating that Lizarraga’s departure from the chairmanship is non-negotiable.
Union Senator Glenfield Dennison, who represents trade union interests in the legislature, added that the no-confidence vote in Lizarraga stretches back far longer than the SpeedNet deal. He pointed to an earlier, multi-million-dollar cable infrastructure proposal that also raised red flags for unions over the chairman’s decision-making.
The final call on whether to replace Lizarraga ultimately rests with Prime Minister John Briceño, who has publicly defended the BTL board and rejected the opposition and unions’ demands. Briceño argued that board members did not act improperly, noting that the body only initiated further due diligence on the SpeedNet purchase rather than making a final binding decision to complete the acquisition. The prime minister made clear he does not share the unions’ negative assessment of Lizarraga’s leadership, and gave no signal that his government would concede to the calls for resignation.