On August 28, 2026, a high-stakes labor standoff is unfolding in Belize, as the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) insists its demand to oust Markhelm Lizarraga from the post of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) Board Chairman is far from an empty threat. The union’s self-imposed deadline for the Briceño administration to act expires on the same day the warning was amplified, even as Prime Minister John Briceño has repeatedly stood by Lizarraga and the entire BTL board, maintaining they committed no wrongdoing during their backing of the company’s collapsed acquisition deal.
NTUCB President Ella Waight emphasized that the push for Lizarraga’s removal is not driven by union leadership alone, but by the rank-and-file BTL employees who are the backbone of the nation’s primary telecommunications provider. Waight warned that sustained inaction from the government could trigger severe operational disruptions that would impact internet and connectivity services across the country.
“This is not just NTUCB’s demand — it comes directly from BTL’s workers, the same people who hold the power to keep BTL operating seamlessly or allow it to break down,” Waight stated in remarks during the protest. “When the workers who deliver your internet service, the people who keep the network online, are specifically calling for the chairman’s removal, that should be a major cause for concern. They can deliver good connectivity, spotty service, or no internet at all. We urge the prime minister to take this demand with the seriousness it deserves.”
Waight added that most of the NTUCB’s other outstanding demands are straightforward, low-effort asks that could be resolved in a single day. A core unaddressed request is the appointment of a dedicated liaison in the Prime Minister’s Office that the union can contact directly. Currently, Waight explained, union leadership is forced to send correspondence to every general inbox and random official just to get a response, and even then, they rarely receive even a basic acknowledgment.
“If we even got a simple reply saying ‘We received your letter, I’m traveling abroad and will respond when I return on X date,’ we would not be out here protesting in the heat,” Waight said. “We are fully willing to sit down and negotiate in good faith, but we will not be ignored.”
If the Briceño administration refuses to meet with NTUCB leadership to resolve the dispute, Waight confirmed the union is prepared to launch a national general strike, a move that veteran union observers note could echo the mass labor unrest that shook the country in 2005.
In the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s protest, Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie reached out to NTUCB to confirm that the union’s full list of demands will be placed on the agenda for an upcoming Cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday, offering a small opening for dialogue before the situation escalates further.