A simmering political controversy over a sitting minister’s direct intervention in a private residential land dispute has taken center stage in Belize this week, with Prime Minister John Briceño publicly weighing in on the escalating incident that has drawn widespread public criticism.
The controversy centers on Gilroy Usher, the Area Representative for Port Loyola, who was captured on cellphone video physically removing a boundary fence built by a local resident caught up in a long-running ownership conflict. The incident, which unfolded over the weekend, has reignited debates over the proper boundaries of elected official conduct when navigating community conflicts, and has forced Briceño to field questions from local media – a scenario that has become all too familiar amid scrutiny of ministerial actions in the country.
In his first public comments on the incident, Briceño acknowledged that Usher made a misstep in taking matters into his own hands, but offered context for the minister’s impulsive decision. Briceño emphasized that deadly violence linked to unresolved land conflicts remains a persistent, devastating crisis across Belize, noting that even his own close associate in San Lazaro, Orange Walk, was recently killed in a land-related attack. He explained that Usher acted out of over-anxiety and frustration, driven by a fear that inaction would lead to further bloodshed in the dispute.
Despite this contextual understanding, the prime minister made clear that he would have approached the situation through formal, legal channels. Briceño told reporters that he personally called Usher after the incident to advise him that such conflicts should be handled through established institutional processes: law enforcement should lead on public order, while the Ministry of Natural Resources holds the authority to formally demarcate property boundaries and resolve ownership claims. Briceño confirmed that Usher has acknowledged the error in his approach.
In the wake of the incident, Usher has issued a public apology for his actions, but has stood by his core motivation for intervening. He claims he was acting to protect a family that held legal title to the property but had been blocked from accessing the land since 2024. That claim is fiercely disputed by Cozet Maximo, the resident whose fence was torn down, who says she has continuously occupied the plot for 17 years and rejects the opposing family’s ownership claim entirely.
Today, the dispute has been formally transferred to the Ministry of Natural Resources for official boundary verification and ownership adjudication. In a notable show of continued confidence amid the controversy, Usher was invited to appear front and center alongside Briceño and other cabinet ministers at a public event on Wednesday, and was seen dancing alongside the prime minister just days after the weekend incident sparked public outcry.