In a striking critique of Belizean foreign policy, United Democratic Party Senator Patrick Faber has denounced the Briceño administration’s response to recent military operations in Venezuela as fundamentally inadequate. The opposition leader characterized the government’s January 5th statement as a deliberately vague document that fails to articulate Belize’s sovereign position while conspicuously avoiding direct reference to United States involvement.
Faber asserted that the official communication reads as a generic obligatory release rather than a serious foreign policy declaration. He highlighted the puzzling omission of the United States as the executing force behind the Venezuelan military operation, despite the statement acknowledging the forcible removal of the Venezuelan president. This omission carries significant weight under international law, which explicitly prohibits regime change through military intervention.
The opposition senator accused the government of hiding behind CARICOM’s collective regional stance rather than demonstrating independent leadership. According to Faber, Belize has chosen to align with regional positions while refusing to state its own convictions regarding the legality and legitimacy of the Venezuelan situation. The approach suggests a government more concerned with maintaining favorable relations with Washington than asserting principled sovereignty, reflecting what Faber describes as a timid diplomatic posture that undermines Belize’s independent voice in international affairs.