Prime Minister John Briceño has articulated a robust defense of his administration’s proposal to designate media organizations as essential services within Belize’s telecommunications sector. The policy initiative, currently under cabinet consideration, would establish formal protections preventing service providers from arbitrarily disconnecting media outlets.
During a recent press engagement, Briceño clarified the government’s position: “Our proposal through regulatory frameworks seeks to categorize media as essential infrastructure. This classification ensures service cannot be terminated without due process, while maintaining reasonable expectations that bills must be settled promptly.”
The announcement follows mounting concerns from media representatives who reported service disruptions affecting Krem Television and Plus TV, with some speculating these incidents correlated with their editorial content. The Prime Minister directly addressed these allegations, stating: “I must challenge this presumption of content-based discrimination.”
Briceño drew historical parallels to previous administration actions, notably recalling when the United Democratic Party government withdrew advertising from Channel Five (now Greater Belize Media). He pointedly questioned the media collective’s response: “I observed no collective outcry from media institutions when these punitive measures were enacted against Channel Five. Our administration fundamentally rejects such retaliatory practices.”
The essential services designation would institute mandatory advance notification periods before any service discontinuation, providing media entities adequate opportunity to address billing disputes while safeguarding against politically motivated disruptions.
This policy development emerges amid ongoing debates about press freedom and the government’s role in regulating telecommunications infrastructure, positioning Belize at the intersection of media rights and regulatory oversight.