BELIZE CITY, BELIZE – January 27, 2026: A coalition of labor unions mobilized outside Belize Telemedia Limited’s St. Thomas Street compound today in a dramatic demonstration against the telecommunications company’s proposed acquisition of Speednet/SMART. The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) led the protest, joined by the Belize Energy Workers Union (BEWU) and the Christian Workers Union (CWU), creating a sea of yellow as they voiced strong opposition to what they characterize as the transfer of public assets into private hands.
Despite earlier indications from Opposition Leader Tracy Panton that BTL’s board meeting had been postponed, NTUCB President Ella Waight stated she had received no official confirmation, prompting the union presence. ‘What’s on the agenda? We don’t know. That is why we are out here,’ Waight declared, emphasizing their intent to prevent any rushed decision regarding the acquisition.
The protest intensified around 10 a.m. when demonstrators entered the BTL compound, fulfilling their publicly stated commitment to directly confront the proceedings. CWU President Leonora Flowers framed the demonstration as being ‘for the future of Belize… our children and grandchildren,’ asserting that ‘there’s too much at stake here for Belizeans to just sit back and watch it go through.’
Waight addressed potential concerns about escalation, noting the substantial turnout and stating, ‘I would not want to see any kind of riots or anything like that going on. I’m not saying that would happen, but let’s avoid anything like that happening.’ She revealed that the mobilization occurred with less than 24 hours’ notice, suggesting this protest represents ‘just the beginning’ of union action.
The Public Service Union (PSU) joined as an affiliate of NTUCB, with PSU President Dean Flowers criticizing the Briceño Administration’s handling of public assets. In particularly strong language, Flowers issued a direct warning to political leadership: ‘I want to remind John Briceño, while he was in opposition, he said we need to change because one of us will get hurt. I want to remind you of that sir, one ah unu wah get hurt if unu continue to exploit Belizeans.’
BTL subsequently released a statement characterizing the meeting inside their boardroom as focused on ‘human resources-related issues, including the severance decision of the CCJ of November 5, 2025, which will have a positive impact on our former and present employees.’ The company condemned the disruption of what they described as routine employee-focused discussions.