A significant leadership crisis is unfolding at Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), the nation’s state-owned telecommunications provider, as internal pressures escalate against Chairman Markhelm Lizarraga. The Belize Communications Workers for Justice has publicly demanded Lizarraga’s immediate resignation, citing a complete breakdown of trust, transparency, and corporate accountability under his stewardship.
The controversy centers on two critical issues that have eroded confidence in BTL’s leadership. First, the company’s refusal to fully implement a Caribbean Court of Justice ruling mandating that severance payments be treated separately from pension benefits and distributed to all eligible former employees. This legal stance has created substantial tension between management and workforce representatives.
Second, the union has identified what it characterizes as a glaring conflict of interest in BTL’s proposed acquisition of Speednet, further complicating the governance landscape. The situation has reached a tipping point with former BCWU President Michael Augustus revealing that Lizarraga previously advocated for these very worker benefits while in opposition to the United Democratic Party government.
Augustus recounted Lizarraga’s earlier position: “He had a meeting in our office against then the United Democratic Party and its government. And was telling us that all these same things that we are demanding, including severance, was due to us.” This historical context underscores the union’s allegations of hypocrisy and conflict of interest, with Augustus concluding that Lizarraga “need to” resign from his position of authority.
The growing discontent signals deeper structural issues within Belize’s telecommunications sector and raises questions about corporate governance standards in state-owned enterprises. As calls for resignation intensify, all stakeholders await BTL’s response to these serious allegations that threaten to destabilize the organization’s leadership framework.