As of June 26, 2026, political pressure is rapidly building around Florencio Marin Junior, the long-serving Minister of Belize’s Ministry of National Defense and Border Security, over questionable financial transactions linked to the Mira family that all occurred during his tenure leading the department.
An official audit has been launched to investigate the controversial spending within the ministry, and Marin is required to provide direct testimony to the Auditor General regarding the handling of these deals. During an on-the-record press interview with reporter Paul Lopez on Wednesday, Marin declined to answer most pressing questions, insisting he would not make any public comments that could prejudice the ongoing independent investigation.
When pressed to guarantee that all products and construction works paid for through public funds were actually delivered and completed, Marin stated: ‘I am prepared to speak, but please let us have the audit finish first. I believe it is ongoing and right now we reserve our comments for when that comes out.’ He also confirmed that the Prime Minister has publicly estimated the audit process will take approximately 90 days to complete, and any decision to release the full final report to the Belizean public falls to the Prime Minister, not his office.
In addition to the transaction scrutiny, a separate cabinet-level debate has emerged over a proposal from Blue Economy Minister Andre Perez to raise the current $10,000 mandatory spending threshold for government ministries. Perez argues that widespread inflation and rising operational costs have made the current cap too restrictive to allow government departments to carry out work efficiently. When asked for his position on the proposal, Marin again declined to comment, noting that as the minister currently under audit investigation, he prefers not to make any public statements related to government spending rules until the inquiry concludes. He told reporters: ‘I have my opinion on that, but I would rather wait for afterwards. I don’t want for anything in anyway, to comment something that would prejudice the audit.’
New questions have also arisen about the whereabouts of the former Financial Officer who approved the questioned transactions during the audit period. Marin told reporters that when he returned to lead the ministry in 2025, the officer had already been transferred out of the department, and he has no knowledge of where the officer is currently assigned. When asked if the former Financial Officer will be interviewed as part of the audit, Marin directed all questions about the audit’s scope and process to the Auditor General’s office.
In response to queries about current operations for the Belize Defense Force, specifically the regular supply of meals and nutrition for service members both at base and in the field, Marin stated that daily operations remain unchanged, and all troops continue to receive their required rations. He directed further questions about military operations to the defense force command. When reporters contacted Commander Velasquez for comment during a public event in Belmopan on Wednesday, he declined to participate in an interview and referred questions to Lieutenant Colonel Burns.
This report is a transcribed version of an evening television news broadcast, with all Kriol-language statements transcribed using a standardized spelling system for accuracy.