As the proposed acquisition of telecommunications provider Speednet by BTL continues to stir public and political discourse in Belize, one senior cabinet minister has confirmed that no official government decision has been reached, despite early backing from a key internal party faction.
In comments reported on August 7, 2026, Cabinet Minister Thea Garcia-Ramirez made clear that she will not take a public stance on the deal until the full cabinet receives a comprehensive formal briefing, scheduled for the government body’s upcoming meeting next Tuesday.
While the Northern Caucus of the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) has already held a vote and formally endorsed the acquisition proposal, Garcia-Ramirez emphasized that the caucus’s position does not equate to an official binding position for the entire cabinet. The minister, who personally attended and voted in that Northern Caucus meeting, walked a careful line: she acknowledged that all caucus members hold the right to express their individual and collective stances, but reaffirmed that the full cabinet has not yet debated or vetted the terms of the proposed takeover.
Garcia-Ramirez also openly admitted that she currently lacks sufficient, verified information to form a considered opinion on the acquisition. In a candid remark about the flow of information inside the government, she told reporters that she, like many members of the public, has relied on local news outlets including Channel 5, Love TV, and Channel 7 to get updates on the proposal, rather than receiving official updates directly from government or party leadership. So far, all she has encountered are unsubstantiated rumors with no formal documentation or official presentation of the deal’s terms, impacts, or benefits, she added.
“Everybody has equal rights to state their position. It is not a cabinet position. It’s the caucus, caucus is the one that is saying that they support the acquisition. I myself don’t really know very much about what has happened recently,” Garcia-Ramirez told reporters, noting she only learned of the caucus vote immediately after a separate cabinet meeting earlier this week. “I am unsure, and I’m unwilling to state anything further because I really don’t have all that information. It’s not within my grasp.”
Once the formal briefing is presented to cabinet next week, Garcia-Ramirez says she will be able to conduct a full assessment of the proposed acquisition and share her official position on the deal.