A long-running local business dispute in Belize’s Belize District is on track to become a formal legal battle, after the Belize City Council moved to shut down two popular businesses operated by veteran Finnegan Market vendor Aaron Castillo. In mid-August 2026, council officials enforced a stop work order and locked Castillo out of his Jun’s Meat Shop and adjacent supermarket, prompting his legal team to issue a formal pre-litigation notice challenging the council’s actions.
Orson “OJ” Elrington, Castillo’s attorney, argued that the city council’s ejection of his client violates core Belizean legal procedure. Under local law, any eviction of a commercial tenant requires a prior court order — a requirement Elrington emphasizes is not a convoluted legal technicality, but a basic rule of due process that the council openly ignored.
The council has framed the closure as part of a broader crackdown on uncompliant businesses, saying the stop order against Jun’s Meat Shop was one of 39 issued to operators that failed to meet trade license requirements. But Elrington refutes that claim entirely, noting that his client holds a valid court-approved consent order that sets out a structured payment schedule for license renewal. According to the agreement, which was negotiated between legal representatives for Castillo and the Belize City Council, Castillo would receive his active trade license once he completed all scheduled payments. Elrington confirmed that Castillo has fully honored his obligations under the consent order, putting him in full compliance with both the court’s terms and local business regulations.
As the legal process moves forward, the full extent of Castillo’s financial losses remains unquantified. Elrington explained that Castillo and his team have been unable to access the property since the lockout, leaving large stocks of perishable goods — including the meat shop’s core inventory — vulnerable to spoilage. Until Castillo regains entry to assess the damage, the total cost of losses cannot be calculated, but Elrington made clear that the council will be held responsible for all damages his client has incurred as a result of the unauthorized closure. The pre-litigation notice formally puts the council on notice of the upcoming legal challenge, as Castillo fights to regain control of his businesses and secure compensation for his losses.