A high-stakes contest for a key small shareholder seat on the board of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) is intensifying, as Belize’s largest organized labor body is rallying small investors to oust the sitting director in favor of a company veteran with decades of internal experience.
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), alongside a coalition of its affiliated unions, has formally thrown its full backing behind Erven Marin, a former BTL employee who dedicated more than 32 years of his career to the telecommunications firm. According to the NTUCB, Marin’s long tenure inside the company gives him unique on-the-ground insight into BTL’s operations, work culture, and stakeholder needs that would allow him to elevate three critical pillars of board governance: transparent communication, tangible accountability, and consistent consultation with the investors he would represent.
The labor congress has not shied away from direct criticism of the incumbent Small Shareholders Director, Eric Eusey. In its public call to action, the NTUCB argues that Eusey has failed to fulfill his core mandate: he has not held meaningful consultations with small shareholders on major corporate decisions that directly impact their investments and the future of BTL. This lack of engagement, the organization says, has eroded small shareholders’ confidence in his leadership entirely.
With BTL’s 20th general meeting scheduled for September 17 just six days after the NTUCB’s announcement, the congress is moving aggressively to mobilize voter turnout. It is urging every eligible small shareholder to either attend the general meeting in person to cast their vote for Marin, or submit official proxy forms if they cannot attend in person. The NTUCB frames the vote as more than just a leadership change: it is an opportunity for small shareholders to send a clear, unambiguous message that their perspectives and interests must be centered in BTL’s boardroom decision-making going forward.