Five months out from Belize’s upcoming municipal elections, a low-voter turnout at a key endorsement convention for the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) in Belmopan has sparked fresh questions about how deeply the ongoing “Mira Millions” political scandal is eroding the party’s local support base.
On September 22, 2026, incumbent Belmopan Mayor Pablo Cawich and his sitting municipal council gathered for a formal endorsement event, laying the groundwork for their campaign to win a second consecutive term in office. In pre-event comments to local outlet Plus TV, Cawich set an ambitious attendance goal, projecting that at least 2,000 loyal supporters would turn out to back the PUP slate. To draw crowds, organizers offered multiple incentives: complimentary meals, discounted $2 beers, soft drinks, and a post-ceremony performance by popular local act Super Furia. Senior party figures, including sitting ministers and Belize’s prime minister, were also scheduled to speak at the gathering to boost the ticket’s profile.
Despite these planned attractions, independent credible estimates put actual attendance at only around 300 people — just 15 percent of the mayor’s projected target. The unexpectedly small crowd has amplified ongoing public conversation about the unresolved political futures of two PUP figures, Oscar Mira and Florencio Marin Jr., who are at the center of the unfolding Mira Millions corruption scandal.
Cawich maintained before the convention that the event would serve as a formal confirmation of the entire incumbent council as the PUP’s official candidate slate for the 2027? No, 2026? Wait, corrected: the municipal elections are scheduled five months after September 2026, so early 2027. Wait, original says five months away, yes. Cawich acknowledged ahead of the event that rainy weather was a possible factor that could lower turnout, but political analysts note that the scale of the attendance shortfall goes far beyond what bad weather could explain. Many are now pointing to the low turnout as tangible evidence that the public backlash from the Mira Millions scandal has reached the mayor’s office, even though Cawich and his council are not directly implicated in the controversy.
As the campaign period officially kicks off in the coming weeks, the question now hanging over Belmopan’s municipal race is whether Cawich and his team can rebuild voter confidence and distance themselves from the scandal to secure re-election, or if the public anger over the corruption affair will prove to be the deciding issue that pushes voters to reject the PUP ticket at the polls.