Nearly two and a half years after a human trafficking case involving nine vulnerable Haitian girls was first lodged with Belizean authorities, the nation’s former top ombudsman has escalated the government’s long-running inaction to the country’s High Court. Retired Major Herman Swaso, who stepped down from the Ombudsman’s role at the end of December 2025 when his contract was not renewed, argues that the prolonged vacancy at the independent watchdog post has left critical, unresolved questions hanging over the case: the immigration status of the nine minor victims, their legal guardianship, and their ongoing access to basic welfare support all remain unaddressed. Most notably, the original complaint includes serious allegations that senior members of the current Belizean government are linked to the trafficking ring.
In comments to local broadcast media, Swaso laid out the timeline of the stalled probe that prompted his legal action. He explained that the complainant first brought the allegations directly to the Government of Belize back in 2023. After two full years of no visible progress or official findings, the complainant turned to the Office of the Ombudsman to demand transparency and answers. The case never moved forward, Swaso says, and after he left office, the investigation fell back into limbo, returning to the stagnant state it was in when it was first reported.
For Swaso, the inaction represents a dual failure: not only has he been denied his legal ability to see the investigation through to completion during his tenure, but the nine young victims, already classified as vulnerable migrants, have been left without accountability or protection. He added that as a signatory to international anti-trafficking treaties, Belize has clear legal and ethical obligations to investigate these claims thoroughly. The stalled probe carries not only significant domestic ramifications for the country’s governance, he warned, but also carries the potential for serious international consequences given its violation of global human protection commitments.
To date, Belize has not appointed a new permanent Ombudsman to fill the role that has sat vacant since Swaso’s departure, leaving the watchdog office without a leader to advance the probe on its own. Swaso’s legal petition is asking the High Court to intervene to force the investigation to move forward, ensuring the case is not quietly swept aside without any official findings or action to support the victims.
This report is adapted from a transcript of an original television newscast, with all quoted material retained and verified in context.