By William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Sept. 18, 2025

   The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Tracy Panton, in a Facebook post in which she laid out a blistering rebuttal of the claims made by Prime Minister John Briceño in his State of the Nation address on the occasion of Belize’s 44th anniversary of Independence, described the Prime Minister’s speech as “lame” and full of glaring omissions.

   She declared that, “This Briceño government is unraveling under the weight of its own self-inflicted failures. Its demise has already begun, because no spin, no speech, and no ‘Report Card’ can hide the plain and unadulterated truth.”

   She then proceeded to call attention to the critical issues affecting ordinary Belizeans that she said Briceño seemed to have overlooked—perhaps, she surmised, “because his administration has no credible plan to address them.”  Those issues that she highlighted included the following:

   1. The spiraling cost of living, which Panton said is pushing many Belizean families to the brink of poverty.

   2. A failing public health system, which has left many Belizeans vulnerable and without quality, affordable care.

   3. The high taxes on fuel that make pump prices “among the highest in our region despite record low global crude prices.”

   4. Unregulated housing costs and skyrocketing rental fees, which Panton said are crushing families and young professionals.

   5. The lack of housing solutions for the poor and affordable mortgage access for minimum-wage earners.

   6. Belize’s mounting external debt, which she described as a heavy yoke being strapped onto the shoulders of our future generations.

   7. The Budna kidnapping, the abduction of Otoxha resident Sebastian Pop by a Guatemalan mob, and the confrontations between Guatemala’s armed forces and the BDF, which, according to Panton, show “our sovereignty and territorial integrity under siege, with citizens’ mistrust of national security agencies at an all-time high.”

   8. Public institutions, which, according to Panton, have been politicized, and are under-resourced, and failing in their most basic duties to those who are most marginalized and vulnerable in our communities.

   9. Rogue elements in our security services, which, Panton noted, are ruling through fear, brute force, and bullying tactics.

   10. International agreements signed in secrecy, which, Panton said, will undermine citizens’ right to privacy, environmental protections, and self-determination.

   11. Rampant corruption and cronyism in public office, widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

   12. A productive sector that is struggling to remain viable amidst diseases, the absence of new technological advances and the high costs of doing business.

   13. The Andre Munnings case and his lawsuit against the Government of Belize, which, Panton pointed out, serves to highlight the “unbearable weight of taxation, which is squeezing the very life out of working Belizeans and our young entrepreneurs.”

   14. The need for “a judiciary that is agile, autonomous and equipped to deliver justice in a manner that is timely.”

   Panton categorized these issues as the unavoidable realities facing Belizeans. “Belizeans deserve leadership which will not sweep failure under the rug, and that will not deliver hollow speeches at a time meant to inspire hope,” she said.