Belize CitCo, Meat Shop Owner Clash Over Lockout
The Belize City Council and longtime market vendor Aaron Castillo are at odds over the closure of his meat shop at the Michael Finnegan Market, with the Council accusing him of failing to meet his financial obligations and his attorney alleging that the Council unlawfully locked him out of the business.
The Council, through its attorneys WA Lindo LLP, issued a notice to abate a nuisance, demanding that Castillo remove decomposing meat and other items from booths 54 and 54A and clean and disinfect the premises.
According to the letter, Castillo’s market licence was revoked in January 2026, and a stop order was issued in August over unpaid trade fees. The Council also stated that Castillo failed to pay his electricity bill, resulting in Belize Electricity Limited disconnecting power to the booths and leaving the meat to spoil.
City Council Courts Manager Jermaine Hyde said the situation became a public health concern because of the decomposing meat.
“Today, we’re here simply because Mr. Castillo did not pay his electricity bill, and BEL disconnected his electricity. So he left all his goods, his perishable goods at that, in the shop,” Hyde said.
Hyde disputed the suggestion that Castillo had been evicted, saying the Council issued a stop order because he had not paid his trade licence fees. He also said the Council had previously allowed Castillo to make monthly payments under a consent agreement, but that he defaulted on those payments.
Elrington said he received the letter at about 3:50 p.m. on September 30, giving his clients only minutes before the 4 p.m. deadline to clear the premises.
“They locked up, they illegally and unlawfully locked my clients out of their businesses,” Elrington said. “We demanded that they properly turn back the occupancy of the property to the clients. They ignored that.”
Elrington also claimed that Castillo had lost at least $75,000 worth of meat as a result of the Council’s actions, excluding lost sales and other business losses.
“There is a consent agreement entered into on behalf of the City Council and my clients, where they said you make these payments, and you will continue to occupy the property,” Elrington said.
The Council’s letter stated that it was pursuing High Court proceedings seeking possession of the booths, damages and legal costs. Elrington, meanwhile, said legal proceedings had commenced to recover losses arising from the shop closure.
Castillo has been a vendor at the Michael Finnegan market for more than twenty years.