PM Says IDB Study Will Test Whether Tren Maya Can Reach Belize

Prime Minister John Briceño says the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is carrying out a study to determine what it would take to bring Mexico’s Tren Maya into Belize. He says the link could open up trade through a new Belize port, as well as tourism.

Briceño said the government is working with the IDB on the study. He said the idea is to connect Tren Maya to Belize City and then to Guatemala. “If we can get Tren Maya to come into Belize and then connect Belize City and then connect onto Guatemala, it opens up not only from the tourism industry but also using the port facilities,” Briceño said.

He said Belize is building a new port, and that southern Mexico needs to use it. “We’re in the process of building a new port. And the southern part of Mexico needs to use our Belize port,” he said.

Briceño said modernising the port would make it easier to move goods from Belize into Mexico and into Guatemala as well. He said ports on Guatemala’s Atlantic side are struggling with congestion. “Their port is too small for the amount of commerce that’s coming in,” Briceño said. “And I’m told that there are times when a ship would have to wait three weeks or more to be able to discharge.”

He said that if Belize had modern facilities, ships could come to Belize and transfer their cargo onto vessels for Guatemala. “Once you put these modern facilities in Belize, then they could come to Belize and trans-ship from Belize into Guatemala,” he said. “So there are a lot of opportunities that we can spin off with the connection of Tren Maya.”

Briceño acknowledged that the project would be a large investment for Belize and one that needs to be handled carefully. He said it should not be expected to pay off quickly.

“The Tren Maya investment is not something that was expected to be able to work overnight,” he said. “It’s something that will take time; it will take years. For instance, if you build an airport, you don’t expect on day one it’s going to be profitable.”

He said there is already trade moving across the border and that the study will show how the project could work for Belize. He did not give a cost, a route or a timeline for the project.