Opposition Leader Blasts PM’s State of the Nation Address as “Lame” and Out of Touch

After Prime Minister John Briceño delivered his State of the Nation Address, the Leader of the Opposition, Tracy Panton, issued a sharp rebuttal, calling the speech “lame” and accusing the government of ignoring the real struggles facing Belizeans.

According to Panton, Briceño failed to address “the spiraling cost of living, which is pushing many Belizean families to the brink of poverty.” The response also cited an overburdened health system, high fuel prices despite falling crude costs, unaffordable housing, and a lack of mortgage access for low-income earners.

Panton also raised concerns about Belize’s external debt, national security, and public institutions which she described as “politicized, under-resourced, and failing in their most basic duties.”

Panton went further, accusing “rogue elements in our security services” of using fear and force, denouncing international agreements signed “in secrecy,” and condemning what they called rampant corruption and cronyism in public office.

Panton argued that Belize’s productive sector is struggling under high costs, disease, and a lack of new technology, while the tax burden “is squeezing the very life out of working Belizeans and young entrepreneurs.”

In her most scathing line, Panton said: “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.”