Loan Motion Sparks Bitter Clash Over Economic Track Record

A fiery debate over a multimillion-dollar loan quickly turned into a political showdown in the House of Representatives. Opposition members went on the offensive, accusing the Briceño administration of piling on debt and steering Belize down a risky financial path. But the Prime Minister didn’t just defend the borrowing, he went on the attack. Briceño responded by revisiting the country’s recent economic history, drawing sharp comparisons with the previous UDP administration and arguing his government has managed the economy more responsibly. The exchange escalated as Briceño took pointed jabs at former UDP Vice-Chair Alberto August, turning what started as a policy debate into a clash over past performance and political credibility.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“By the time they come to 2020, you know what was the GDP, the GDP went from PUP 2008 to eleven thousand three hundred and thirty-two dollars to UDP GDP in 2020, ten thousand, four hundred and eighteen dollars. They regressed by eight percent in thirteen years, spending over thirteen billion dollars. You would have expected a high school kid could do better than that. But yet they have lawyer, economist, engineer, all kind of people over there. but instead of growth there was a contraction in the spending of money for our people. Then they come here to pontificate. They come here to point fingers, like really mien. You should be saying nothing. Yes, we had COVID under the UDP, that is why nothing happened. Thirteen years of COVID. Now you wah mek Alberto August wah tek a next post against you saying you don’t know what you are talking about. I want to help you. I want help you. I don’t want them to do that to you. Alberto August does not even measure in my radar. But it dopes to you because he is one of your own and he is saying the most vilest things about you. You done expel him form the UDP? But we don’t want you in the PUP at all.”

 

Belize’s debt to GDP ration stands at sixty-eight percent, down from one hundred and twenty percent in 2020.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: