Independent Senators Double Down on ‘No Invitation Received From BTL’

All four independent senators have now put their names to a joint statement pushing back against claims that Belize Telemedia Limited has repeatedly offered to meet with them over its proposed acquisition of Speednet/SMART. 

In their joint statement issued this morning, Business Senator Kevin Herrera, Union Senator Glenfield Dennision, Church Senator Louis Wade and NGO Senator Janelle Chanona said: “No invitation from Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), verbal or written, has ever been received by any of the Independent Senators or their respective organizations at any point from any representatives of BTL or from any third party on BTL’s behalf to discuss any aspect of the proposed acquisition of commercial interests by BTL.” 

In an interview with BTL Chairman Mark Lizarraga after his meeting with the Cabinet in Belmopan on Tuesday, he said the company had “extended our hand” to the independent senators several times and claimed that they had refused to meet. He also said BTL had sent a letter to the Senate offering to make a presentation.

“We’ve extended our hand to them, to the independent senators. We’ve extended it several times for them, and they refuse. We sent a letter to the Senate, willing to make a presentation there. So we’re willing to meet with anybody that wants to truly listen,” Lizarraga said.

Senator Chanona had already challenged that account hours after Lizarraga’s remarks, saying in an online statement, “For the public’s information and official record, as an independent Senator, I confirm that no invitation has ever been extended to me verbally or received by me in writing or via email or forwarded to me by any person or persons from Belize Telemedia Limited or from any third party at BTL’s request.” 

Meanwhile, News Five has also obtained a February 5th letter BTL sent to Senate President Carolyn Trench Sandiford, requesting the chance to brief senators generally. Five days later, Sandiford responded BTL’s request stating, “This serves to acknowledge receipt of the request of Belize Telemedia Limited for an audience with the Honourable Members of the Senate. I will discuss with the Clerk of the National Assembly and respond soonest.” She added, “By a copy of this email, the Clerk of the National Assembly is informed of this request.” 

However, when Senator Chanona sought verification on Tuesday evening from Senate Clerk Clarita Pech on whether a meeting request had been sent specifically to them, Chanona was told that, “to date, the Office has not received any invitations or requests for meetings from Belize Telemedia Limited or persons acting on its behalf addressed to the independent senators.”

The senators also made clear that any third party involved in communication with BTL on the matter must answer for its actions. “Any decision(s) taken by any third party, including but not limited to the National Assembly and/or the Office of the President of the Senate, regarding communication sent [to] BTL, must be responded to by that third party,” they said. 

The senators are now taking the matter directly to the institutions involved in the proposed acquisition. They have each sent separate letters to the Public Utilities Commission, the Attorney General, BTL’s Board Chairman and the Office of the Prime Minister, requesting information relevant to the proposed purchase of SMART. 

The four senators maintain that “any decision to transform the telecommunications landscape into a monopoly is regressive.”