Nicaraguan Man Alleges Belize NGO Scam Left Him Facing Death Threats (Pt.2)

There is an update in the case of Nicaraguan refugee Eric Omar Hernández Cruz, who fled Belize after alleging he was scammed and threatened. The Human Rights Commission of Belize (HRCB) responded to questions about the men Cruz accused and their role in the shocking ordeal.

Cruz’s story, first reported by News 5 on September 18, described how he paid $500 to two men promising ‘amnesty documents’ and later received threats that made him fear for his life.

In its response, HRCB made one thing clear: it takes allegations of misconduct seriously. “As an organisation, HRCB takes all allegations of misconduct very seriously and is committed to transparency, accountability, and adherence to both our internal safeguarding frameworks and international standards, including those of the United Nations,” the commission said.

HRCB clarified the roles of the two men Cruz had named. One of the men, originally linked to the case, was the administrative assistant for HRCB. “His responsibilities were strictly financial and administrative in nature, supporting the internal operations of the project. His role did not involve interaction with beneficiaries,” the commission said. The man was terminated on June 30, 2025. The commission said it was due solely to budgetary cuts linked to reductions in U.S. funding and “not related to disciplinary or misconduct issues.”

The other individual worked with Help for Progress in Benque Viejo Town as a coordinator, providing humanitarian services to asylum seekers. “In that capacity, he provided humanitarian services to asylum seekers, including assistance to new arrivals and individuals referred to the shelter from Belmopan,” HRCB explained. We are told that he too was fired.

HRCB also addressed the timing of the allegations. It said that it was formally made aware by UNHCR of an allegation against its employee on June 9, 2025. “According to UNHCR, the allegation had originally been received in March 2025, though the reasons for the delay in communicating this information to HRCB remain unclear to us.” At the time, UNHCR did not mention the second man in connection with the case.

The commission said, “HRCB has not had any reason to conduct internal investigations into staff misconduct related to asylum procedures.”

Regarding Cruz’s complaint, HRCB said, “HRCB has not received any complaints directly from Mr. Eric Omar Hernandez Cruz regarding threats or harassment. The complaint in question was formally brought to HRCB’s attention by UNHCR.” Cruz declined to participate in the investigation. “Subsequent attempts by the Committee to secure an interview with Mr. Hernandez were also unsuccessful,” HRCB added.

Cruz reported the matter to the police, saying that threats began on February 20, 2025, totaling five incidents. The threats accused him of causing the dismissal of the two men and included personal details such as his residence and travel routes. He expressed fear for his life, requested police intervention (not court action), and noted the last calls occurred on June 10, July 8, and July 9, 2025. His report concluded that he strongly suspects the two men are behind the threats, though he is not certain.

On September 18th, we reached out to Minister of Immigration Francis Fonseca. He said he was not aware of the allegations and would be checking with ministry officials.

HRCB also stressed that this is the first time it has encountered allegations of asylum seekers being exploited by individuals impersonating staff.

As authorities continue to investigate, one thing is clear: this story is far from over. Stay tuned for part 3.