Port of Belize Expansion Gets Environmental Clearance, PM Calls It a “Game Changer”

The Port of Belize expansion project has received environmental approval with specific conditions, and Prime Minister John Briceño says the country is now ready to move forward with finding the right partners to build what he describes as a world-class cruise and container port.

“It’s a game changer,” Briceño told News Five, calling the approval a major milestone for a project that has seen multiple failed attempts stretching back to the early 2000s.

Briceño credited his cabinet colleagues for backing the initiative and pointed to a public execution unit headed by Dr Aguile Canton as key to ensuring the project was properly prepared.

“We had the advantage of seeing what went wrong in the previous one and to ensure that we could take those corrective measures,” he said.

The approval came with conditions from the National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC). While Briceño rejected suggestions that the government directed NEAC to vote in favour of the project, calling the claim “nonsense” and describing NEAC members as “highly qualified professionals”.

He also dismissed the likelihood of legal challenges from companies such as the Waterloo Group. “We follow the process,” he said, adding, “we bought the company from Waterloo.”

Environmental groups have also raised concerns, arguing that Port of Belize Limited should have submitted an adjusted proposal given what they describe as major unaddressed environmental risks. Briceño acknowledged there would be environmental effects but said the government’s commitment is to mitigate them as much as possible.

“If you build the house, you affect your environment, so obviously there’s going to be some effects,” he said. “But what we need to do is mitigate them and try to minimise them as best as we possibly can.”

With the environmental clearance now secured, the government is moving to the next phase. Briceno named several groups already expressing interest in the investment, including SSA Marine, whose parent company is BlackRock, Global Port Holdings out of Turkey, and a group from Mexico. The firm Moffat and Nichols, which developed the original master plan, is being brought back to help set the terms of reference for negotiations with prospective partners.