John Briceño Calls B.T.L. Deal “Worst Ever” by a Government

John Briceño

The People’s United Party has been hammering Government on the B.T.L. deal, stating that Belizeans must find five hundred and fifty seven million dollars for a company worth about one hundred million dollars. Today, in advance of Thursday’s return to the Caribbean Court of Justice to settle the dispute over whether payments should be made in U.S. or Belizean currency, party leader John Briceño explained why the entire deal represents the worst decision by a Government in modern Belizean history.

John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader

“It was reckless; I think ti was the most reckless action that any government since 1981 has taken here in Belize. Why do I say that? Because he signed off that he is going to pay five hundred and fifty-seven million dollars in twelve months, one year. And it took no other than the Governor of the Central Bank, the government’s banker, to tell them that we can’t pay out all of these U.S. dollars because we can have a devaluation. And the Prime Minister knew this, but because he wanted a third term so bad, he signed it off and signing the future of the country. We have to do everything possible to protect our Belize dollars—two dollars Belize to one U.S. dollar. But because of his recklessness and his quest to have a third term at any cost, we are finding ourselves in this predicament; something that was all caused by the Prime Minister and the United Democratic Party government.”