Succession at the Helm of the Belize Defense Force

Stephen Ortega

Former Belize Defense Force commander, Stephen Ortega, retired from duty on December twenty-first, 2021.  Since then, he has been succeeded by Azariel Loria who has risen in rank to become the next Brigadier General of the B.D.F.  During Ortega’s tenure, Loria observed carefully the decisions being made at the organizational level.

Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria

Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defense Force

“Four years ago, I was the deputy for General Ortega. I saw how he moved the force forward because commanders always try to improve the force. I saw strengths, a lot of strengths and a little, some gaps in between and that is what is in my head to try to rectify, rectify those gaps and keep on improving. How I intend to move the force forward. The change of command will be this Friday and in so doing I am still preparing my speech. And I think that I will say it before the time that in the B.D.F. we have this vision, we have a vision statement like all other organizations and ministries, businesses have a vision and the vision remains. What we are trying to accomplish now, to improve, is how we do things, ways in which we do things and I am still considering and still preparing my directives and as soon as we are finished with what we intend to do, the ways in which we intend to move forward for the next three to four years will be penned in those set of directives that will go out to the battalion commanders and the senior officers and the rest of the force.”