By: Omar Silva I Editor/Publisher

National Perspective Belize I Digital 2025

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

BELIZE CITY | Tuesday 4th June 2025

When former Minister of Education Francis Fonseca emerged this week to warn the Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) about the "risk of losing credibility," it sparked a wave of outrage among teachers and their supporters nationwide. But the irony could not be more glaring.

It is not the teachers who have lost credibility—it is Fonseca, the Briceño administration, and the very political structure they represent.

For years, teachers have been promised equity, respect, and restoration. Instead, they’ve received delays, deception, and disdain. And now, when they engage in peaceful but pointed protest tactics, including bold road blockades across Belize, they are chastised by the same officials who once claimed to champion their cause.

“Mr. Fonseca’s statement is a textbook case of projection,” one teacher remarked during Tuesday’s traffic protest.

“The government broke faith, not us.”

🚧 Roadblocks, Not Hostages: A Strategy of Visibility

On Tuesday, teachers across the country took action. Not with chalkboards and lesson plans—but with parked vehicles and stalled intersections.

From Freetown Road to Dangriga and Bella Vista, traffic was halted. Not out of malice, but to demand attention from a government that has become deaf to dialogue.

“We are not holding children hostage,” said Coral Lord, BNTU Belize District President.

“We are holding this government accountable. And we’re not going anywhere.”

Teachers say they’ve followed every rule, exhausted every channel. Now, with the government’s modest 3% salary offer resoundingly rejected by 75% of BNTU members, the #WeMatter movement has shifted into high-gear civil resistance.

⚠️ Fonseca's Revisionist Narrative

Francis Fonseca claims the government agreed to six of seven proposals and acted in “good faith.” But union leaders say that’s a politically convenient distortion of the facts.

The reality is:

• The government’s “offer” spreads overdue salary adjustments over 4 years.
• It repackages what was unjustly taken—like frozen increments—as new concessions.
• It refuses to address the broader economic injustice workers have suffered, even as Cabinet insiders and CEOs enjoy undisclosed raises.

“Respectfully, Mr. Fonseca, credibility is not measured by how quietly we accept crumbs,” said one union supporter online.

“It’s measured by how loudly we demand justice.”

🧱 The Real Credibility Crisis

Fonseca warns of the BNTU losing future credibility with governments. But the question Belizeans are asking is: What credibility does the current government even have left?

• Teachers marched with the PUP in opposition. The party promised partnership.
• Teachers waited during COVID, absorbing cuts and sacrificing time.
• Teachers returned to school under strain, with minimal support.
• And now, teachers are being vilified for daring to demand what they were promised.

“It is not the BNTU that has damaged trust,” said Coral Lord.

“It is Fonseca, as Minister of Education. It is the Ministry of Finance. It is the Briceno Cabinet.”

🗣️ The Road Ahead: Teachers Will Not Be Gaslit

When the government threatens legal action, deploys police officers, and has senior officials publicly scold teachers for defending their rights, it becomes clear: this is not about process—it’s about power.

The unions have followed the rules. The teachers have shown restraint. But they will not be gaslit into silence by those who twist legality to shield political failure.

As the BNTU continues to organize and escalate, the public support only grows. Parents, workers, students, and civil society are seeing through the noise.

The real question isn't whether teachers will lose credibility.

The question is whether this government can recover any.