By: Omar Silva I Editor/Publisher

National Perspective Belize I Digital 2025

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

Belize City: Sunday 20th July 2025

EDITORIAL

How long must a nation wait before it knows its people?

Forty-four years after gaining political independence, Belize — a country of barely 450,000 citizens — still lacks the most basic tool of modern governance: a National Identification System. Not for lack of technology, nor money, nor regional guidance. But simply, and shamefully, for lack of political will.

The idea of a National ID is not new. It has been recycled in manifestos, championed in ministerial press conferences, and even discussed at the 2014 SICA Summit, which Belize proudly hosted. There, the seeds of a common regional ID system were planted. Today, neighboring countries have sprouted progress — but in Belize, all we have is the paper trail of broken promises.

Now, we are told by CEO Jose Urbina that a pilot phase with 500 test cases is complete, and the government hopes to roll out a National ID within the next three years. But Belizeans have heard this tune before — and we’re not dancing anymore.

Let’s be honest: There is no credible reason that Belize should not already have a National ID. If we can track every vote on election day, we can track every birth. If we can issue driver’s licenses and passports, we can issue a secure biometric ID card that encodes vital information such as date of birth, place of birth, parentage, Social Security number, and citizenship status.

The Real Shame

The absence of a National ID has allowed systemic discrimination, especially against Hispanic Belizeans, who are routinely profiled, harassed, and detained at bus terminals and borders simply because there’s no official document to confirm their national status. This is not just inefficiency — it is injustice.

Worse still, the current system of “functional IDs” — Social Security, driver’s licenses, voter cards — was never intended to serve as proof of national identity. CEO Urbina himself admitted this. Each was built for a specific purpose: tracking benefits, licensing driving, or identifying voters. None were meant to serve as a singular, centralized national identity record.

And yet, the government expects Belizeans to accept this piecemeal patchwork, while it delays the implementation of what should have been done in 1981.

Start at Birth, Not Bureaucracy

If Belize is serious about digital transformation, it must start at the beginning: at birth. Every child born — in public hospitals, private clinics, or through registered midwives — should automatically enter the national database. That data should integrate with the Vital Statistics Unit, the Social Security Board, and any future digital government platforms.

Adults, too, must have a clear, one-time onboarding process, requiring them to present all relevant documents — not to frustrate them, but to securely validate their identity once and for all.

This is how modern nations function. This is how justice, access, and security are built.

The People Must Demand It

The Briceño Administration has the pilot results, the legislative mandate, and the digital infrastructure in place. What it lacks is urgency — and that urgency must now come from us, the people.

We must demand a concrete timeline. We must demand open consultation on the legislation. We must demand transparency in procurement and data privacy. And above all, we must demand that the government stop talking about identity and finally give Belizeans the right to be identified.

This is not about convenience. It is about nationhood.

Without identity, there is no protection.

Without protection, there is no dignity.

And without dignity, there is no democracy.