John Briceño: "Petate donde caer muerto".

By: Omar Silva

Editor/Publisher, National Perspective Bz - Digital 2025

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

Belize City: Thursday 27th February 2025

The People’s United Party (PUP), led by John Briceño, has failed to deliver on its grand promises made under the banner of “Plan Belize.” Instead of a roadmap to national prosperity, it has become a political deception, lacking any real effort to establish a social platform that lifts Belizeans out of economic hardship.

Rather than serving as a blueprint for progress, Plan Belize has proven to be a bedroll for the dead, suffocating the nation's economic potential and leaving the most vulnerable to fend for themselves. With rising inflation, high unemployment, an unbearable cost of living, and no industrial or manufacturing base to sustain growth, Belizeans are worse off under the Briceño administration. And now, as elections approach, we are witnessing a desperate attempt to repackage this failure into Plan Belize 2.0—another hollow manifesto aimed at deceiving Belizeans for another five years.

A Government Without Vision, A Leader Without Solutions

From the outset, the Briceño administration prioritized political patronage over national development. Instead of building industries and fostering manufacturing for economic independence, it has engaged in reckless borrowing, further indebting the nation while delivering no tangible economic benefits. The promises of job creation, improved healthcare, better education, and economic reform have all crumbled under the weight of corruption, incompetence, and mismanagement.

Belizeans today struggle with:

• Skyrocketing food and fuel prices with no relief mechanisms in place.
• A declining private sector suffocated by burdensome taxes and lack of incentives.
• A stagnant economy with no industrialization strategy, no manufacturing growth, and no innovation.
• Failing public infrastructure as roads, hospitals, and public institutions deteriorate.
• A health crisis exacerbated by the government's refusal to properly fund medical institutions.
• An education system in decline, where teachers and students alike face shortages in resources.

Constitutional Violations and Political Manipulation

The PUP government has not only failed economically but also trampled on constitutional governance. The administration’s compulsory land acquisitions, such as the ongoing Stake Bank scandal, reveal a pattern of state-controlled corporate favoritism, raising concerns about transparency and public benefit.

The manipulation of national finances through questionable supplementary budgets, while failing to invest in key sectors, suggests a government that prioritizes political survival over the well-being of its citizens. National debt continues to climb, yet Belizeans see no return on these borrowed funds. Where has all the money gone?

Repackaging Failure: Plan Belize 2.0

With elections on the horizon, the PUP is now attempting to resell Belizeans the same failed promises, dubbing it Plan Belize 2.0. This is nothing but an insult to the intelligence of the people.

• Will Belizeans fall for the same empty rhetoric?
• Will we once again be promised economic transformation while the extractive class continues to prosper?
• Will we accept another term of mismanagement, high costs of living, and failed governance?

John Briceño, the self-appointed leader of the extractive class, has shown that his government is incapable of fostering real development. If Plan Belize was a failure, why should we believe that its sequel will be any different?

The Need for a New Direction

Belizeans must demand new leadership, real economic policies, and an accountable government. The solution is not Plan Belize 2.0, but rather a Plan for Economic Independence—one that prioritizes manufacturing, industry, innovation, and national self-sufficiency.

We cannot afford to be fooled twice. Belize needs a government that works for the people, not one that recycles failed policies while securing its own financial gains. As the 2025 General Elections approach, the choice is clear: Will we accept another round of deception, or will we demand real change?

The time has come to reject the empty promises and failed leadership of the Briceño administration. Belizeans deserve better, and the future must be built on action, not recycled slogans.