Belize Senate Walkout Over BTL‑Smart Acquisition

Opposition and independent senators left the Belize Senate on Tuesday to protest the Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) board’s approval of an $80 million acquisition of Speednet Communications, the operator of the Smart mobile network. Lead Opposition Senator Patrick Faber said the walkout was meant to signal that the government and BTL were trying to hoodwink Belizeans and to demand greater transparency and public consultation.

Church Senator Louis Wade Jr. was the only independent senator who stayed, explaining that abandoning the chamber would have meant neglecting his duty to represent his constituency and to vote on the long‑awaited Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill, which has been pending for 17 years. His decision meant the walkout participants missed the remainder of the Senate’s proceedings, including the final vote on the OSH legislation.