Addressing crime and violence should unite Belize, not tear us further apart.
We have a problem. No doubt. Crime and gang violence in Belize have reached what experts like Dr. Herbert Gayle classify as “civil war benchmarks.” We have deep-rooted pain, generational blood feuds, and unchecked trauma to contend with in Belize. The constant bloodshed we see primarily, but not only, in the streets of Belize City is a societal symptom triggered by numerous underlying problems.
And that’s what should scare all of us when discussing the proposed 13th Amendment to our constitution. At the core, the Bill is blatant in its disregard and lack of interest in addressing these root causes, choosing instead to focus on the symptom and even more worryingly, to “validate” the possible breaches of the State’s duty to respect the Constitutional rights of Belizean citizens. We must find ways to meaningfully address crime and violence in Belize, but every day spent doubling down on the methods that have proven to be ineffective – like State of Emergency (SOE) declarations – is a day lost targeting root causes such as poverty.
What the proposed 13th Amendment will not do is make Belizean communities safer. There are no quick fixes here. Turning hot spots into “Special Areas,” will make it legal for Constitutional rights to be suspended at the determination of security forces, who will also be given additional authority, and simultaneously limit the right for redress in the court.
There is no report, study or research that proves that the proposed clauses in the 13th Amendment will stop crime. It will suspend rights. It will put already marginalized residents at greater risk. It will limit protections currently safeguarded in the Constitution.
The proposed 13th Amendment tramples on and diametrically opposes the doctrines of international human rights law. It would reduce judicial oversight and give the Executive powers to act with limited accountability.
There is no justification or rationale for perhaps the most damning feature of the proposed Constitutional amendment: the retroactive declaration that nineteen (19) States of Emergency – from 2018 to 2025, were “valid”. If allowed, this move will prevent any claimant not currently before the court from seeking legal review of the actions taken by security forces between 2018 and 2025 during SOEs. This move is being done solely and explicitly to protect the authorities from accountability. This provision seeks to prevent any case brought against the government for the possible infringement of Constitutional rights under the state of emergency from being deemed unlawful.
Weaponizing a legislative supermajority to protect the Government from possible lawsuits due to breach of Constitutional rights is counter-intuitive to good governance and accountability and will only serve to further erode public trust.
The gang problem is a poverty problem. Straight talk. Proponents of this proposed 13th Amendment cannot turn a blind eye to the society we live in, the society we have created, and exacerbated through clientelism, in order to justify treatment of our most vulnerable.
Creating a new Gun and Gang court won’t stop that youth from Southside Belize City, who’s seen drug dealing and other lifestyles as the only means of putting food on the table, from picking up the life he knows.
Learning to code in a community center might. After-school sessions, involving learning practical skills and sports programs that recognize and invest in natural talent might. These are alternatives that provide spaces to cultivate the minds and talents of at-risk and marginalized youth.. That should be the obvious remedy.
Use of the legislative whip to corral and cordon off “special areas” creates negative peace. As we have all witnessed, the moment the SoE is implemented in one area, the hot spot shifts to a new area. And when the SoE lifts, crime gradually returns. We cannot fight fire with fire, or address lawless behavior with the same. Violence begets violence. The proposed 13th Amendment would allow the state to expand its authority in relation to emergency powers, suspend constitutional rights of those in so-called “special areas,” and retroactively undermine justice by removing the ability of citizens to challenge past violations under SOEs.
This is not a law to make Belize safer. This law protects injustice. This law takes away citizens rights and allows disregard for court rulings and the trampling of international human rights. The proposed 13th Amendment is not the answer. Take a stand. Use your voice while you can. Reject it now.
