Belize Declares 30-Day State of Emergency After a Bloody Weekend of Seven Murders and Plans to Study El Salvador's Gang Crackdown, Breitbart Reports
Breitbart says the order covers 19 areas in and around Belize City. The prime minister says police know the gang leaders, and officials plan a trip to El Salvador. It is the country's second emergency this year.
Belize has declared a state of emergency after what local outlets called one of the country's bloodiest weekends in recent memory, Breitbart reports.
The order. National Security and Energy Minister Michel Chebat announced it Sunday. It covers 19 areas across the south and north sides of Belize City, plus the villages of Ladyville, Cottontree and Unitedville. It runs 30 days from November 1 and can be extended by the National Assembly.
What triggered it. Seven murders over the weekend, according to local reports. Four of the victims were shot on the Coastal Play Highway, which police reportedly blamed on an internal gang dispute. Breitbart says 7 News Belize counted 16 murders in October, and notes that the Belize Crime Observatory the outlet relies on "has not been updated since March."
The prime minister. Johnny Briceño, who is in Antigua for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, addressed the country by video Tuesday night. He said crime must be tackled by everyone, "the government, political parties, private sector, public sector, NGOs and the families." He said "the police know who most of these gang leaders are and it is time that we go after them." He also called for programs to teach idle young people "discipline, a trade," and said "the best social program a government can have is to give you a job."
The El Salvador angle. Per UPI, as cited by Breitbart, Chebat said officials plan to visit El Salvador to learn from President Nayib Bukele's crackdown on gangs. Diálogo Américas reported a new unified command that will use data to "anticipate crime rather than simply react to it." Police Commissioner Richard Rosado said police, customs, migration and transport agencies currently keep separate databases of records and fingerprints.
The wider picture. The order is the second this year, after one in May. The Organization of American States said in June that Belize has spent more than 300 days under states of emergency since December 2024. Breitbart notes a September proclamation signed by President Trump listed Belize among major drug transit or producing countries.
What we could not check. We relied on Breitbart's account of local reports and did not confirm the murder counts or the order's terms with Belizean officials.