Belize’s controversial state of emergency to address a wave of gang-related murders and other violent crimes has led to the arrest of nearly a hundred people.
The order, announced Tuesday, gives police the power to search homes without a warrant and detain suspects for up to 90 days. Originally implemented for 30 days, the government announced Friday that it would increase the length to maximize its effectiveness.
The state of emergency also imposes a nighttime curfew on young people under the age of 18, who are often groomed by gangs as drug mules.
Located on the coast of Central America, where it borders Mexico and Guatemala, Belize is a member of the intergovernmental organization Caricom of 20 Caribbean countries, which last year raised the alarm about the epidemic of crime and violence in the region.
CARICOM leaders have announced a series of measures to tackle crime, including a ban on assault weapons except for security forces and sporting events.
Belize Prime Minister Johnny Briceño said the emergency order would not affect “law-abiding citizens,” telling reporters the measure targeted those causing chaos. He said a 90-day detention will “allow them to calm down” and give police space and time to conduct proper investigations.
But the country’s opposition leader, Moses Barrow, accused the government of failing to provide an effective solution to the escalating violence. While there are no official figures on the recent rise in violent crime, Barrow estimated that there had been a 45 percent increase in the murder rate since last year, with 58 killings from January to June this year compared to 40 or 45 in the same period last year.
The recent rise in shootings and murders has been largely blamed on territorial disputes between local gangs wrangling over control of marijuana markets in the country with a population of about 415,000.
In response to a question about the parallels with El Salvador’s ‘iron fist’ crackdown on gangs, with President Nayib Bukele With approximately 2% of the country’s adult population in custody – many with little evidence or access to a fair trial – Belize’s police chief, Chester Williams, insisted the measure was necessary to restore law and order.
“Do you think Bukele is the most influential world leader for no reason? The state of emergency is something that many countries in the region are looking at because they have seen how effectively it has worked in El Salvador, and every government wants their people to be safe,” he told reporters.
Since the state of emergency was declared on Tuesday, police say they have seized a number of firearms and arrested people wanted for murder.
But the order has divided public opinion, with some Belizeans condemning the police actions and others welcoming the move to “clean up the streets.”
Responding to local stories about the measure, one reader wrote: “The police only want the children of the target group, if only because of the environment in which they live, and they do not realize the trauma they cause families.”
Another said: “I don’t think the police are going crazy and just picking up someone at random… Let the police do their job.”
Monique Teck, whose boyfriend Kurtis Lamb was arrested, said he had no gang ties and police had not given clear reasons for his arrest, she said.
Stephanie Reynolds also demanded justice for her son, Tyreek, 19, who she said had been harassed by officers for months. “My son has no record if you check his records. He has no record,” she added.
This is Belize’s second state of emergency this year, with the measure seen by authorities as a temporary solution to restore law and order. Concerns have been raised in the past about violations of the civil and human rights of those detained under this mechanism.
But Williams said the arrests were supported by credible intelligence, which ensures the right people are targeted. He told reporters: “As a law enforcement organisation … we have a responsibility to the people, and if we need to implement measures that will work for a while until we can look at longer-term measures, then that will happen.”
