BELIZE · POLITICS
Belize’s opposition says the government gave it less than 24 hours to study a US$30 million loan for a highway upgrade, according to 7 News Belize, a Belizean television news outlet. The loan, from the OPEC Fund for International Development (a multilateral development lender), would pay for work on the George Price Highway between Hattieville and La Democracia.
Opposition Leader Tracy Panton told Belize’s House of Representatives that the need for the road is not in dispute, but the notice was too short. Julius Espat, the Minister of Infrastructure, replied that he had tried to arrange a briefing.
Key Facts
- Who Opposition Leader Tracy Panton and Infrastructure Minister Julius Espat clashed over the loan in Belize’s House.
- In the House A US$30 million OPEC Fund loan for the George Price Highway upgrade.
- Dispute Panton says the opposition got notice “last night”, less than 24 hours before the debate.
- Lender The OPEC Fund lists two loans for the project, both approved on 16 September 2026.
What Happened in the House
7 News Belize reported on 12 November 2026 that the government brought a loan motion to the House for US$30 million from the OPEC Fund. The money would upgrade the George Price Highway from Hattieville to La Democracia, the report says.
Panton said the opposition “received notice last night to debate this loan motion today”. By her understanding the OPEC Fund Board approved the financing on 16 September, so “the government had two months,” she said, and she asked: “How do we scrutinize a commitment of this magnitude in less than a day?”
What the OPEC Fund Page Shows
The OPEC Fund’s Belize page lists two loans for the George Price Highway Upgrading Project (Hattieville–La Democracia), each marked approved on 16 September 2026 and ongoing. The page shows no loan amounts, so it neither confirms nor contradicts the US$30 million figure.
The approval date matches the one Panton gave. She also asked how the government could seek “another US 30 million dollars” and “another 60 million dollars for road infrastructure”, a total the report does not explain.
The Minister’s Reply
Espat said he had personally tried to set up a meeting on the loan and the planned works, and that he called Panton and spoke to members of the Senate. “It didn’t work out for whatever reason,” he said, “but the intent was there.”
He also said the previous government, led by former Prime Minister Dean Barrow, borrowed without bringing loan motions to the House, which he said forced court action. That is his claim in debate, and the 7 News Belize report gives no independent confirmation of it.
What It Means for You
Panton said anyone who travels between Hattieville and La Democracia knows about the flooding and the danger after dark, and that the need for the road is not in dispute. For travellers and residents on the Belize City to Belmopan route, her objection centres on notice and scrutiny, and she also questions the government’s spending priorities.
Panton questioned the government’s priorities, while the minister’s reply focused on process and past borrowing; he did not address the need for the road in the report. For wider context, see our guide to foreign powers and investors in Belize and our report on Belize inflation.
What Is Not Known
The report does not say whether the House approved the motion. It also does not give the interest rate, repayment terms or total cost of the road works.
It is not clear whether Panton’s “60 million dollars” means a second US$30 million loan for the same project, since the OPEC Fund lists two. The OPEC Fund page shows neither amount.
More: Belize news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Lending Belize US$30 Million for the Highway?
The OPEC Fund for International Development, according to 7 News Belize. The lender’s own website lists the project and a 16 September 2026 approval.
Which Road Would the Loan Upgrade?
The George Price Highway between Hattieville and La Democracia, on the route between Belize City and Belmopan, the report says.
Sources: OPEC Fund, Belize country page and project list, read 13 November 2026; 7 News Belize, “Opposition Criticizes Short Notice on US $30 Million OPEC Highway Loan”, 12 November 2026.
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