With President Donald Trump having ordered the perfectly executed military operation that resulted in the capture of drug kingpin Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, all of the Socialist governments in the Western Hemisphere were put on notice, but it seems as if Belize is inexplicably driven to embrace Communist Cuba and Communist China, or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), that backs the oppressive Cuban regime.
Prime Minister Johnny Briceño (pictured) and his government appear to be giving the Cuban regime a full-on embrace, with Senator Eamon Courtenay openly expressing his pro-Cuba, anti-U.S., and anti-Israel thoughts on social media.
Sen. Courtenay recently referred to Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez Parilla, as "A consummate diplomat who deepened the #Belize and #Cuba relations."
In January 2025, the Belize government celebrated the Biden administration's lifting of the state sponsor of terrorism designation that the U.S. had placed on Cuba.
"Designating Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism was to propagate an obvious falsehood. The effect was cruel. Its lifting overdue. Now its time to finally lift the illegal blockade," stated Sen. Courtenay
Prime Minister Briceño and Senator Courtenay have repeatedly condemned U.S. sanctions against Cuba as 'illegal, immoral, and unjust' and openly aligned with Castro's Cuba and Maduro's Venezuela.
"If the United States does not engage, China will, if not, Russia will," stated Courtenay.
Courtenay is right that if the U.S. doesn't engage, "China will," or maybe it's better to say China has already taken steps to pose a direct threat to America from Belize by allegedly backing illicit practices.
Much like Honduras, Belize is threatening free trade zones and cruise ship ports.
If Belize's socialist government places roadblocks at these ports that would affect U.S. cruise lines, Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America would strengthen and could bolster the CCP's efforts to undermine U.S. national security.
“If foreign government officials are illegally expropriating U.S. investment and undermining U.S. interests, then they should face serious consequences, including, but not limited to, the removal of their visas,” stated Rep. Diaz-Balart in response to The Floridian's request for comment on Honduras' play to that country's existing free trade zones.
Could lawmakers like Reps. Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez, and Maria Salazar pull a full court press against the Belizean government and start restricting visas."
On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers are already talking about going further. Drawing on existing visa-sanctions tools used elsewhere in Latin America, Congress could move to introduce legislation targeting corrupt officials and private
'bad actors' in Belize, including visa cancellations for those involved in illicit port or free-zone deals and sanctions on financial institutions that enable wrongdoing."
Or, could the Secretary of State Marco Rubio be forced to employ administrative measures to pressure Briceño's regime to stop its anti-American practices at the ports and free trade zones?
In a recent article about this very same issue, the case is made about the "mess at the ports" and "blindspots" in Belize's free trade zones.
First, the fight for control over telecommunications. Recent moves to consolidate power over national telecom infrastructure—specifically the maneuvers involving Belize Telemedia Limited—have raised serious questions. In an age where data security is national security, any attempt by a government to sideline competition or ignore judicial oversight is viewed with extreme suspicion by U.S. planners.
Second, the mess at the ports. The endless, messy legal battles over the Stake Bank project are a sign of a deeper problem. To the U.S., ports are more than just docks; they are strategic assets. When major infrastructure projects are trapped in legal limbo or shifted by political whims, it sends a clear message to American investors: your contracts aren’t safe here. In a “business first” Washington, that perception is a death sentence for investment.
Finally, the “blind spots” in the free zones. Washington remains hypervigilant about illegal trade and border risks. The perceived lack of independent auditing in the Corozal Free Zone is seen as an open door for bad actors. In the eyes of U.S. law enforcement, a lack of transparency isn’t just a local oversight — it’s a regional threat.
Will Belize's Bricaño's regime feel the ire of the Trump administration over their apparent support and embrace of the Cuban and Chinese regimes?
