_{John Saldivar – Former UDP Leader and Hon. Tracy Panton – Leader of the Opposition}

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Apr. 7, 2025

John Saldivar has faced mounting pressure to refute allegations that he is orchestrating a plot to undermine Tracy Panton’s leadership of the UDP. As we reported last week, first reports of potential leadership challenges were shared by Immediate Past Leader of the United Democratic Party, Moses “Shyne” Barrow. Though he would not share who was proposing a constitutional change to allow unelected members of the party and non-senators to vie for leadership of the UDP, a news blog on Facebook reported that it was Saldivar. He subsequently called it false news, and affirmed his support of Panton to become the first female prime minister of Belize.

_{Moses “Shyne” Barrow poses with Hon. Miguel Guerra}

Panton on Saturday, April 5, led a first National Party Council (NPC) meeting held at the ITVET in Belize City, and at its conclusion after four hours, she told us that no proposed amendment to the constitution was on the agenda. She repeated that there will be a comprehensive review of the Party Constitution in the next few months. However, other insiders say the matter was discussed. Also discussed, we are told, was whether or not caretakers of electoral divisions get to hold on to their positions uncontested. Whereas the report is that the leadership of the party intends to have contested conventions, some do not support this. 

There are now reports that Saldivar no longer wishes to proceed with Panton as leader, and that he is recruiting supporters. In response to the blog post making that claim, Saldivar assured that he is “…not involved in any conspiracy to undermine the leadership of Hon. Tracy Panton…” After there were further reports on the blog page that Chairperson Sheena Pitts had called him out in the Central Executive’s Whatsapp Group, and that he had used an expletive in response, Saldivar made his own post on Facebook and stated, “I have given the last year of my life to right what I did wrong when I supported Shyne over Tracy the last time around…. Thankfully, Hon. Panton and I are good friends. Our friendship will survive this latest attempt, and her leadership of the UDP will take us to great heights. Long love [sic] the UDP, long live Hon. Tracy Panton who is destined to be Belize’s first female Prime Minister.” Saldivar added that there is an active attempt to destabilize the Tracy Panton led UDP, and that there is a madman who has set his sights on leadership of the party and he will stop at nothing.

Speaking about the outcome of the NPC, Panton said they discussed the upcoming village council elections as well as the National Convention that is set to take place within 90 days. At that time, she expects she will be endorsed as party leader. Asked about reconciliation now with the candidates who supported Barrow ahead of the March 12 elections she stated, “Dah Tracy yoh noh! The loyalty has to be to the United Democratic Party, the loyalty has to be to the constituency, the loyalty has to be to the people of this country, and the loyalty has to be to defending our democracy – we all agree on that.”

Asked about reaching a stage where the UDP has electable candidates, Panton said everything will happen in due course and constitutionally. However, she declared that they have a number of people who are prepared to step up and support the party. As to moving on from people not considered electable, Panton affirmed that she has demonstrated she is capable of making the difficult decisions, and they will do what serves the best interests of the party. 

When it comes to the financing that will be required to get the work of rebuilding done, Panton affirmed that “there are many UDP supporters, stalwarts, people who have served this country and the party, who have committed to the work of rebuilding, and that comes with the resources that we need; and we will do it just the way every other party leader has done it, one step at a time, one day at a time, one hurdle at a time. We will rebuild the United Democratic Party. And take note of it, today is April 5, 2025, we will be the Government in 2030.” She said, “Man, if we have to have a BBQ every month, we will find the money to rebuild the party.”

This evening, the other faction of the UDP issued a release calling the NPC meeting fake, and affirming that until the High Court “issues its decision on the civil action brought against Panton for her false claim to leadership, the status quo remains as to the duly elected and appointed Central Executive Committee Members of UDP.” We note also that Michael Guerra did not attend the NPC meeting; and on Sunday, Barrow posted a photo of him sitting beside Guerra with the caption, “Great visiting with my brother, Hon. Miguelito Guerra.”