by Nuri Muhammad

BELIZE CITY, Mon. June 9, 2025

I have worked closely with marginalized and criminalized populations for over 40 years. I know the terrain. I know the faces. I know the causes. And I know—deeply and without a shred of doubt— that this proposed 13th Amendment to our Constitution is not the answer to Belize’s crime problem.

What it does is dangerous.

It threatens to criminalize citizens retroactively, to silence dissent, and to weaken our already fragile judiciary. It erodes the sacred protections guaranteed to every Belizean, not just to those accused of crime. It mirrors authoritarian tactics, undermines our democracy, and paves the way for constitutional tyranny—all in the name of national security.

We’ve seen this before.

When the Barrow administration attempted to introduce similar draconian measures like preventative detention, the Belizean people pushed back. We sent a strong and united signal that we will not trade liberty for false security.

We must do so again.

This bill is a shortcut—a dangerously misguided shortcut—that sacrifices constitutional integrity to try and contain a small, complex, deeply rooted segment of our society. Instead of long-term social investment, it offers political expediency. Instead of reform, it seeks control. And instead of addressing root causes, it chooses repression.

What is worse, this amendment threatens to recast authoritarian actions as constitutional. By rewriting the rules, the government will now be able to say, “We’re not violating your rights—we’re just following the Constitution.”

Let that sink in.

This is how democracies die—not in a moment, but in amendments. One retroactive clause. One judicial bypass. One silenced voice at a time.

And yes—this strategy smells of Bukele-style populist authoritarianism, where the Constitution is bent to fit an agenda of urgency, fear, and political showmanship.

We should all be alarmed.

Our Constitution is not a tool to be weaponized against our own people. It is not a cage for our rights. It is the very document that protects us from the overreach of power—especially when that power is cloaked in the urgency of “immediacy.”

I cannot let this pass without contributing to the national debate. And I urge every Belizean—every civil society group, every attorney, every religious body, every young person—to read this bill carefully, understand its implications, and speak out.

Let us remind those in office: Power is not permission to undermine the people.