Darlin Gaitan Resigns as Ports Commissioner

After fifteen months of serving in the capacity of Ports Commissioner at the Belize Port Authority, Darlin Gaitan resigned from the post on Tuesday morning. Gaitan has been employed at the Belize Port Authority for the past fifteen years where she rose through the ranks to become Ports Commissioner. Reports are that her departure was abrupt. News Five has been reliably informed that an extraordinary board meeting was called on Tuesday morning where the decision was taken. Her exit comes only one month after the launch of a Women in Maritime Association of the Caribbean’s Belize Chapter that was being led by an employee at B.P.A. Credible information to News Five is that a few weeks before Gaitan’s resignation, the Belize Port Authority pulled its financial and human resources support from the association. Notably, representatives from the B.P.A. were absent from a celebration held today onboard Carnival Dream for Day of Seafarers that was organized by the Women in Maritime Association of the Caribbean. Traditionally, the Belize Port Authority would have representation at this event. Furthermore, our newsroom understands that the son of a prominent board member recently took up a managerial position at the B.P.A. There are, however, questions surrounding his qualifications for that post. So, is the Belize Port Authority sidelining women? And were these incidents what led to Gaitan’s departure? We will continue to follow this story.