What is the Future of Cruise Tourism in Belize?

In a pivotal decision on Wednesday, the High Court of Belize delivered a verdict that’s set to impact the future of cruise tourism in the country. Michael Feinstein had taken the Government of Belize to court, arguing that their plan to forcibly acquire twenty-three acres of Stake Bank Island infringed on his constitutional rights. After a four-month legal battle, Justice Rajiv Goonetilleke ruled that the government’s intention to acquire Stake Bank Island does not violate the constitution. As a result, the High Court dismissed Feinstein’s case, giving the Briceno administration the green light to seize the land for public use. Tonight, News Five’s Paul Lopez dives deep into the twists and turns of this case and how we arrived at this critical juncture. Here’s the full report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

On Wednesday, the High Court of Belize made a significant ruling in the case brought by Michael Feinstein against the Government of Belize. Feinstein challenged the government’s plan to forcibly acquire twenty-three acres of Stake Bank Island, claiming it was unconstitutional. However, the court found that the government’s actions did not violate any constitutional provisions. The Briceno administration had announced its intent to acquire the land back in August 2024, and now, with the court’s decision, they have the green light to proceed. This ruling marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing saga of cruise tourism development in Belize.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño (File: Aug 28, 2024)

“As you all know this, there’s a legislation that was passed by the UDP whereby we deemed this project of national importance. And now that it seems that between the different investors, they have been having issues. That project has been at a standstill. We have, I think, approximately two hundred and seventy million dollars.  But because there is a dispute with the land, that project cannot be finished. And if you look at the numbers for the cruise lines, they’re going down, we need to be able to finish that project. We believe that as a government, what we did is first to put the first notice of acquisition. What does that trigger? It triggers then the owner to come to the government and to say okay, this is my land, and they negotiate a price.”

 

The Feinstein Group didn’t hold back in voicing their objections to GOB’s plans. They accused the government of siding with the OPSA Group, a Honduran company financing the project, which later got entangled in a legal dispute with Feinstein. The Feinstein Group also claimed that the Government of Belize couldn’t prove that the land acquisition was in the public’s best interest. As a result, the acquisition has been put on hold.

Godfrey Smith, Attorney-At-Law (File: Oct 17^th, 2024)

“The end goal is vindication that the twenty-three point three acres standing in his name which was issued to him by the ministry of natural resources, he validly holds title to it, and it is lawfully his.”

 

The Briceño administration presented the compulsory acquisition to the public as an attempt to resurrect the cash strapped multi-million-dollar tourism project, to save Belize’s cruise tourism industry. Just days before the High Court’s preliminary hearing, Prime Minister John Briceño dropped a bombshell on “Open Your Eyes.” He revealed that Mediterranean Shipping Company, one of the giants in the cruise and shipping industry, was keen on taking over the project. This announcement added a new twist to the unfolding drama.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño (File: Oct 7^th, 2024)

“They’re saying, “Well, now, we’d be interested, but we don’t want to get into this mess. The only way we’d be interested is if this mess is settled, and we buy over then.” So that the only way we can do that is by compulsorily acquiring land.”

 

Godfrey Smith, Attorney-At-Law (File: Oct 17^th, 2024)

“That is why we are in court, because the instruction from our client is that he does not believe it is for a legitimate public purpose and a number of other grounds. His position is he intends to challenge that. Within the land being vested to the government it cannot be transferred to MSC or OPSA or Stake Bank or anybody else.”

 

Well, after nearly four months of deliberation, High Court Judge Rajiv Goonetilleke delivered his verdict. He ruled that the compulsory acquisition of Stake Bank Island is not unconstitutional and aligns with the idea of acquisition for public purposes. The Feinstein Group couldn’t substantiate their claims, leading to the dismissal of their case. This ruling is a significant win for the Briceno administration. Looking ahead, the future of the project is intriguing, especially since Prime Minister Briceno recently announced plans for a similar development just a few miles away at the government-owned Port of Belize Limited. What will this mean for cruise tourism in Belize? Only time will tell.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño (File: Jan 22, 2025)

“I believe that by the end of the next government we should have a cruise port and a modern container.”

 

Reporter

“So does that mean Stake Bank is dead. It makes no sense to have two mega cruise port in the Belize District within miles of each other.”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We all knew that Stake Bank was short to medium term investment.”

 

Earlier this week, that latest statement by PM Briceño received heavy criticism from Michael Peyrefitte, the Chairman of the UDP.

 

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“Sometimes I don’t think he appreciates that he is the head of government for a sovereign nation. By saying this is temporary, what has he done? He has essentially killed that project with his words, because how do you go to cruise lines and say come somewhere that is only temporary.”

 

Interestingly, on January fourteenth, during an appearance on “Open Your Eyes,” Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler was asked which port project in Belize he thought was the most feasible and practical to complete. He threw his support behind Stake Bank. Mahler also suggested that both Stake Bank and the Port of Belize Limited could coexist harmoniously in the same area.

 

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“That would be Stake Bank if you have to look at it honestly, because that is nearer to be completed. We are working on a master plan for Port of Belize which should be completed in March. But that has two components to it, cargo and cruise and they can work together. It is done all over the world. People who want to push their own agenda would say no, but they can work together.”

 

Belizean investor Michael Ashcroft, who owned the Port of Belize Limited, has weighed in on the Stake Bank situation. He expressed his doubts about the government’s true intentions for the island, adding another layer of intrigue to this developing story.

 

Michael Ashcroft, Investor

“On something like Stake Bank, what is the plan? What do they need Stake Bank for? Is it a temporary measure? Is it a permanent measure?  Until they sort that out, nobody knows what is going to happen on that. Nobody knows if there is a secret agreement or arrangement. But at this point everything appears to be flat.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez