Senator/ Attorney Hector Guerra, now a Government Agent, Leads Lawsuit That Could Make Taxpayers Pay Millions in Damages

By: Omar Silva I Editor/Publisher

National Perspective Bz – Digital 2025

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

Belize City: Saturday 17th May 2025

 Investigative Desk

The sugar industry—a vital economic pillar of northern Belize—is under assault. But this time, the aggressor is not a foreign invader, nor an act of nature, but a calculated legal assault orchestrated by multinational sugar giant ASR/BSI, enabled by none other than a government-appointed senator and condoned through the silent complicity of the Briceño administration.

At the centre of this legal firestorm is a $1.5 million lawsuit filed by ASR/BSI and its subsidiary Belcogen against the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) and two individual farmers. Their alleged offense? Standing up in December 2021 through peaceful protest—blocking cane delivery for five days in a long-simmering standoff over fair treatment and pricing.

But the real scandal isn’t the suit itself. It’s the dirty fingerprints of the Government of Belize all over this case.

A Senator for the People—Or For the Corporations?

The attorney representing ASR/BSI is Hector Guerra, newly minted Senator and close legal ally of the ruling People’s United Party. Guerra, in his dual role as a legislator and legal mercenary, now acts as the public face of corporate vengeance, leading a lawsuit that may saddle Belizean taxpayers with the multimillion-dollar bill—all to protect the profits of a foreign corporation.

Let that sink in: a government senator is leading a lawsuit against Belizean cane farmers—while the government sits quietly behind the scenes, ready to pay off the damages from public coffers.

How can Guerra represent both the interests of the Belizean people in the Senate and the profit-driven ambitions of ASR/BSI in court? This is not just a conflict of interest—it’s a moral betrayal of the highest order.

The Indemnity Clause: A Toxic Promise

During the December 2021 blockade, government officials reportedly offered an indemnity to BSCFA—assuring them that any losses claimed by ASR/BSI would be covered by the state if the company sued.

Now, ASR has sued. And the financial burden is headed straight for the Belizean taxpayer.

So while farmers stood their ground against exploitation, the Briceño administration whispered backdoor assurances to ASR/BSI and now seems content to watch the storm unfold—as long as they don’t get politically wet.

Briceño’s Calculated Silence

Prime Minister John Briceño, whose political lifeblood is tied to the North, has remained silent. No statement. No defense of the farmers. No rebuke of ASR/BSI for dragging the very backbone of northern Belize through the courts.

Why the silence?

Because this government hopes to come out smelling like a rose—letting Guerra and ASR do the dirty work, while the administration hides behind neutrality. But neutrality is complicity. When a government allows its senator to attack citizens in court, it loses all claims to represent the people.

The Real Message Behind the Lawsuit

This lawsuit is not about “economic losses” or “trespass.” It’s about sending a chilling message to farmers: protest will not be tolerated. Stand up, and you may be sued. Fight back, and we’ll bleed you in court—with government lawyers, no less.

It’s a corporate crackdown, dressed in legal garb, using public servants as executioners.

Time to Smoke Out the Government

The people of the North must now ask:

• Why is the Prime Minister silent?
• Why is a senator acting as legal counsel for a foreign multinational against Belizean citizens?
• Why should taxpayers pay for corporate profits?

The Briceño administration can no longer straddle the fence. It must choose between the people and the corporations—between loyalty to the cane farmers who built this nation and the multinational giants who exploit it.

Final Word: No More Sugar-Coating

This lawsuit has peeled back the sugarcoating on Belize’s political and economic realities. The government’s quiet deal, the use of public figures for private profit, and the betrayal of farmers expose a rotten undercurrent of governance.

The North must rise with clarity, reject this cowardly maneuvering, and hold the Briceño government accountable. Because if this legal attack succeeds, it won’t just be a loss for the BSCFA—it will be a surrender of Belize’s sovereignty to corporate interests.