Posted: Wednesday, May 28, 2025. 9:58 am CST.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Former UDP Area Representative Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez is facing mounting criticism after fencing off a two-and-a-half-acre parcel of land near the once-popular Belizean Beach.
The area, long viewed as one of the few remaining public beachfronts in the Old Capital, was a cherished retreat for Belize City families for decades. The move has reignited public concern over the privatization of coastal spaces and the steady erosion of communal access to the sea.
Although the Belize Coast Guard established its base nearby in recent years, parts of the beachfront remained accessible to the public — until now. Martinez, who is now working as a contractor, has enclosed the property, sparking widespread backlash.
In response to the criticism, Martinez downplayed the historical value of the area, saying it was never a true beach. “You couldn’t, eena di last month and change, you couldn’t access here so easy. Thick with swamp and so, and been coast guard mi put up da fence,” he said. “Di people dehn use to come eena da next property deh and walk een through some picado road. Soh I don’t know… but in real truth, here was never a beach environment.”
Martinez maintained that his project is not harming the environment or violating anyone’s property rights. “Dah noh like nothing ya di destroy di environment, di destroy nothing,” he insisted. “We noh di encroach on nobody land, yoh noh di encroach pan no private property… right here is environmentally sound.”
During an interview with News 5, Boots also suggested the backlash may be fueled by his political past. “I have problem when, eena my view, I guess because I da former politician or whatsoever, but I da Belizean. I da wahn investor, I da contractor… I do all kinda thing,” Martinez said.
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The post Public backlash as ‘Boots’ Martinez fences off former beach spot appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Wednesday, May 28, 2025. 9:58 am CST. By Breaking Belize News Staff: Former UDP Area Representative Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez is facing mounting criticism after fencing
The post Public backlash as ‘Boots’ Martinez fences off former beach spot appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
