By Belize Live News Staff: U.S. President Joe Biden has designated Belize as a major transit country for illegal drugs, according to a statement released on Friday as part of the annual assessment under the United States Foreign Relations Authorization Act.
The designation places Belize among a list of nations that play a key role in the trafficking or production of illicit drugs and chemicals that impact the United States. Countries included in the list range from Afghanistan and Mexico to China and India.
The U.S. government clarified that the designation does not necessarily reflect the efforts of the respective countries’ governments to combat drug trafficking. Factors such as geography, trade routes, and economic conditions often make these countries prime targets for narcotics traffickers, even if their governments maintain strong anti-drug measures.
However, the report named Bolivia, Burma, and Venezuela as countries that had “failed demonstrably” over the past year in fulfilling their obligations under international counter-narcotics agreements. These nations were criticized for insufficient measures to combat drug production and trafficking.
In the same report, U.S. officials cited a 3% decline in drug overdose deaths in the past year, with an estimated 107,543 deaths, down from 111,029 in 2022. This marks the first decrease in overdose deaths since 2018. The Biden administration in July launched a global coalition of over 150 countries to address the threat posed by synthetic drugs.
The listing of Belize comes as the country continues to grapple with the influence of international drug cartels, which use its territory as a transit point for narcotics headed to North America. Belizeans took to social media to express their views on the designation, with some accusing foreign nations of contributing to the drug problem.
“They gave Belize independence just to use it as a drug hub,” one user wrote, while another commented, “America needs to address its own drug addiction issues before blaming others.”
The U.S. government emphasized that cooperation with Belize in combating drug trafficking remains strong, despite the challenges posed by its strategic location.
