By Belize Live News Staff: It was supposed to be a smooth succession decades in the making. Instead, George Gomez’s tenure as CEO of the Kolbe Central Prison has ended almost as quickly as it began, with the prison chief dismissed on July 7 after less than fifty days in the post.
As 7News first reported, Gomez was handed a dismissal letter and escorted off the prison grounds, a striking end for a man who had spent years being groomed for the role. He understudied Virgilio Murillo, the long-serving CEO who ran the institution for twenty years, and stepped up as Acting CEO in December 2025 when the sitting CEO became ill. He officially took over on May 19.
Now, just weeks later, the board is starting from scratch. Chairman Francis Woods has assumed the role of Acting CEO and sought to calm the waters in a phone interview with 7News. Confirming the departure, Woods said he would take on all CEO duties, reviewing the data and policies, and be present at the facility regularly while the board works to recruit a new chief executive.
What has not been offered, so far, is an explanation. No public reason has been given for why Gomez was let go.
The dismissed CEO is disputing the decision. Gomez told 7News that the termination was without merit, insisting that good work was being done during his time at the helm and that much more could have been accomplished.
With the prison now under interim leadership and a recruitment process only just beginning, the sudden shake-up raises real questions about stability at one of the country’s most sensitive institutions. Whether more details emerge about what went wrong behind those walls remains to be seen.
