U.S. Southern Command

Tradewinds 2022, a two-week training involving 22 nations sponsored by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), ended on Friday, May 20, 2022 following a closing ceremony in Ladyville, Belize. More than 1,800 people participated in the exercise with 644 from the United States and 1,158 from Belize and other partner nations. This marks the first time that two partner nations - Belize and Mexico – cohosted the annual Tradewinds exercise alongside the United States.

Defense and public-security planners from the Caribbean, Central America, North America, and Europe will meet March 21-25, 2022, in Belmopan to discuss final planning details for Tradewinds 2022, an annual, multi-national and multi-domain exercise. This week’s meeting is the third and final planning conference in preparation for the exercise.

For the first time since 2011, Belize will host the 2022 Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC) from January 31 to February 2, which will include high-level defense and security leaders from the United States, Central America, and other Western Hemisphere countries. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and the Belize Ministry of National Defence will co-host this year’s conference themed “Collaborative Responses to Regional Security and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief Challenges.”

Medical officers from U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo) concluded a six-day outreach program of providing medical care to Belizean citizens in the Toledo District.  This operation, launched on January 9, was conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

On September 19th, 2021, U.S. Embassy Belmopan joined the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) for the official handover of a U.S.-funded mobile field hospital to the Belizean government. The field hospital donation is another pillar of the United States’ continuing commitment to helping Belize respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and other medical emergencies. On August 18, the United States donated the first tranche of more than 345,000 doses of the anti-COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine.

On August 20, the U.S. Embassy delivered disaster response equipment and supplies valued at over U.S. $88,000 to Belize’s National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) in a handover ceremony at the NEMO Warehouse in Ladyville. Major Matthew Adams, U.S. Embassy Belmopan Office of Security Cooperation Chief, represented the U.S. Embassy when handing the items to Retired Lieutenant Colonel Shelton Defour, who received the goods on behalf of NEMO.

On July 30, the U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Education held a ceremony to announce the handover to the Ministry of Education of a classroom building constructed through the U.S. Southern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Program in San Isidro Village in Toledo District. The handover ceremony was attended by the Honorable Patrick Faber, Minister of Education and Youth, Sports, and Culture, along with representatives from the Ministry of Education, local government and school officials, and families of San Isidro students. The short program was officiated by Mr. Jose Funez, Principal of San Isidro School, with U.S. Embassy Belmopan Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Keith Gilges speaking on behalf of the United States.

On April 23, the United States Government donated over $400,000 USD worth of communications equipment and Boston Whaler sustainment parts to the Belize Ministry of National Security. The donation is part of the U.S. Southern Command’s continued partnership with Belize and was funded by the U.S. counternarcotics program.