Belize is the only English speaking country in Central America, and has been politically stable for a long time. Anyone have any input on how it might be like long term as a place to live?
Here are Belize excerpts from Edmund J. Pankau’s book, HIDE YOUR ASSETS AND DISAPPEAR, published in 1999. Remember, Pankau, a private detective, writes more about privacy whereas Joel Skousen considers privacy as well as many other angles in STRATEGIC RELOCATION: NORTH AMERICAN GUIDE TO SAFE PLACES. Pankau’s expertise is more “how to hide” or how to find freedom more than he focuses on WWIII, natural or manmade safety issues PLUS liberty the way Joel researches locations.
Pankau’s comments appear below in quotation marks. My own remarks are not in quotes.
Belize has been an independent nation since 1981. In the late 1990s Belize’s image became the fantasy-like image that Costa Rica enjoyed decades ago. Pankau wrote:
“Where Costa Rica has been heir to two decades of unchecked growth and development, Belize is just now getting its feet wet as a haven for expatriates and the international business they bring with them. It truly epitomizes the picture of a ‘tropical paradise,’ with miles of unspoiled beaches, lush rainforests, and waters so blue they deserve to be named with a color all their own.”
Looking for real estate at bargain-basement prices? You can find it in Belize. It’s easier for a foreigner to purchase land there without the usual obstacles like you’d encounter in many Latin American countries. Pankau adds:
“Further, the Belize government is offering free leases on land to people who come in and buy adjacent property and develop it for the purpose of creating jobs for their countrymen.”
Belize enjoys a booming economy, assisted by the relative political stability of the country and the government’s inclination to encourage foreign investment. Want to form your own corporation? It’s simple to do in Belize. For an annual fee of $175-$750 (as of 1999), paid to the Belizean government, you may establish your own Belizean International Business Corporation (IBC).
Re: privacy. It’s ensured by the fact that the assets of most IBCs are held in bearer shares. Good to anyone who holds the paper—just like currency—and transferable (invisibly, says Pankau) at your whim.
Belize refused, as of 1999 at least, to sign a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with the U.S. Belize has no information exchange with America or any other country. You don’t have to put up with those “suspicious transaction”/bank invasion of privacy reports in Belize like you do in the U.S. or other countries.
“Belize is very jealous of its independent status and will not ‘bend over’ for other nosy governments and their agents.” Pankau reported in his book that two IRS CID (Criminal Intelligence Division) agents got caught snooping around in Belize City. They tried to allegedly bribe or intimidate Barclays Bank employees into divulging clients’ financial information. The agents quickly found themselves run out of the country on a rail.
Belize has established Free Trade zones so no taxes are levied upon goods you import and export, nor upon any income you realize from them. However, Pankau warns that “things aren’t quite perfect yet. As Belize is a newly developing country, it should come as no surprise that the Belizean infrastructure is less than ideal. Roadways remain primitive outside the urban areas, and service facilities are few and far between. While communication networks continue to improve, there remains significant room for improvement.”
Phone line connections are poor, as are reliable data connections. Try a satellite telephone purchase before you set out for Belize, or get a portable cellular telephone with international calling capability.
The crime rate in Belize is fairly low, but still there have been instances of theft, pickpockets, armed robberies in the major tourist centers.