Cuban National Faces Immigration Charges After Avoiding Assault Conviction

A Cuban national escaped a criminal charge for assaulting his girlfriend, only to be charged with an immigration offense. Thirty-three-year-old Keylor Gonzalez appeared unrepresented in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court today, charged with failing to renew his visitor’s permit. This morning, Gonzalez appeared unrepresented in the Magistrate’s Court, where he pleaded guilty to the immigration offense. The court fined him $1,000 plus a $5 cost of court fee, which needed to be paid forthwith. In default of payment, he faces five months of imprisonment. Regardless of payment, Gonzalez will serve six months in prison and be expelled from Belize. Gonzalez, an industrial engineer residing, has been living in Belize legally since November 2022. However, after failing to extend his visitor’s permit beyond June 18, 2023, he remained in the country in contravention of Belize’s Immigration Act. In court, Gonzalez expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision to expel him, questioning whether it was related to the domestic dispute. He asked the Magistrate to intervene, hoping to prevent his deportation. However, the prosecution, representing the Immigration Department, argued that Gonzalez’s expulsion was justified. They cited his lack of employment in Belize and his violation of immigration laws as the basis for their decision.