Belize Gangs
Map and Tour of Belize Slums
At the core of Belize slums, are the local Belize gangs that have formed aligned themselves with Los Angeles-based Bloods and Crips factions in the nation’s biggest city, Belize City.
Due to limited prospects and scarce resources, a significant number of Belizeans have been relocating to the United States since the mid-1900s, with a particular focus on areas such as Los Angeles. The lure of enhanced opportunities through employment, coupled with the ability to support their families by either setting up a home in the U.S., sending funds to relatives in Belize, or accumulating enough savings for a return to their homeland, has fueled the migration of Belizeans to the U.S.
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During the time individuals were migrating to the United States, hundreds were simultaneously returning to Belize. In the process of their travels, many brought with them newly founded cultures from the United States. Once establishing themselves in the South Central, Los Angeles communities, numerous Belizeans adopted the gang culture of Bloods and Crips from Los Angeles. The presence of Bloods and Crips in Belize have been around since the 1980s.
Following the emergence of Bloods and Crips, specific areas in Belize City, excluding tourist zones, have experienced a surge in the homicide rate, which at times has surpassed that of numerous US cities. Owing to connections with Los Angeles, Belize gangs in Belize City have established their distinct factions of Blood and Crip gangs, associating themselves with their unique culture and neighborhoods.
**Map of Belize Gangs. Not created by KultureVulturez.com**
History of Belize
Roughly equivalent in size to Massachusetts and home to just over 400,000 residents, a nation whose economy relies primarily on tourism and some local product exports, Belize has experienced its fair share of challenges throughout its history.
Initially, Belize was the sole Latin American country, apart from the Caribbean and Brazil, that was not colonized by the Spanish. The British eventually arrived, leading to the colonization and governance of an area once referred to as British Honduras.
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Under British control, a significant number of African slaves were brought into the region to labor on the sugar plantations, leading to today’s substantial Creole or Afro-Belizean population. It was not until the early 1980s that Belizeans obtained their genuine rights and freedom from their former British colonizers, signifying that Belize has been an independent country for just about five decades.