When a Canadian power company proposed a dam along a branch of the nearby Macal River, officials here welcomed the investment. They hoped the project would wean Belize from electricity bought from Mexico, and provide a new water source for an existing dam and powerplant that struggle during the dry season. But the plan has unleashed a barrage of criticism from environmentalists, who have alsodecided to look beyond Belize's borders for support, taking their cues from the flows of global capital.