_{Photo: l-r) Hon. John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize and Alicia Bárcena, Mexican Foreign Secretary}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 8, 2024

Earlier this week, Amandala received reports that the Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. John Briceño, had gone to Mexico City, Mexico, and that during his trip, he had signed the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) agreement on behalf of Belize in the presence of Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena at the National Palace.

The ALCE is the international organization which will coordinate cooperation on space technology and its applications, with the aim of contributing to and strengthening the sustainable and comprehensive development of space-related technology which will benefit the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Additionally, the agency will use the technological capabilities of the Latin American and Caribbean countries to promote development; improve satellite communication systems; improve early warning systems; map the region’s strengths, opportunities, and risks due to the effects of climate change; and increase the observation systems involved in preventing natural disasters and improving agriculture.

While there was no official announcement to the Belizean people of the PM’s departure, which comes at a time when there is concern about increased cartel-related activity in Quintana Roo, Prime Minister Briceño told members of the national media when they caught up with him after an event on Wednesday, May 8, that his meeting with the Mexican president was “not expected”.

“I did not expect to have a meeting with the President,” he said. “I was trying to get a phone call to talk to him about energy, about the crisis that we’re facing at the moment, and when he heard that I was in Mexico City, he immediately said, ‘I want to meet with him in person’,” PM Briceño noted.

He further told the media that during his trip, various topics were discussed, including the current energy crisis, alleged threats from the Mexican cartels, and Belizeans traveling to Chetumal.

“We have been fighting this from day one, and we’re working on plans. But this is not something that you could invite the NGO community, and you invite the media to say, hey, this is what we’re doing. This is national security; we can’t be able to discuss these things openly. With Mexico, what we did is that, we have the security apparatus of Mexico and from Belize now have met. We restarted that collaboration between the two countries, and so since last year, we’ve been meeting and working together,” PM Briceño said.

Belize joins 21 other countries in having its signature on the accord and eight ratifications.

According to Mexican media outlets, the ALCE was signed on Monday, May 6.