BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Feb. 4, 2021– On Tuesday, February 2, Prime Minister John Briceño published the official list of ambassadors that his administration has appointed. These ambassadors are tasked with cultivating and strengthening bilateral relations between the Government of Belize and other nations to drive foreign policy, trade, etc.
A total of eleven ambassadors were named, including Amalia Mai, who is now the Non-Resident Ambassador-Designate to SICA. Mai, who was the CEO of Great Belize Productions/Channel 5, was also recently named the CEO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lynn Young has been appointed Belize’s Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. Young has served as the former CEO of Belize Electricity Limited and remains a member of their board of trustees. Belize City councilor Oscar Arnold has been named Ambassador-Designate to the United Mexican States. Jose Alpuche has been appointed Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of Guatemala. Alpuche is also the former CEO of Agriculture. Therese Rath has been named High Commissioner-Designate to the United Kingdom and was formerly the chairperson of the Belize Tourism Board.
Additionally, another member of the Belize City Council completing their term this March, Dr. Candice Pitts, has been named the Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and will succeed Cherie Nisbet, who has been named the new Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of El Salvador.
Lou-Anne Burns Martinez has been named Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of Cuba after previously serving as the CEO of Foreign Affairs. Carlos Fuller, expert climatologist and Regional Liaison Officer of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center, will be Belize’s Permanent Representative Designate to the United Nations.
Former Non-resident Ambassador of Belize to Nicaragua, Alexis Rosado, has been named Ambassador-Designate to the European Union, and the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States, a post that will require him to relocate to Belgium. Finally, Lawrence Sylvestre will once again be Belize’s Ambassador-Designate to CARICOM.
Among this recent set of appointees for diplomatic postings is a historic number of females (40%). All the appointed diplomats will be working closely with the Foreign Minister, Hon. Eamon Courtenay.