BELIZE CITY, Sat. Dec. 5, 2020– On Friday evening, the Office of the Prime Minister announced the appointment of Amilin Mendez as Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Economic Development. Mendez will work alongside Prime Minister John Briceño, who is also the substantive Minister of Finance, Economic Development and investment, and the Ministers of State Christopher Coye and Michael Espat.

The release says, “Ms. Mendez has substantial experience in national and regional project development with a special interest in education and private sector-driven investment.” It is widely known that Mendez has worked closely with the former United Democratic Party government.

She worked directly inside the Office of the Prime Minister in the Economic Development Council from 2014 – 2017, and within Patrick Faber’s Ministry of Education, where she has held the post of Senior Project Manager at the Project Execution Unit since 2017, until her ascension to her new post as CEO of Economic Development.

And while some PUP party loyalists and UDP media analysts have looked at this appointment with some cynicism and disapproval, Mendez’s academic qualifications and work experience speak for themselves. The release from the Office of the Prime Minister says, “Ms. Mendez holds a Master’s of Science in International Trade Policy with Specialization in Trade in Services and Market Access of Goods and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of the West Indies. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Project Management at the University for International Cooperation.”