BELMOPAN, Sun. Feb. 13, 2022– Monday, February 14, to Wednesday, February 16, has been designated as a period of mourning for former Prime Minister of Belize, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Sir Manuel Esquivel, KCMG, PC, who passed away on February 10, 2022. Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño has ordered that all flags be flown at half-mast during the period. On Tuesday, the urn containing the ashes of the former Prime Minister will be transported to the Government House in Belize City and will lie in state in the House’s former State Dining Room. From 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. invited guests will be paying their respects.
A State Memorial for Sir Esquivel will be held at the Government House on Wednesday, beginning with a procession at 2:10 p.m. that will commence at Sir Esquivel’s home and end at the House of Culture. It will be followed by a memorial service at 3:00 p.m.
The two events, both of which are closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions, will be covered live on the Government of Belize Press Office Facebook page and YouTube channel. It will also be broadcasted on television through all the major media houses.
Since Thursday, many have extended condolences to the former Prime Minister’s family and have expressed sorrow at his passing, including CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett.
“It is with profound sorrow that I received the news of the passing of Sir Manuel Esquivel KCMG, former two-time Prime Minister of Belize. I viewed Sir Manuel as a calm, thoughtful leader whose importance to the evolution of an independent Belize cannot be overestimated. His scientific training imbued his actions with a deliberate logic which allied to his personal integrity and honesty made him a formidable presence in Belize’s public life. His presence and contributions to the landmark meetings of CARICOM Heads of Government including at Grand Anse and his influence on the Community’s Charter of Civil Society were indicative of his commitment to regional integration,” stated the Secretary General’s message of condolence.
In addition to extending her deepest condolences to Lady Kathy Esquivel and the Esquivel family, the Government of Belize, and the People of Belize, Dr. Barnett also remarked that Sir Manuel was “truly a fine example of what a life in public service should be.”
Sir Manuel Esquivel was Belize’s second Prime Minister, first serving from 1984-1989 and then again from 1993-1998. Born on May 2, 1940, in Belize City, Sir Esquivel obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Loyola University in New Orleans and would also go on to receive an honorary Doctorate from the university. In December of 1984, he would lead the United Democratic Party (UDP) to what would be known as the first-ever victory for an opposition party in the country.
“Our nation recognizes his service with gratitude … as an educator … an activist … as a politician … as a leader … as the 2nd Prime Minister of the nation … He stood more on his personal convictions of what needed to be done for the nation and less so on political expediency. A plain speaker … with a firm grip on personal integrity,” said Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño.
Sir Esquivel played a pivotal role in the development of a newly independent Belize. And even long after serving as the country’s Prime Minister, the former UDP leader still gave his opinion on public matters, advocating for the standardization of the Belizean flag in 2015, voicing support for the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana in 2017, expressing support for taking the Guatemala-Belize territorial dispute to the ICJ in 2019 via a newspaper editorial, and most recently, showing support for the COVID-19 vaccine by being one of the first to receive it, alongside his wife Kathy.
Throughout his lifetime, Sir Manuel Esquivel has received several honours and accolades. In 1986, Queen Elizabeth II appointed him to her Privy Council, earning him the title of Right Honourable. And in 2010, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (KCMG), a British order of chivalry. In 2021, the Pallotti overpass in Belize City was renamed in his honour and is now known as the Dr. Manuel Esquivel Overpass.