PM Briceño Addresses Alleged Cabinet Friction and 2030 Leadership Question

But the discussion about another term also brought questions about Briceño’s support within his own party. Earlier this month, he told the PUP’s National Party Council that he was prepared to lead the party into the 2030 general election if members wanted him to continue. Today, we asked him about claims of friction within Cabinet and suggestions that support for his continued leadership is no longer unanimous.

John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “The cabinet is united, our government is united, our party is united. There’s no such thing as any kind of divisions. The reason I felt it was time to announce that I would go for a third term is because the very members in cabinet have been asking me to be able to do a third term and I’ve been saying privately that I’m considering it. I started saying, okay I’m giving it serious attention and interest. But finally, they were saying listen, I think it’s important for you to make that announcement so that everybody can know that you’re going to lead us into the 2030 elections. And so that’s what I did.”

Briceño first became PUP leader in 2008, succeeding Said Musa, before stepping down in 2011. He returned to the leadership in January 2016 and led the party to general election victories in November 2020 and March 2025. He has now served almost six years as Prime Minister and more than ten years in his current stint as party leader.