PM Briceño Weighs In on Alexis Rosado Resignation

Prime Minister John Briceño is weighing in on the resignation of Alexis Rosado as Belize’s co-agent before the International Court of Justice, saying he agrees with parts of a statement made by Speaker of the House Valerie Woods but not all of it. The issue has been in the spotlight since the weekend, when Woods publicly called for Rosado to step aside from his role in Belize’s ICJ case while he continues to face criminal charges. Her statement sparked national discussion and added to calls from some groups for a change in Belize’s legal team before the court. Just days later, Rosado announced his resignation, saying he wanted to protect the Office of the Agent and ensure the focus remained on Belize’s territorial claim. Today, Prime Minister Briceño was asked whether he agreed with the Speaker’s position. He said there were parts of Woods’ statement that he supported, but he stopped short of fully endorsing her comments and said he did not intend to debate the matter publicly.

John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “I think it’s a decision that he made on his part. And I guess he realized that he was creating a distraction as opposed to be able to continue to do the job to the best of his abilities.”

Reporter: What do you think about the statement issued by Valerie Woods? 

John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “I think, whilst there are some issues that she made that are correct, I don’t think she was correct in many instances. But I want to leave it as that.”

Briceño has previously maintained that Rosado’s legal issues did not affect Belize’s case before the ICJ. However, he says Rosado’s decision to resign has now closed that chapter, allowing the country’s legal team to remain focused on preparing for the next stage of the territorial dispute case.