Prime Minister Briceno attends second term inauguration of President Bukele

On Saturday, June 1st, Prime Minister Honorable John Briceno attended a crucial meeting at the Casa Presidencial in San Salvador, El Salvador. This meeting marked Nayib Bukele’s second term inauguration, a momentous occasion in which Briceno was present to congratulate him. During the meeting, Briceno engaged in discussions with President Bukele about matters of mutual interest and decisions.
Accompanying Briceno at the meeting were Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration Amalia Mai, and Her Excellency Cherie Nisbet, Ambassador of Belize to El Salvador. The Government of Belize also congratulated several allies on the results of their internal elections, including the re-elected president of El Salvador.
Bukele’s administration has faced criticism for the mass incarceration of El Salvador’s gang members, leading to protesting his election. When asked about Belize’s attendance at the ceremony, Minister Fonseca stated, “We engage with leaders from all over the world, but that doesn’t mean we support their policies and programs. However, we respect the determination and decisions of their people when electing them. It was important for Belize to engage and be present to participate in the inauguration ceremony because we are involved at the economic level, working on specific projects with El Salvador.”
During a media interview, Fonseca noted, “We are working on a partial scope agreement with El Salvador to improve and expand trading opportunities for Belize. We are also looking at expanding tourism and agriculture in El Salvador. Those were the three areas we discussed with President Bukele and his team and investments.”
President Bukele also thanked Prime Minister Briceno for offering thousands of Salvadoran nationals a home. He also met with the Presidents of Costa Rica, H.E. Rodrigo Chavez Robles, and Kosovo, H.E. Vjosa Osmani, to discuss strengthening cooperation through sustainable development, environmental protection, tourism, and the Central American Integration System (SICA), touching on peace and security, climate change, and tourism.