President Bernardo Arevalo

For the first time in his political career, the Honorable Francis Fonseca addressed the General Debate of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Saturday, September 28th, as Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. In his 21-minute speech, Fonseca discussed several topics, including advocating for climate justice and Belize’s ties with other economies like the United States. However, many in Belize were waiting for Fonseca to address the ongoing issues at the Sarstoon River with the Guatemalan Navy. Instead, he referred to Guatemala’s president Bernardo Arevalo's statement on settling the territorial dispute with Belize at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) without highlighting the daily struggles at the southernmost border with that country.

Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. John Briceño led a delegation to Guatemala City, Guatemala, to attend the presidential inauguration of that country's new leader, Bernardo Arevalo. The scheduled ceremony set for 2PM on Sunday, January 14th was almost overshadowed by an extended delay stemming from issues within the Congress. Arevalo was finally sworn in as the 52nd president of Guatemala minutes after midnight.