Alexis Rosado Resigns as Belize ICJ Co-Agent Amid Criminal Case

Ambassador Alexis Rosado has resigned as Belize’s co-agent in the cases before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the resignation in a statement posted to its social media page at five thirty-seven this evening, saying it takes effect immediately.  Rosado faces criminal charges of rape, sexual assault and aggravated assault. In its statement, the Government noted that he is entitled to the presumption of innocence and said it would make no further comment on the criminal proceedings, out of respect for the judicial process and all persons involved.  The announcement follows public discussion sparked by an opinion piece from Speaker of the House Valerie Woods. In the piece, titled The Co-Agent Exception, Woods argued that Rosado should step aside while his trial proceeds, saying the decision about his appointment should be considered separately from the question of his guilt or innocence.  The Belize Network of NGOs also joined the call for Rosado to step down. In a statement issued today, the network said its position was not about prejudging the case, but about protecting public trust and upholding standards of accountability. It called for consistent procedures for temporarily removing officials from their duties when they face serious criminal charges or allegations.  Before the resignation was announced, Minister Henry Charles Usher sided with Woods. He spoke about the need for an equal approach, comparing Rosado’s situation with how public officers are dealt with when facing serious allegations.

Henry Charlese Usher, Minister of Disaster Risk Management: “I read the statement made by the Speaker of the House and I support her statement. Number one, I think that not enough is done, even by the media, to show support for victims of these, you know, whatever you know the issue might be. But sometimes we don’t have that victim support in our country. These cases tend to be sensationalized and it does create an undue burden and probably a lot of trauma for the victims. So it’s important that we always keep the victim, the virtual complainant, in our thought process whenever decisions are made. When it comes to the individual, well, if he was a public officer and the regulations would state very clearly that while this process is ongoing that he would be put on interdiction. So I think that although he doesn’t fall under the regulations because he’s not a section 106 public officer that something similar could be done.”

Prime Minister John Briceño had defended retaining Rosado, pointing to his decades of experience working on the territorial dispute and the need for continuity ahead of the hearings.

Usher, however, questioned the suggestion that Rosado’s role made him indispensable. He said the importance of Belize’s case should not exempt anyone from being asked to step aside and drew a parallel to what would happen if Rosado were to die.

Henry Charlese Usher, Minister of Disaster Risk Management:“Number one, of course, he is entitled to a fair trial. That’s number one. Number two, he has contributed, I understand from the co-agents that he has contributed significantly to the case, but as I said, if the procedure is going to be followed then it needs to be followed done and in life nobody is indispensable. We have to be able to make the most when a situation comes up and to make sure that there’s somebody else that can do the work.”

In its statement, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to Belize’s cases before the ICJ. It said Belize’s written submissions have been filed and expressed confidence that the case will continue under the leadership of Belize’s agent, Ambassador Assad Shoman, and the legal team.  Oral hearings in the territorial dispute with Guatemala are scheduled for February 2027.