Prime Minister John Briceño Appoints Six Senators Including Four Newcomers

Four new faces will grace Belize’s legislature as Prime Minister John Briceño has announced the appointment of the six Government Senators. The names have been send to the Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam for her approval which will make the appointments final.  While Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay and Christopher Coye will retain their Senatorial seats, the other four are newcomers, namely, Linsford Castillo, Rozel Arana, Hector Guerra, and Brittney Galvez. Courtenay has been dubbed the Lead Senator for Government Business and the Special Representative for the Prime Minister for International Legal Affairs, Diplomacy, and Strategic Engagement.  Meanwhile, Coye will retain his post as the Minister of State for Finance.  Castillo, who has filled in as a temporary Senator in 2022 and 2023, will now have a permanent appointment.  Arana, who is a former educator and councilor for the Punta Gorda Town Council, is seeing her first appointment as a Senator, as well as Guerra who is an attorney, and Galvez who is a Program Coordinator in the Office of the Special Envoy, and has been known for her strong advocacy for youth empowerment and gender equality.  As for the three Senators to be appointed by the Opposition, the LOO, Tracy Panton has informed our newsroom that their appointments will be released shortly.  As we have reported, the Churches have named Louis Wade Junior as its representative while the Network of NGOs have elected to reinstate Senator Janelle Chanona as its representative.  The unions and the private sector are yet to officially release their names for the Senate.