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In related news, Prime Minister John Briceño has yet to announce how he will move forward with the Ministry of Home Affairs. It has been more than a week after the original three-month period for its temporary leadership was announced. Up to news time today, Love News has verified that the Prime Minister has given interim Minister Julius Espat no indication of whether he will remain in the portfolio or hand it over. The uncertainty is notable, and is leaving a crucial ministry without a clear long-term leadership arrangement. This week, the PM was asked for an update but was unwilling to provide one.
Reporter: Julius Espat as police minister will you keep him ?
John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “That is something that I should decide, not something that you announce to the media. When that announcement is made, you will know.”
Espat took over on June 22, while retaining his responsibilities for Infrastructure Development and Housing. His temporary assignment followed Oscar Mira’s leave of absence as the Auditor General examined procurement matters connected to Mira’s previous tenure at the Ministry of Defence. That audit was initially expected to take approximately three months. The original period reached its end on September 22, some eight days ago. The Prime Minister has been asked twice about the ministry’s future leadership, but neither response provided a clear decision. In one exchange reported on September 15, Briceño said the appointment was his prerogative and that he would make his position known when the time came. For historical context, since November 2020, three ministers have actually led Home Affairs, including Espat in his acting capacity. Kareem Musa held the portfolio from the start of the Briceño administration until the November 2025 reshuffle. Oscar Mira then took over, before Espat assumed temporary responsibility this June. Henry Charles Usher was initially named to replace Musa during the November reshuffle but declined the assignment before taking it up.
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