PM Briceño Pushes Back Over Criticism of Wife’s Guatemala Visit

Also in today’s interview with X TV, Prime Minister John Briceño also responded this afternoon to comments made by 7 News journalist Jules Vasquez about his wife, Special Envoy Rossana Briceño. Vasquez criticised her attendance at a regional meeting in Guatemala City while Belize was challenging the reported entry of a Guatemalan military aircraft into its airspace. Speaking to reporters, Prime Minister cautioned Vasquez to tread carefully when speaking about his wife.

John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “Let me start off by making a point. I don’t care if Jules Vasquez is an a**hole to me and that is his right and if that makes him feel like a big man that’s okay. I choose to put my name on a ballot. I choose to lead my party as the Prime Minister of this country and I am fair game. My wife is not fair game, he needs to understand that. He can be an a**hole to me that’s fine but not my wife. And I want to make that abundantly clear to him. Leave my wife out of this. When it came to this trip, when we were in Europe she asked me she said “John do you think I should go to Guatemala ?” I said yes because you’re not invited as a state of Guatemala you’re invited representing the country of Belize. She was invited being the wife of the Prime Minister so she was representing Belize and while she was there the president apologized and told her to please tell me he apologized about what is happening because sometimes there are people, it’s not his words my words, within the military that want to do as they wish. So I want Jules Vasquez to understand leave my wife out of this. Attack me not my wife.”

The Special Envoy attended a gathering of first ladies and spouses of leaders hosted by Guatemala’s First Lady, Dr. Lucrecia Peinado. Peinado described the meeting as a discussion on how social leadership can build trust and strengthen social cohesion. Rossana Briceño had been in New York with Belize’s delegation earlier in the week and was photographed at an event for the Alliance of Spouses of Heads of State and Representatives before travelling to Guatemala./