Belize Mourns Sir Manuel

There has been an outpouring of condolences since the announcement was made on Thursday evening of the death of former two-time Prime Minister, Sir Manuel Esquivel. Sir Manuel was Belize’s first Prime Minister following Belize’s Independence in 1984 and again in 1993. He passed away on Thursday. News Five’s Marion Ali has put together the following tribute to Sir Manuel.

Sir. Manuel Esquivel

Marion Ali, Reporting

He was Belize’s Prime Minister when Queen Elizabeth the Second visited in October of 1985 and again in February of 1994, and he met with the leaders and dignitaries of many countries during his terms in office. And in 1986, Her Majesty, the Queen appointed Sir Manuel to Her Privy Council in 1986, conferring upon him the title of Right Honourable. Now, on the occasion of his death, the Offices of the Governor General, the Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition are among the many that have sent notes of condolences. Prime Minister John Briceño says that Sir Manuel was of upstanding character and was an approachable person.

John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño

“The few times that I’ve met with him he was always kind and prepared to talk with me. I remember distinctly – and that was before 1993, that was the first real interaction I had with him when there was the Maritime Areas Bill at that time – trying to get that Bill passed through the National Assembly and there were these countrywide consultations and he joined Said Musa and the P.U.P. And when I was in Orange Walk I went to listen to him at the People’s Stadium and I spoke to him afterwards and I thanked him for joining this move. And he looked at me kinda strangely and said “Well, what did you expect? This is something of national importance, and country comes first.”

Former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Dean Barrow, who served as Deputy Prime Minister under Sir Manuel’s tenure, says while many leaders are unique in their own way, Sir Manuel stood out for the same reason, he was a man of principle:

Dean Barrow

Right Honourable Dean Barrow, Former Prime Minister

“There was never any question but that he was possessed of the utmost integrity, not just on a personal level, but as leader of our party, as leader of the country.  He was straightforward in making it clear to his colleagues, to his ministers, “Do not bring to me, Esquivel as Prime Minister, any proposal that cannot pass the smell test. I won’t even discuss it and if you bring it, not only will I reject it out of hand, but there will be consequences to you,” the person that dared to bring such a proposal. That absolute rectitude, that complete rigor, when it came to principle, was what I think was above all, distinguished him from all the rest of us.”

But not only was Sir Manuel considered by his successors, party supporters and fellow politicians as a man of high integrity, but his family who knew him best say his humility and soft-spoken voice was not to be mistaken for him being weak. Kathy Esquivel recently wrote a biography of her husband entitled “Still Waters.”

Kathy Esquivel

Kathy Esquivel, Wife of Sir Manuel

“I suppose in politics, sometimes you can either do what’s politically expedient or what’s best for the country and on many occasions he did what was best for the country and sometimes that is not always politically popular in the short term. In the long term now everybody says “Oh, yes, yes! He was so great!”

Sir Manuel’s uprightness was tested once, when former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Dean Barrow was the Foreign Minister. He recalled the occasion.

Right Honourable Dean Barrow

“Some dignitary had come to see him and the dignitary had first been to see me as Foreign Minister and then went up to see Sir Manuel as Prime Minister. That meeting concluded and within five minutes or so, Esquivel sent for me. He said, “Look, this man left me a book as a present,” and when I opened the book to page through it, here it is – the envelope was in it with X amount of dollars. “You, Mr. Foreign Minister, you send somebody to chase down his vehicle and bring him back here so that I can say to him, ‘What you did is reprehensible. Do not ever seek to visit me again as Prime Minister. Take you filthy, dirty money and get the hell out of my office and get the hell out of Belize.”

Sir Manuel will be laid to rest on Wednesday, and while Prime Minister Briceño has indicated it will be a state event, it will not be a funeral, as Mrs. Esquivel told us.

Kathy Esquivel

“We didn’t want a church service. He wanted a concert with all the music he loved and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

Marion Ali

“Wow! Okay, can I ask what type of music that is?”

Kathy Esquivel

“Oh, a wide variety, not hiphop and maybe not rap because he was in his eighties, (chuckles) but – a wide variety.”

John Briceño

“His wife has asked that Sir Manuel wanted more a happy send-off and so we will have that with full honours.”

The celebration of his life will be held on Wednesday at nine in the morning, but the venue is yet to be announced. Sir Manuel Esquivel was eighty-one years old. He is survived by his wife, Kathy, son David, daughters Laura and Ruth and eight grandchildren.

Marion Ali reporting for News Five.