Alexis Rosado’s Public Officer Status, Critical Role on I.C.J. Team

Alexis Rosado

Former Ambassador to the European Union Alexis Rosado is in London along with a team of experts on international law making the final touches on the counter memorial, as he remains co-agent on Belize’s I.C.J. team. For many, given the criminal allegations of a sexual nature brought against Rosado, he should be removed. The career diplomat was arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court in Belmopan on April twentieth, when he was read a slew of charges, including seven counts of aggravated assault and two counts of rape.The prime minister, nonetheless, maintains that his expertise in the case is needed. Today, News Five spoke with Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay who explains Rosado’s status as a public officer and the critical reasoning behind his retention on the I.C.J. team.

Eamon Courtenay

Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade & Immigration

“Ambassador Rosado is a public officer; under the constitution, he is a 107 public officer and as you know public officers have security of tenure of office. There is a process for a public officer to be disciplined; there is a process for a public officer to be removed. Insofar as he is concerned, there are allegations made against him, very serious allegation and the Prime Minister decided based on those allegations, we would withdraw him from representation in Brussels, but that he will continue because of his skill, expertise and experience on the Belize/Guatemala issue to continue in his role as the co-agent. He continues in that until the case is finished and whatever happens with the case we will then have to take a decision at that time.  Bringing Ambassador Rosado back from Brussel was not a punishment. Al allegation has been made against him. Until that allegation is proven, he remains innocent. He continues to have his job.  If somebody wants to have him removed from that job, there is a process; it’s a very difficult process. As far as the Prime Minister is concerned, as far as I am concerned, at this point in time, the case that has been made against him does not affect his ability to perform his duties as ambassador and co-agent. We have brought him back, moved him from frontline representation and asked him to stay on as our co-agent, continuing the research and preparing the case. The allegation against him in his private life is serious and something that he has to deal with. And I don’t know how and when that is going to be resolved, but as far as I am concerned, .at this time, as we understand where we are, it is important that he continues to do the work for Belize. And let me just say this, there are not a lot of people who have spent decades studying the Belize/Guatemala issue – both from a historical point of view, from a diplomatic point of view and from a legal point of view. There are not a lot of Belizeans. We have hired international experts. They are international experts in law, but we need people like Assad, like Alexis who know the facts, like David Gibson who know the facts, who know the history. And we have to deploy all those resources because Guatemala is claiming more than two-thirds of our country. And we need every skilled person, every experienced person and every expert person on board supporting and defending Belize’s interests. Ambassador Rosado is one of them and so, as far as I am concerned, he should continue to provide that service for Belize.”