Eamon Courtenay to Step Down as Foreign Minister

Eamon Courtenay

Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay is stepping down from his post as Belize’s chief diplomat in the days ahead.  News of his pending departure was confirmed in a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister earlier today.  Courtenay, a preeminent attorney, was appointed senator when the Briceño administration took office in November 2020, and was subsequently elevated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration, as a senior officer of state.  He has served in that capacity for the past three years and will be returning to private practice at his law firm, Courtenay Coye LLP, at the end of December.  Senator Courtenay will remain as Leader of Government Business in the upper house, with Cabinet privileges.  He will also retain responsibility for two cases, including a matter involving an unfounded, age-old territorial claim by Guatemala, that are currently before the International Court of Justice.  The ministerial responsibilities that were assigned to Courtenay, namely Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, will be transferred to Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Technology.  Meanwhile, Immigration will be taken up by the Office of the Prime Minister.  About Courtenay’s departure, Prime Minister John Briceño says, “I am grateful for Eamon’s immense ministerial contribution over the past three years.  Belize’s diplomatic and foreign trade standing climbed to new heights as a result of Eamon’s leadership, while the Immigration Department has achieved major milestones, including the e-passport and amnesty”.  In the latter part of this year, three senior government officials, all well-known lawyers, including former Attorney General Magali Marin-Young, former Home Affairs C.E.O. Kevin Arthurs, and Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay, have demitted office to return to private practice.