C.E.O. Reshuffle Sees Tanya Santos Transferred to Immigration

Tanya Santos

On Tuesday afternoon, Cabinet met in Belmopan and during the meeting of senior government ministers it was announced by Prime Minister John Briceño that there would be a reshuffling of chief executive officers in the ministries of Immigration, Transport and Human Development.  The transfer of C.E.O.’s within those respective portfolios follow the departure of former Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay whose resignation from the Briceño administration took effect at the end of December 2023.  With Prime Minister Briceño assuming the portfolio of immigration, his new C.E.O. is Tanya Santos, who moves over from the Ministry of Human Development.  Replacing her in that capacity, under Minister Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, is C.E.O. Adele Catzim, who has been transferred from the Ministry of Transport.  In her place is chief executive officer, Doctor Gilroy Middleton Junior, who has been relocated from the Ministry of Immigration.  C.E.O. Santos has served under Minister Balderamos-Garcia since the Briceño administration was formed in late 2020.  This afternoon, News Five spoke with the Minister of Human Development and Indigenous Peoples Affairs following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Cabinet Minister

“Let me start by saying that we are very, very sorry to see Tanya transferred.  I think in the three years, and Tanya didn’t come out of what you would call a social sector background, per se, I think it was more on the environmental side.  But what Tanya has brought to the table of the entire government is competence, ability, dedication and integrity.  So having said that, we are very sorry to see her go, but of course this is a government decision and it was endorsed in Cabinet yesterday.  CEO Adele Catzim will be joining [the Ministry of] Human Development and I must tell you that way back, putting on my old lady cap now, way back from 1998 to 2003, Adele served in our Ministry of Human Development in a key advisory role and technical role and I believe that with her experience she will be able to assist us.  My understanding is that the then immigration CEO goes over to [the Ministry of] Transport.  Of course, as a government we had to consult with each other.  The head of government is the prime minister and I guess that is about as much as I can say.  But we will be pleased to have Ms. Adele.  Again, I repeat, we are sorry for Tanya to have been transferred but that is the situation.  We remain one government and again, I only want to repeat that what Tanya has brought to the table of the entire government is a level of confidence and commitment that is hard to replicate.”