{"id":"gp:country/blz","url":"https://govpedia.org/country/belize/","name":"Belize","officialName":"Belize","iso3":"BLZ","region":"Americas","system":{"value":"Constitutional monarchy","status":"sourced","sources":["wiki-systems"]},"headOfState":[{"name":"Charles III","title":"King","status":"sourced","sources":["wiki-heads","blz-press-gg"]}],"headOfGovernment":[{"name":"John Briceño","title":"Prime Minister","start":"2020-11-12","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10","wiki-heads","blz-wiki-briceno"]}],"government":{"name":"Government of John Briceño (second term)","start":"2025-03-14","composition":"People's United Party (26 of 31 seats in the House of Representatives)"},"cabinet":[{"name":"John Briceño","portfolio":"Prime Minister","title":"Prime Minister; Minister of Finance, Investment, Civil Aviation & E-Governance","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Cordel Hyde","portfolio":"Deputy Prime Minister","title":"Deputy Prime Minister; Minister of Natural Resources, Petroleum & Mining","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Francis Fonseca","portfolio":"Foreign Affairs","title":"Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science & Technology","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Rodwell Ferguson","portfolio":"Agriculture","title":"Minister of Agriculture, Food Security & New Growth Industries","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10","blz-press-adjust-2025-11-18"]},{"name":"Julius Espat","portfolio":"Infrastructure","title":"Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Kareem Musa","portfolio":"Immigration","title":"Minister of Immigration, Labour & Governance","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Anthony Mahler","portfolio":"Tourism","title":"Minister of Tourism, Youth, Sports & Diaspora Relations","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Kevin Bernard","portfolio":"Health","title":"Minister of Health & Wellness","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Orlando Habet","portfolio":"Sustainable Development","title":"Minister of Sustainable Development & Climate Change","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Michel Chebat","portfolio":"National Security","title":"Minister of National Security, Energy & Ports","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10","blz-press-adjust-2026-10"]},{"name":"Henry Charles Usher","portfolio":"Public Service","title":"Minister of Public Service, Disaster Risk Management & Enterprise","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10","blz-press-adjust-2026-10"]},{"name":"Osmond Martinez","portfolio":"Economic Transformation","title":"Minister of Economic Transformation","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10","blz-press-adjust-2026-10"]},{"name":"Oscar Requena","portfolio":"Rural Transformation","title":"Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development & Local Government","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Andre Perez","portfolio":"Blue Economy","title":"Minister of Blue Economy & Marine Conservation","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Louis Zabaneh","portfolio":"Indigenous Affairs and Transport","title":"Minister of Indigenous, Constitution & Religious Affairs & Transport","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Ramon Cervantes Jr.","portfolio":"Public Utilities","title":"Minister of Public Utilities, Logistics & Solid Waste Management","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10","blz-press-adjust-2026-10"]},{"name":"Thea Ramirez","portfolio":"Human Development","title":"Minister of Human Development, Family Support & Gender Affairs","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"name":"Anthony Sylvester","portfolio":"Attorney General","title":"Attorney General","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]}],"events":[{"date":"2026-10-06","text":"Cabinet adjustments announced: Michel Chebat becomes Minister of National Security, Energy & Ports; Ramon Cervantes Minister of Public Utilities, Logistics & Solid Waste Management; Osmond Martinez Minister of Economic Transformation; Henry Charles Usher takes Enterprise. Oscar Mira and Florencio Marin Jr. are not in the new list of ministers.","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-adjust-2026-10","blz-press-cabinet-2026-10"]},{"date":"2026-07-02","text":"Defence Minister Florencio Marin Jr. is given 90 days' leave of absence during an audit of the Ministry of National Defence and Border Security; Prime Minister Briceño serves as Minister of National Defence and Border Security in the interim.","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-marin-leave"]},{"date":"2026-06-22","text":"Home Affairs Minister Oscar Mira is relieved of his Cabinet duties at his request while the Auditor General audits procurement at the Ministry of Defence; Julius Espat is appointed interim Minister of Home Affairs.","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-mira-leave"]},{"date":"2025-11-20","text":"Prime Minister Briceño confirms the resignation of Jose Abelardo Mai as Agriculture minister (reported 20 November 2025).","status":"sourced","sources":["blz-caribbeantoday-mai"]},{"date":"2025-11-18","text":"Further cabinet adjustments: Rodwell Ferguson takes Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries; Oscar Mira becomes Minister of Home Affairs and Enterprise, Florencio Marin Jr. Minister of National Defence and Border Security, and Henry Charles Usher Minister of Public Service and Disaster Risk Management.","status":"verified","sources":["blz-press-adjust-2025-11-18"]},{"date":"2025-11-11","text":"Prime Minister Briceño announces a cabinet reshuffle effective 17 November 2025: Kareem Musa moves from Home Affairs to Immigration, Governance and Labour, and Francis Fonseca resumes Education alongside Foreign Affairs.","status":"sourced","sources":["blz-sanpedrosun-reshuffle-2025"]},{"date":"2025-03-12","text":"The People's United Party wins the general election with 26 of 31 seats; John Briceño is sworn in for a second term as Prime Minister on 14 March 2025.","status":"sourced","sources":["blz-wiki-election-2025"]}],"checked":"2026-10-16","sources":[{"id":"wiki-systems","title":"List of countries by system of government","publisher":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_system_of_government","kind":"reference","checked":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"wiki-heads","title":"List of current heads of state and government","publisher":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_heads_of_state_and_government","kind":"reference","checked":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"blz-press-gg","title":"The Governor-General","publisher":"Government of Belize Press Office","url":"https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/the-governor-general/","kind":"official","checked":"2026-10-16"},{"id":"blz-press-cabinet-2026-10","title":"Prime Minister Announces Cabinet Adjustments (6 October 2026)","publisher":"Government of Belize Press Office","url":"https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/cabinet-release-3/","kind":"official","checked":"2026-10-16"},{"id":"blz-wiki-briceno","title":"John Briceño","publisher":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brice%C3%B1o","kind":"reference","checked":"2026-10-16"},{"id":"blz-press-adjust-2025-11-18","title":"Prime Minister Announces Cabinet Adjustments (18 November 2025)","publisher":"Government of Belize Press Office","url":"https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/prime-minister-announces-cabinet-adjustments-2/","kind":"official","checked":"2026-10-16"},{"id":"blz-press-adjust-2026-10","title":"Cabinet Adjustments Announced (PR#249-26, 6 October 2026)","publisher":"Government of Belize Press Office","url":"https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/cabinet-adjustments-announced/","kind":"official","checked":"2026-10-16"},{"id":"blz-press-marin-leave","title":"Prime Minister Assumes Interim Responsibility for Ministry of National Defence and Border Security; Hon. Florencio Marin Jr. Given Leave of Absence (PR#175-26)","publisher":"Government of Belize Press Office","url":"https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/July-2-PR175-26-Prime-Minister-Assumes-Interim-Responsibility-for-Ministry-of-National-Defence-and-Border-Security-Hon.-Florencio-Marin-Jr.-Given-Leave-of-Absence-.pdf","kind":"official","checked":"2026-10-16"},{"id":"blz-press-mira-leave","title":"Prime Minister Appoints Interim Minister of Home Affairs; Hon. Oscar Mira Given Leave of Absence (PR164-26)","publisher":"Government of Belize Press Office","url":"https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/prime-minister-appoints-interim-minister-of-home-affairs-hon-oscar-mira-given-leave-of-absence/","kind":"official","checked":"2026-10-16"},{"id":"blz-caribbeantoday-mai","title":"PM of Belize Confirms Resignation of Agriculture Minister as He Re-Shuffles Cabinet Again","publisher":"Caribbean Today","url":"https://caribbeantoday.com/sections/politics/pm-of-belize-confirms-resignation-of-agriculture-minister-as-he-re-shuffles-cabinet-again","kind":"media","checked":"2026-10-16"},{"id":"blz-sanpedrosun-reshuffle-2025","title":"Prime Minister Briceño announces major Cabinet reshuffle","publisher":"The San Pedro Sun","url":"https://www.sanpedrosun.com/?p=118437","kind":"media","checked":"2026-10-16"},{"id":"blz-wiki-election-2025","title":"2025 Belizean general election","publisher":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Belizean_general_election","kind":"reference","checked":"2026-10-16"}],"license":"CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (credit: Govpedia, IQGov)"}