BELMOPAN, Belize – Prime Minister John Briceño has announced a cabinet-reshuffle of his government ending days of speculation.
Prime Minister John Briceño“We had a very good meeting,” Prime Minister Briceño told reporters following Tuesday’s meeting at which the new Cabinet was announced.
Prime Minister Briceño has named Michel Chebat as the Minister of National Security, Energy and Ports, while ending Julius Espat’s interim responsibility for Home Affairs.
“I just want to officially thank Minister Espat who did a wonderful job as Minister of Police but we prefer, I think he will be best at MIDH and I want to thank him for that,” Briceño said.
The statement issue following the meeting did not announce a new portfolio for Espat or provide further details about his place in the adjusted Cabinet, but political observers note that the title of Home Affairs has now been replaced with the broader Ministry of National Security, signaling a major restructuring of the portfolio responsible for the country’s internal security.
According to the statement, Ramon Cervantes is now the Minister of Public Utilities, Logistics & Solid Waste Management with Ramiro Ramirez remaining as Minister of State.
The new Minister of Economic Transformation is Dr. Osmond Martinez while Henry Charles Usher will take up the substantive post as Minister with responsibility for Enterprise.
This is not the first Cabinet re-shuffle announced by Prime Minister Briceño since the March 12, 2025 general election. He had previously announced a major cabinet reshuffle that took effect in November 2025, as well as interim portfolio adjustments earlier in 2026 following administrative leave for certain ministers
