Manuel Esquivel
Sir Manuel Esquivel | |
---|---|
![]() Esquivel in 1993 | |
2nd Prime Minister of Belize | |
In office 17 December 1984 – 7 September 1989 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Governor General | Elmira Minita Gordon |
Deputy | Curl Thompson |
Preceded by | George Cadle Price |
Succeeded by | George Cadle Price |
In office 3 July 1993 – 30 August 1998 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Governor General | Elmira Minita Gordon Colville Young |
Deputy | Dean Barrow |
Preceded by | George Cadle Price |
Succeeded by | Said Musa |
Leader of the Opposition | |
In office 7 September 1989 – 3 July 1993 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Governor General | Elmira Minita Gordon |
Prime Minister | George Cadle Price |
Preceded by | Florencio Marin |
Succeeded by | George Cadle Price |
Member of the Belize House of Representatives for Caribbean Shores | |
In office 14 December 1984 – 27 August 1998 | |
Preceded by | (constituency created) |
Succeeded by | Jose Coye |
Personal details | |
Born | Belize City, British Honduras (now Belize) | 2 May 1940
Nationality | Belizean |
Political party | United Democratic Party (1973–present) Liberal Party (1969–1973) |
Spouse(s) | Kathy Esquivel |
Sir Manuel Amadeo Esquivel, KCMG, PC (born 2 May 1940) is a Belizean politician. As leader of the United Democratic Party, he served as Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989, and then again from 1993 to 1998.
Biography[]
Esquivel was born in Belize City when it was the capital of the British Crown Colony of British Honduras. He attended St John's College and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics at Loyola University New Orleans; he subsequently pursued a postgraduate certificate in physics education at Bristol University, England.[1]
After the 1969 British Honduras election Esquivel became head of the pro-business Liberal Party, which merged with two other parties in 1973 to form the United Democratic Party.[2] Esquivel was the UDP nominee for the Belize House of Representatives in the Freetown constituency in the 1979 election, but was defeated by then-Premier of Belize George Cadle Price.[3] He was instead appointed as a minority member of the Belize Senate.[4] Esquivel defeated Philip Goldson for the open UDP leadership post in January 1983, becoming the first and thus far only politician to be elected leader of a major Belizean political party as a senator. Acting opposition leader Curl Thompson stayed on as the UDP's House leader until the next election.[2]
Esquivel won election to the House of Representatives from the newly created Belize City-based Caribbean Shores constituency in December 1984, becoming prime minister for the first time shortly thereafter.[5] He held the seat until the 1998 election, in which he was defeated by the PUP's Jose Coye.[6]
Esquivel was appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom by Queen Elizabeth II in 1986. This life-time appointment confers the title "Right Honourable".[7] He also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Loyola University.[8]
After the UDP won the February 2008 election, Esquivel was appointed by Prime Minister Dean Barrow as senior advisor to government with the rank of minister on February 12, 2008.[9]
Esquivel is married to wife Kathleen (Kathy), with three children.[1] Daughter Laura has followed in her father's footsteps as a public servant, and now serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Belize in Washington DC.[10]
He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 2010 New Year Honours.[11]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "THE COMET OF BELIZE (Published 1984)". The New York Times. 1984-12-16. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ^ Jump up to: a b United Democratic Party, Countrystudies.us. (accessed 10 October 2014)
- ^ General Elections 1979, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 9 October 2014)
- ^ EMBRACING History: Dr. Manuel Esquivel AmbergrisCaye.com. (accessed 9 October 2014)
- ^ General Elections 1984 Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 9 October 2014)
- ^ General Elections 1998 Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 9 October 2014)
- ^ "Privy Council members". Privy Council. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ^ "Belizean Biographies". Belize National Library Service and Information System (BNLSIS). Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ^ "Prime Minister Dean Barrow announces new Cabinet", The San Pedro Sun, Vol. 18, No. 7, February 14, 2008.
- ^ "Laura Esquivel Frampton". linkedin.com. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ^ "No. 59289". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2009. p. 41.
- 1940 births
- Living people
- People from Belize City
- British Honduras politicians
- Belizean people of Spanish descent
- United Democratic Party (Belize) politicians
- Prime Ministers of Belize
- Finance ministers of Belize
- Members of the Belize House of Representatives for Caribbean Shores
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- Loyola University New Orleans alumni
- Alumni of the University of Bristol
- Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George