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The Ministry of Foreign Trade has appointed Dr. Osmond Martinez as its new Minister of State. The government redoubled its efforts to get Martinez sworn in as Regional Representative and had him sworn in as Minister this afternoon. Considering the work Dr. Martinez has done at the Ministry of Economic Development, many expected him to be reappointed as Minister. As he indicated to the media outside Belize House in Belmopan this afternoon, he is ready to accept the position.
Osmond Martínez, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade: “We had a meeting and it became clear that there are a lot of connections within the Ministry of Economic Development and there is a lot that needs to be done in the Ministry of Foreign Trade to complete the outstanding items of the Belize Plan. I welcome the challenge. Based on the experience I have gained in the Ministry of Economic Development, I think I have good capabilities, but at the same time, it is not just about me, it is about a team and I believe that the Ministry of Foreign Trade is doing a great job under the leadership of the Honorable Francis Fonseca and he has a team. So now it is just a matter of guiding the team and continuing the work they have been doing.”
Dr Martinez said once you recognise the link between external trade and economic development, you will understand why this area needs to be strengthened. He added that there is still much work to be done in the area of regional integration and other gaps need to be addressed to improve the economy.
Osmond Martínez, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade: “We continue to discuss regional integration, for example with Mexico and Central America in terms of trade and commerce, so there is a lot to do but it is too early for me to give details because I need to do that or I will meet with Minister Francis Fonseca and then he will be able to brief me or let me know the next steps and the vision that we should follow and brief me on what is happening at the Ministry of Trade at the moment.”
The swearing-in ceremony was conducted by the Governor, Ms. Froila Zaram. Dr. Martinez entered the arena of electoral politics within nine weeks. In mid-May, he officially announced his intention to enter politics, but only to run for the position of flagbearer to contest the 2025 elections. However, the death of Espat on April 22 changed the situation, and on May 31, Dr. Martinez officially resigned as CEO of the Ministry of Economic Development to start the campaign. On June 9, he won the PUP Flagbearer Congress, and on July 2, he was nominated as a candidate for the Ministry of Elections and Borders to contest the July 17 by-election, which he won with 70% of the vote.
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