Fonseca Defends $250K Land Cruiser Amid Public Outcry

It’s a quarter-million-dollar question that’s been making headlines and tonight, Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca is responding. Amid public criticism over the purchase of a high-end Land Cruiser, Minister Fonseca is standing by the purchase, saying he’s neither wasteful nor extravagant. He insists that no taxpayer money was used and believes the ministry got good value for what was spent. Still, Fonseca acknowledges that as a public official, scrutiny comes with the job and he’s not shying away from it.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“First off all let me say that I am a public official, an elected public official, I am a minister of government, so aby action I take, we make, are open to public scrutiny. I understand that, we appreciate that. Now I have been elected representative for twenty-two years. During those twenty-two years nobody can reasonably suggest that I am someone who is wasteful or extravagant in anyway. I think I have developed quite the opposite reputation. From 2020 to 2025 I was using a Land Cruiser Prado assigned to the ministry of education that was handed down to me from a former UDP minister. I didn’t buy any new vehicle, the government didn’t buy any new vehicle for me. It was actually in bad condition. When I moved over to the ministry of foreign affairs, they informed me that a diplomatic ally had made a grant to the ministry foot eh purchase of vehicles, one of which is to be assigned to the minister of foreign affairs. That was grant money, no public funds were used, no tax payers money, no tax payers money have been used for the purchase of vehicles at the ministry of foreign affairs since 2020. That is the case. Now they said we will buy a preowned land cruiser, Navy Blue. That was the end of my involvement in the process. I am not involved in negotiating. They bought it from someone who I view as a reputable car dealer who was done work with the government many times before. You call always question he value for these things, but from my understanding they got value for money.”