Fonseca Explains Sister-in-Law’s Appointment as UK Commissioner

Among the names of the new ambassadors announced last week was Cherie Nisbet, a former ambassador with a decorated resume. She previously served as ambassador to Taiwan, Honduras, and El Salvador and now steps into the role of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Since Nisbet is the sister-in-law of Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca, some people have been wondering, did family ties play a role in her appointment? He also explained why the government chose to appoint a High Commissioner to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, separate from the previously existing role of Ambassador to the Caribbean Community. Here’s more on that.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“As you pointed out, the Prime Minister makes the appointments. So no, nothing. Cherie has served as ambassador to Taiwan. She served as ambassador to Taiwan. She served as most recently as ambassador to El Salvador and Honduras and a number of other countries. She’s been in the diplomatic service of Belize for many years. We consider her a senior diplomat. So I think it’s absolutely well deserved and we’re absolutely confident she will do a great job.”

 

Reporter

“And then the high commissioner to Guyana is not accredited to CARICOM as I understand it.”

 

Francis Fonseca

“No. Yeah. That’s the high commissioner to Guyana, Miller Garnett. But that we have an ambassador Lawrence Sylvester to CARICOM. So yeah. They work together. They work together. But we, that whole agreement in terms of establishing a high commission in Guyana came out of discussions that the Prime Minister had with the president of Guyana where discussed specific opportunities for Belize to benefit from certain things going, happening in Guyana. And so that was the reason we appointed an open an office there specifically to focus on things in Guyana.”