Fonseca Explains Why Alexis Rosado Kept for Belize ICJ Case

On Tuesday, Ambassador Alexis Rosado stood before the Belmopan High Court, formally arraigned on serious charges: one count of rape, one count of sexual assault, and aggravated assault. The allegations are deeply disturbing; Rosado is accused of engaging in unlawful sexual activity with a female complainant from the time she was just thirteen years old, continuing until she was twenty-seven. Rosado, once one of Belize’s most respected diplomats, also holds a critical role as Belize’s co-agent in the ongoing territorial case against Guatemala at the International Court of Justice. And despite the gravity of the charges, the government has made the controversial decision to keep him on that case. The decision has raised serious questions about accountability, justice, and the message it sends, both at home and on the international stage. Rosado remains on bail and is expected back in court on June twenty-fourth for case management. The trial will be held behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of the allegations.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“Obviously, I’m not in a position to comment on the case, the criminal case before the court. What I can say is that a decision was taken several years ago to keep Mr. Rosado. In his capacity as a co-agent on the ICJ team, along with, of course, ambassador Assad Shoman. And I think the justification for that, the rationale for that was that he had been involved with this process for a very long time. He had a lot of knowledge and experience of engagement with the ICJ process. We were at a critical juncture. We are at a critical juncture in terms of that. The progress of that case before the court International Court of Justice. And the feeling of the government is that we should allow him to continue to serve along with Ambassador Shoman in advancing that work.”

 

Reporter

“Along those lines and looking at that work how soon can we expect to hear any developments with regard to our case?”

 

Francis Fonseca

“As the both Belize and Guatemala have made their written submissions to report. So that has been completed. That has been done now for almost a year. What  we are doing now is waiting really, with and see mode for the court to set a date for the oral hearings. The oral hearings. And we have to wait until they set a date for that. The court, there’s been a backlog of cases. There have been election of new judges, so there has been a delay caused by their own administrative inner workings of the court. We’re hopeful that we’re very hopeful that a date can be sent. Hopefully we get that date sometime this year or next year early next year. We get that date. And then of course, once the oral hearings have been have been made then of course we then await the judgment of the court.”