John Saldivar
John Birchman Saldivar is a Belizean politician. A member of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Saldivar served as the Minister of National Security and Defence from 8 March 2012 to 2020. He is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Belmopan constituency in the House of Representatives (Belize) since its creation on 7 February 2008. He was previously Area Representative for Cayo South from 29 October 2003 to 7 February 2008. [1]
On January 20, 2023, he was sanctioned by the United States Department of State citing corruption.[2]
Early life
John Birchman Saldivar was born in 1967 in Belmopan, then known as British Honduras. He lives in Belmopan and has lived there since birth.
Electoral history
Saldivar first joined the UDP in 1993. In 1997 he submitted his nomination to be endorsed as the new UDP Standard bearer for Cayo South constituency in a convention and election. The former Standard-Bearer, Melvin Hulse Sr. was thought to contest the Convention (meeting), but declined the offer and resigned from the UDP to join the National Alliance for Belizean Rights (NABR). Leaving Saldivar to be endorsed. Saldivar went on to face PUP Standard-Bearer, Agripino Cawich. Both Saldivar and Cawich were political newcomers. The PUP was at the helm of Cayo South for over 3 decades. So Saldivar knew that defeating Cawich would not be easy, despite the lack of his political experience.
References
- ↑ New Belize PM names 16-member Cabinet. CANA News. 12 February 2008. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090227102121/http://www.cananews.net/news/131/ARTICLE/21414/2008-02-12.html. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ↑ "7031(c)". United States Department of State.