Belize waives diplomatic immunity to allow Canadian investigation of Montreal incident

By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): The Government of Belize has approved a limited waiver of diplomatic immunity to allow Canadian authorities to investigate an alleged domestic dispute involving the country’s State Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade confirmed in a statement issued Thursday.

According to the Ministry, it received a report on Wednesday, July 29, from the State Representative concerning the alleged incident. Immediately thereafter, the Ministry received a diplomatic request from the Embassy of Canada in Guatemala seeking Belize’s consideration of a limited waiver of diplomatic immunity to facilitate an investigation by Canadian authorities.

“Following a careful review of the request and the information provided, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade approved a limited waiver of diplomatic immunity and formally communicated this decision to the Embassy of Canada by diplomatic note,” the statement read.

The Ministry said it conducted the necessary checks to ensure the safety and security of all parties involved, and that Belize will continue to cooperate fully with Canadian authorities to resolve the matter. The statement closed by reaffirming the government’s “zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of gender-based violence.”

The release did not name the representative. Belize’s Permanent Representative to ICAO is Kennedy Carrillo, who, as first reported by Love News, was questioned by police in Montreal earlier this week in connection with a domestic dispute. No charges have been reported, and the waiver enables an investigation rather than representing any finding of fact. Carrillo has not commented publicly.

The statement came one day after the opposition United Democratic Party’s Alberto August publicly called on the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca to confirm or deny the reports. Carrillo was appointed to the Montreal based post in September of last year following Belize’s historic first election to the ICAO Council. Belize’s seat on that body belongs to the country and is unaffected by the status of any individual representative.

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