Sir Manuel Esquivel – A True Belizean Hero for Our Times

February 14, 2022
by Larry Waight +

According to research undertaken by Dr. Scott T. Allison for Psychology Today, a nation without heroes would leave a void so profound, a huge emotional hole would exist in society. “Heroes heal us, transform us, and connect us with others,” he avers. Heroes evoke emotional responses in us, help heal our emotional wounds and show us how we can transform our own lives – sometimes so dramatically, we become heroes ourselves.

For a small nation, Belize is home to an impressive list of heroes, among whom are Gwendolyn Lizarraga, Julian Armando Cho, Felipe Santiago Ricalde, Thomas Vincent Ramos, Nicholas Pollard Sr., Cleopatra White, Samuel Haynes, Phillip Stanley Wilberforce Goldson, George Cadle Price, Sir Isaiah Morter, and Robert Sidney Turton. But this list would be incomplete were we to forget the name, Manuel Esquivel.

A modest beginning

Born in Belize City on May 2, 1940, when the nation was still known as British Honduras, Esquivel was the youngest of four children. Attending the Jesuit-run St. John’s College and Loyola University of New Orleans, Esquivel graduated with a physics degree in 1962. His first post-graduate job was a faculty position at St. John’s College.

In 1966, he was awarded a scholarship to Bristol University in England where he earned postgraduate accolades and met his future wife Kathleen Levy. Returning to St. John’s, Esquivel may or may not have intuited plans fate had in store outside academia. A national fervor propelled him into politics where was destined to play a critical role in Belize’s long-awaited independence.

A calling as strong as science

Although he was only 33 years old when he became a founding member of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Sir Esquivel played a dynamic role within the alliance of three parties opposed to George Price’s dominant People’s United Party (PUP). Esquivel’s entry into politics required fortitude, patience, savvy, and focus.

From 1974 to 1980, he served two terms on the Belize City Council followed by a Senate appointment in 1979. A powerful wave of Independence was in the air and as a precursor, Sir Esquivel’s UDP began to pull off surprising election upsets that resulted in winning 21 seats. Only seven remained in the control of PUP members. Among the most notable new leaders of UDP was Manuel Esquivel.

Powerful winds of politics

The ultimate political benediction was conferred upon Manuel Esquivel when he became only the second prime minister to serve under the newly flown flag of Belize. His rise to power began to gain so much international attention, a New York Times newspaper reporter dubbed him the Comet of Belize. This notoriety followed on the heels of an appointment to Queen Elizabeth II’s Privy Council.

There was work to be done and between 1985 and 1990, Manuel Esquivel undertook herculean responsibilities. He held finance and defense portfolios, oversaw an International Monetary Fund economic stabilization plan, and involved himself in all aspects of Belize’s tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing industries.

Importantly, his government achieved four consecutive years of balanced payment surpluses. When UDP came under scrutiny for selling citizenships to Hong Kong Chinese, a dramatic split within party ranks — plus ministerial corruption allegations – began tipping party scales, at which point Sir Esquivel assumed leadership of the opposition.

An unintended hero

A stunning election upset on June 30, 1993, returned Esquivel to power backed by 16 of 29 duly appointed seats in the new parliament. In his official capacity, he welcomed Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1994 during his second term as prime minister and continued his efforts to modernize the nation. Despite turmoil and strife, he remained undaunted.

From high employment to an uptick in urban violence triggered by an empowered drug trade, Sir Esquivel fought tirelessly, overseeing the cessation of Belize’s nation’s economic decline while being credited with major infrastructure improvements and raised pensions. He did not back away from controversy, winning the largest libel suit in Belizean history against two officials of the opposition PUP.

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Given the speed at which politics move, this trajectory wasn’t sustainable. UDP and Esquivel were subjected to stunning losses – nothing new to the intrepid man whose place in history has been secured and upon whom Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) honors were awarded by HRH Queen Elizabeth in 2010.

A life well lived

Sir Esquivel spent his last years with his beloved wife Kathleen (Kathy) and watching his children, David, Laura, and Ruth, thrive. Before his death on February 10, 2022, at the age of 81, he witnessed his daughter Laura begin to follow in his public service footsteps.

As this chapter in Belize’s history ended, Sir Manuel Esquivel left a lasting impression that had nothing to do with plaudits and titles awarded to him. His legacy has proven to be the character of a man who stood up on behalf of his people and his country during one of the most tumultuous eras in Belize history. In sum, Esquivel fits the very definition of a hero.