Johnny Briceno
Prime Minister
Timeline
Born in Orange Walk Town, British Honduras.
Co-founded Centaur Communications with his brother Jaime.
First elected to the Belizean House of Representatives from Orange Walk Central.
Appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment.
Elected as the leader of the People's United Party.
Resigned as both PUP and opposition leader, citing health issues.
Became Prime Minister of Belize after the PUP won the general election.
PUP won the general election with an increased majority, and Briceño was sworn in again.
Biography
John Antonio Briceño, born July 17, 1960, is a Belizean politician who has served as the fifth and current Prime Minister of Belize since 2020. He has led the People's United Party (PUP) since 2016, having previously held the position of Leader of the Opposition from 2008 to 2011 and again from 2016 to 2020. From 1998 to 2007, he served as the Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Said Musa. Briceño is notable as the first prime minister not from Belize City. He was sworn in again in March 2025 after the PUP won the general election with an increased majority.
Early Life & Background
Born in Orange Walk Town, British Honduras, on July 17, 1960, Johnny Briceño's father, Elijio Briceño, was a government minister in the 1980s who was convicted in 1985 for conspiring to smuggle drugs. In 1990, Briceño and his brother Jaime founded Centaur Communications, a company that initially provided cable television and later expanded into Internet service, television news, and radio. He is of Mayan descent through his grandmother on his father’s side.
Education
Briceño graduated from Muffles College in 1978. He went on to earn an associate degree in business administration from St. John's College in 1980. In 1985, he completed a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
Political & Professional Career
Briceño was first elected to the Belizean House of Representatives from the Orange Walk Central constituency in 1993. He was elected Co-Chairman of the People's United Party (PUP) in 1994 and Deputy Party Leader in 1996. When the PUP won the 1998 elections, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, serving until 2007. In 2004, he led the 'G-7 alliance' of ministers demanding reforms. He was elected leader of the PUP in March 2008 but resigned in October 2011, citing health issues. He resumed leadership of the PUP in 2016 and led the party to victory in the November 2020 general election, becoming Prime Minister. He was sworn in again in March 2025 after the PUP won the general election with an increased majority.
Key Achievements & Legacy
Became the fifth and current Prime Minister of Belize in 2020., Led the People's United Party to victory in the 2020 and 2025 general elections., Served as Deputy Prime Minister of Belize from 1998 to 2007., Successfully led the G-7 alliance in 2004, demanding government reforms., Co-founded Centaur Communications, a successful media company, in 1990.