John Saldivar
John Birchman Saldivar is a Belizean politician. A member of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Saldivar is currently serving as the Minister of National Security and Defence since 8 March 2012. He is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Belmopan constituency in the House of Representatives (Belize) since it’s creation on 7 February 2008. He was previously Area Representative for Cayo South from 29 October 2003 to 7 February 2008.
Early life
John Birchman Saldivar was born in 1967 in Belmopan, then known as British Honduras. He is a current Resident of Belmopan and has lived there since Birth.
Electoral history
Saldivar first joined the UDP in 1993 and officially entered Electoral politics in 1997 after he submitted his Nomination to be endorsed as the new UDP Standard Bareer for Cayo South constituency in a convention and election. The former Standard-Bareer, 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-Bareer, 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.