And while those are UDP personalities reminiscing about Esquivel's singular traits, he also holds an important place for the PUP.
Esquivel was the first to break the PUP's 30 year hold on power in 1984, and he proved that it wasn't a fluke when he did it again in 1993 - stealing a victory in a snap election.
Indeed he earned the respect of his political opponents as a leader who the voting public trusted, and, today, Prime Minister John Briceno reminisced on Sir Manuel's famous practicality making and the kindness that the elder statesman showed him as a young politician.
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister of Belize
"Sir Manuel Esquivel you want to think almost comes from a different generation, a generation where integrity matters, a generation where your word is very important, a generation where country comes first before party politics and we should never forget those things about Sir Manuel Esquivel."
"When we, when I first started, when I was elected in 1993 he was the Prime Minister and of course like in everything he was tough in the house but whenever, the few times that we were together he was always kind and prepared to talk with me."
"When we had the Maritime sea areas or it was a Bill at that time, and he joined the PUP in trying to get that bill passed through the national assembly and there were these country wide consultations and he joined Said Musa and the PUP and when he was in Orange Walk I went to listen to him ant people's stadium and I spoke to him afterwards and I thanked him for joining this move and he looked at me kind of like strange and he said what do you expect, this is something of national importance and country comes first."
"When you hear people like the late Net Vasquez and even Melvin Hulse, whenever they talk about Manuel Esquivel you hear this sense of loyalty for this man. He was a leader that was worth their loyalty, that you don't and that's laudable in a man and i'm sure that Lady Kathy and her entire family must be very proud of the accomplishments of Belize's second Prime Minister."
The PM also indicated that a quote: "state celebration", something of a happy sendoff for the late Rt. Hon Sir Manuel will be held on Wednesday where the statesman and Prime Minister will be given full honors. His wife Kathy told us that Sir Manuel wanted to be sent off with a concert.
