



The Minister Julius whom Rosado will meet won't be the same politician we've gotten to know since he was first elected 12 years ago.
The Julius Espat who once sat on the Opposition's bench was fiery, passionate, righteous and hot-headed.
But the Espat we spoke to on Monday didn't seem to have that same fire.
In a political analysis, Courtney Menzies looked at some of Espat's more controversial moments. Here is that story.
It's been two days since Julius Espat was made Minister of Home Affairs - and let's just say he seems less-than-excited about it. In fact, he admitted that he didn't pursue the difficult portfolio:

Julius Espat, Minister of Home Affairs
"It's not something I wanted, it's not something I dreamt of but I'm a team player."
And his demeanor in that interview - low key, battle-weary, and almost resigned - is a far cry from the firebrand Julius Espat we used to know, back when he was in the opposition. He was punching walls like an angry Sampson and calling out members of his own party. In 2016 he had to be forcibly carried out of the House of Representatives by the police, the same police he is now the minister of:
Julius Espat, Minister of Home Affairs

"Well it's the first time I've gotten beaten up by the police, god damn. All I was doing was trying to explain the level of corruption that this country is experiencing and they beat me up."
"The Belizean people have to understand that I am not fighting for Julius Espat I am not even fighting for the PUP, I'm fighting for the people who put me here."
And even after that, he walked out of the House again a year later.
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Madam I take offense that he should accuse you of being undemocratic."
Jules Vasquez
"You're walking out again."
Julius Espat
"Yes."
His party didn't follow him that time, but he also wasn't afraid to go against them.

Julius Espat
"The leadership of the party decided that they wanted to do it in their way so I humbly said let's try it out, I will not fight you, I will just observe and I observed."
Jules Vasquez:
"Also known as my way or the high way. You are not a team player Julius."
Julius Espat
"They are trying the same method over and over again and expecting a different result."
Julius Espat

"The PUP are using bench players right now to make the decision for the party. The People's United Party have the greatest warriors that this country has ever produced - they have them on the sidelines and they have bench players right now taking the lead."
And one of the things that made Julius Espat entertaining in the House was his acerbic wit and dogged persistence:
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"My pronouncement is that you are bi-polar, there is something wrong with you. You are Schizophrenia or..."
Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South
"Madam Speaker, in anywhere in my presentation did I insult the Prime Minister as he is doing me. This is the Prime Minister of a country that goes down to the gutter, he should be ashamed."

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"I should be ashamed and you should be taking medication, because I am telling you there is something wrong with you."

Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Cayo South
"Madam Speaker, the only person that on record in this house that takes medication is the Prime Minister and you know more than anybody else the medication for back pain affects your mind."
But has that fire that he had in the opposition died out now that he's in the government? Well, unlike before, this time he says he's a team player:
Julius Espat, Minister of Home Affairs
"We are in the arena, we made a decision and commitment to serve and that comes with positive and that comes with negative and if the leader of the country and the leader of the party believes that he needs assistance then we are team players. And therefore there is no way we can say no, well we can say no but I didn't."