Dean Barrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dean Barrow
SC PC
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Barrow in 2013
|
|
| 4th Prime Minister of Belize | |
| In office 8 February 2008 – 12 November 2020 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Sir Colville Young |
| Deputy | Gaspar Vega (2008–2016) Patrick Faber (2016–2020) Hugo Patt (2020–2020) |
| Preceded by | Said Musa |
| Succeeded by | Johnny Briceño |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 30 August 1998 – 8 February 2008 |
|
| Prime Minister | Said Musa |
| Preceded by | Said Musa |
| Succeeded by | Johnny Briceño |
| Member of the Belize House of Representatives for Queen's Square |
|
| In office 14 December 1984 – 12 November 2020 |
|
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Denise Barrow |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Dean Oliver Barrow
2 March 1951 Belize City, British Honduras (now Belize) |
| Political party | United Democratic Party (1984–present) |
| Spouses | Lois Young (before 2009) Kim Simplis (2009–present) |
| Alma mater | University of the West Indies at Cave Hill Norman Manley Law School University of Miami |
Dean Oliver Barrow (born March 2, 1951) is a politician from Belize. He served as the fourth Prime Minister of Belize from 2008 to 2020. He was also the leader of Belize's United Democratic Party (UDP).
Before becoming Prime Minister, Mr. Barrow was a lawyer. He served as Belize's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1998. He was also the Leader of the Opposition from 1998 until his party won the election in February 2008. He was elected Prime Minister in 2008, again in 2012, and for a third time in 2015.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Dean Barrow was born and grew up in Belize City, which was then called British Honduras. He is the grandson of Ebenezer Oliver Buntin Barrow, who was a district commissioner. Dean Barrow studied at the University of Miami in Florida. He earned degrees in economics and political science.
Legal Career
After finishing his studies, Dean Barrow returned to Belize in 1974. He began working as a lawyer with his uncle, Dean Lindo. By 1977, he became a partner in the law firm. Later, he started his own law firm, Barrow and Williams, with his partner Rodwell Williams. He left the firm in 2008 when he became Prime Minister, but he still holds the title of senior partner.
Political Career
In December 1983, Dean Barrow started his political journey. He successfully ran for a seat on the Belize City council. In 1984, he was chosen as a candidate for the UDP in the Queen's Square area. He won this election easily against Ralph Fonseca. Soon after, he became the Attorney-General and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government led by Manuel Esquivel.
In the 1989 general election, Dean Barrow won his seat again, but his party lost the election. He continued his law practice. In 1990, he became the deputy leader of the UDP. In 1993, he won his third election in a row. He returned to the government as Attorney-General, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and also Minister of National Security. People sometimes called him "Minister of Everything" because he was a very important spokesperson for the government.
After his party lost badly in the 1998 election, Dean Barrow became the leader of the UDP and the Leader of the Opposition. He was one of only three UDP members who won their seats that year. He was re-elected in 1998 and 2003. Before he retired in 2020, he was the longest-serving member of the UDP in the Belize House of Representatives.
Becoming Prime Minister of Belize
The UDP won a huge victory in the general election on February 7, 2008. They won 25 out of 31 seats. Dean Barrow became Prime Minister on February 8, 2008. He was the first black Prime Minister of Belize. On February 11, he announced his government team, and he also became the Minister of Finance.
The UDP won again in the 2012 general election, but with fewer seats. Dean Barrow began his second term as Prime Minister on March 9, 2012. He announced his new government team on March 12, where he also served as the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
Dean Barrow led the UDP to win a third election in a row in November 2015. He had said that this would be his last election as the party leader.
Retirement from Politics
Dean Barrow had planned to step down as Prime Minister by the end of 2019 due to health reasons. However, in November 2018, his government team asked him to stay until the 2020 general election, and he agreed.
The UDP held a meeting to choose his successor as party leader in February 2020. Two main candidates were Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber and National Security Minister John Saldivar.
Dean Barrow also stepped down from his seat in the House of Representatives for Queen's Square in the 2020 election. He supported his sister, Denise "Sister B" Barrow, to take his place.
Return to Law
After leaving politics, Dean Barrow returned to working as a lawyer. He is now the head of litigation at his law firm, Barrow & Williams LLP. He has been involved in many important legal cases since then.
Personal Life
Dean Barrow has four children. His oldest son, Jamal Barrow, is a former rapper known as Shyne. He later changed his name to Moses Michael Levi Barrow. He was elected to the Belize House of Representatives in 2020. He also served as the Leader of the Opposition and leader of the Belize United Democratic Party for periods in 2021 and 2022.
With his first wife, Lois Young, he has a son named Anwar, who runs a small lending business. Their daughter, Deanne, is a chemical engineer and a lawyer. She now works as an international patent attorney.
Dean Barrow married his second wife, Kim Simplis, on February 7, 2009. They have one daughter named Salima.
Education
Dean Barrow attended St. Michael's College in Belize. He then studied at the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill in Barbados, where he earned his law degree in 1973. He also studied at Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica and the University of Miami School of Law in the United States. He earned a master's degree in International Relations from the University of Miami.
See also
In Spanish: Dean Barrow para niños
