After being elected to the House of Representatives last year, Moses “Shyne” Barrow has been sworn in as Belize’s new leader of the Opposition.

The former Bad Boy rapper, who is ascending as a powerful figure in Belizean politics, took to Instagram to share the news about his new position.

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A post shared by Hon. Shyne Barrow MP (@shyne_bz)

“Officially Sworn in as Leader of the Opposition for Belize! Thank Gd for the perseverance and iron will to continue on to this point despite all challenges and difficulties, “Shyne’s caption read.

“Thanks to my family, my Mesopotamia Constituents, and my Opposition colleagues in the House of Representatives whose trust and confidence in me has put me in this position to receive this responsibility and privilege of a lifetime to serve as Leader of the Opposition,” he continued.

Patrick Faber, the previous Leader of the Opposition, was removed from his post after a video surfaced of him going after the mother of his 2-year-old daughter as Channel 5 Belize reports.

Faber became Opposition Leader after the United Democratic Party (UDP) loss in the general elections last November. The People’s United Party (PUP) won 26 seats in its first national election victory since 2003 Caribbean National Weekly reported.

“It is not a matter of, well the video is not incriminating to the extent of filing criminal charges,” Shyne said of the Faber video. “It is clear what we saw in that video, there was a violent, there was a back and forth and a contemplation, then a violent surge towards a mother and her child."

In his new role as Leader of the Opposition, Shyne will speak on behalf of the Opposition Members of Belize's House of Representatives and is the leader of the Shadow Cabinet of Belize as written in The Constitution of Belize. He'll also "command the support of those elected officials that do not support the Government."

Before his foray into politics, Shyne was a recording artist for Diddy's Bad Boy label. Released in September of 2000, his self-titled debut album peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200, eventually going platinum.

But Shyne's world was turned upside down when he was sentenced to 10 years for his role in a Manhattan nightclub shooting in 1999. He was found guilty on five charges, including assault in the first degree, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon. His co-defendants, Combs and Anthony "Wolf" Jones, were both acquitted on gun possession and bribery charges. Upon his release from prison in 2009, Shyne was deported to Belize according to Rolling Stone.

After turning his life around, Shyne focused on serving his country as a politician, winning a seat in the Belize House of Representatives in 2020.

As Shyne climbs through the ranks of Belize's political scene, he’s following in the footsteps of his father Dean Barrow, who made history as the first Black Prime Minister of Belize. With all of his life experiences, Shyne believes that he’s more prepared to face the challenges of his new position.

“All that I have been through in my 42 years on earth has prepared me for this historic moment in time to be able to shoulder this responsibility, to deliver on this opportunity to build my Nation,” he said. “I pray for continued wisdom, strength, and stamina to serve and lead my Nation.”

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