Echeverria's trial without jury started last week in the Belmopan supreme Court before Justice Antonette Moore.

According to the evidence, in November of 2014, De La Rosa met Echeverria - who was only 19 at the time - at the bus terminal and invited him for a drink. He then drove Echeverria to a remote area off the Hummingbird Highway and he began to make sexual advances on Echeverria.

In a statement from the dock, Echeverria said he resisted the ambassador's advances and they started to struggle.

He said De La Rosa had pulled down his pants and was choking him when he grabbed a blade that was in the diplomat's SUV and slashed his throat with it.

He then dumped the body and took the Ambassador's vehicle and his cellular phone - which police found the following day. Echeverria was represented by attorneys Simeon Sampson and Arthur Saldivar. The Crown was represented by attorney Leeroy Banner who was appointed special prosecutor.