<p>Last year, Belize and Guatemala were to hold simultaneously referendum in regards to Guatemala’s claims over Belize. However, that did not happen because Guatemala backed off because of several reasons. But today Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington, met with Guatemala’s Foreign Affairs Minister, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.weforum.org/global-agenda-councils/luis-fernando-carrera-castro">Luis Fernando Carrera</a> and his delegation. The goal of the meeting was to design confidence building measures so that a national referendum could be held soon.</p>
<p><b><i>LUIS FERNANDO CARRERA</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“We decided to come and pay a visit to our friend here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the whole commission of the follow ups of the relationship between Guatemala and Belize in order to start a dialogue for this year, 2014 on the right foot, in a peaceful manner and since dialogue is what we’re looking for.”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>LOCAL REPORTER</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“Will we have a referendum bi-national in 2014?”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>LUIS FERNANDO CARRERA</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“I am not very sure so far but definitely what we are going to have is a stronger and better measure of confidence. I think that is what is important today, that we have started to talk about measures of confidence from the beginning of the year and I think that is going to open space for that.”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>HON. WILFRED ELRINGTON</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“What we discussed with him today is a road map of activities for this year, 2014 to enhance the confidence building measures, always with the thought in mind that we are trying to reach as early as possible, a definitive date to hold the referendum. Both of us are very much agreed that having a judicial determination without people buy in political will and political confidence will not in fact be the ideal situation we both want to and aspire to. So, that what we are working towards is enhancing the good relationship so that when we do get the judicial determination there is a buy in by everybody and we can move forward as good neighbours and friends.”</i></b></p>
<p>There is also the issue on encroaching by Guatemalans into Belize, specifically into the Chiquibul Area were panning for gold has been seen. Both Foreign Affairs Ministers say that the matter was also discussed.</p>
<p><b><i>HON. WILFRED ELRINGTON</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“We have come together to work on a plan, to work on a road map for 2014 which is going to help to eliminate, or at the least, minimize all those activities, enhance the relationship and strengthen the conviction and the momentum that we must all go to the ICJ as early as possible. We want to have much more meetings between the parliamentarians because the Guatemalan parliamentarians have got to agree to this process in order to sell it to their people; same manner in which our opposition people have agreed to the process; so, we have to get the politicians on board; we have got to have meetings with the parliamentarians; so, we will be having more meetings with the Guatemalan parliamentarians with our parliamentarians. As a matter of fact, one of them is here now, Deputado has come along with the delegation. We will have more meetings with the people in the business sector, Chamber of Commerce and the like; we want to have meetings with the schools, the churches, and academia and of course, the commercial sector so that people can feel comfortable with this; people can take ownership of this process, this decision to take this matter to the ICJ.”</i></b></p>
<p>Last year, several maps had been circulated of Belize included as part of Guatemala. One such map was display in one of last year’s meeting of the Organization of American States. Since then several maps have popped up including one posted up at the Guatemala’s immigration office in Peten, Las Flores.</p>
<p><b><i>LUIS FERNANDO CARRERA</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“What we have already clarified last year is that from the Government, Guatemala never had any intention of including Belize within the map of Guatemala. We have an official map that is accepted for Guatemalan purposes and our passports indicate that and we have never done that. We have never colored the territory of Belize within the territory of Guatemala; that is our usual practice for several years and we have continued to do it and so I think it was mal-intention for those who were saying that we were doing that. Officially, we have never done anything like that and officially, there is no map that includes Belize within the Guatemala territory.”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>LOCAL REPORTER</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“But in Flores, I recently flew through Flores and right at the Immigration check point there is the map right there on the wall.”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>LUIS FERNANDO CARRERA</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“Well, tell the immigration officers that is not the official map.”</i></b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a lot of speculation by many Belizeans that one of the reasons that Guatemala Government Leaders are pursuing claim over Belize was because of oil. When the question was posed to Carrera, he said that was not the case. Elrington agreed.</p>
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<p><b><i>LUIS FERNANDO CARRERA</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“We decided to come and pay a visit to our friend here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the whole commission of the follow ups of the relationship between Guatemala and Belize in order to start a dialogue for this year, 2014 on the right foot, in a peaceful manner and since dialogue is what we’re looking for.”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>LOCAL REPORTER</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“Will we have a referendum bi-national in 2014?”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>LUIS FERNANDO CARRERA</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“I am not very sure so far but definitely what we are going to have is a stronger and better measure of confidence. I think that is what is important today, that we have started to talk about measures of confidence from the beginning of the year and I think that is going to open space for that.”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>HON. WILFRED ELRINGTON</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“What we discussed with him today is a road map of activities for this year, 2014 to enhance the confidence building measures, always with the thought in mind that we are trying to reach as early as possible, a definitive date to hold the referendum. Both of us are very much agreed that having a judicial determination without people buy in political will and political confidence will not in fact be the ideal situation we both want to and aspire to. So, that what we are working towards is enhancing the good relationship so that when we do get the judicial determination there is a buy in by everybody and we can move forward as good neighbours and friends.”</i></b></p>
<p>There is also the issue on encroaching by Guatemalans into Belize, specifically into the Chiquibul Area were panning for gold has been seen. Both Foreign Affairs Ministers say that the matter was also discussed.</p>
<p><b><i>HON. WILFRED ELRINGTON</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“We have come together to work on a plan, to work on a road map for 2014 which is going to help to eliminate, or at the least, minimize all those activities, enhance the relationship and strengthen the conviction and the momentum that we must all go to the ICJ as early as possible. We want to have much more meetings between the parliamentarians because the Guatemalan parliamentarians have got to agree to this process in order to sell it to their people; same manner in which our opposition people have agreed to the process; so, we have to get the politicians on board; we have got to have meetings with the parliamentarians; so, we will be having more meetings with the Guatemalan parliamentarians with our parliamentarians. As a matter of fact, one of them is here now, Deputado has come along with the delegation. We will have more meetings with the people in the business sector, Chamber of Commerce and the like; we want to have meetings with the schools, the churches, and academia and of course, the commercial sector so that people can feel comfortable with this; people can take ownership of this process, this decision to take this matter to the ICJ.”</i></b></p>
<p>Last year, several maps had been circulated of Belize included as part of Guatemala. One such map was display in one of last year’s meeting of the Organization of American States. Since then several maps have popped up including one posted up at the Guatemala’s immigration office in Peten, Las Flores.</p>
<p><b><i>LUIS FERNANDO CARRERA</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“What we have already clarified last year is that from the Government, Guatemala never had any intention of including Belize within the map of Guatemala. We have an official map that is accepted for Guatemalan purposes and our passports indicate that and we have never done that. We have never colored the territory of Belize within the territory of Guatemala; that is our usual practice for several years and we have continued to do it and so I think it was mal-intention for those who were saying that we were doing that. Officially, we have never done anything like that and officially, there is no map that includes Belize within the Guatemala territory.”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>LOCAL REPORTER</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“But in Flores, I recently flew through Flores and right at the Immigration check point there is the map right there on the wall.”</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>LUIS FERNANDO CARRERA</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>“Well, tell the immigration officers that is not the official map.”</i></b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a lot of speculation by many Belizeans that one of the reasons that Guatemala Government Leaders are pursuing claim over Belize was because of oil. When the question was posed to Carrera, he said that was not the case. Elrington agreed.</p>
View the full article