PM Says There’s a Clear, Unwritten Understanding Between Belize & Guatemala

Dean Barrow

A release issued by government on Tuesday, announcing the revocation of the Sarstoon Prohibition SI, stated that, “While the formal mechanism is being worked on, the two sides have informally accepted a situation in which there will be untrammeled traffic for Belize’s military and civilians along the Sarstoon.” So what exactly is an informal acceptance? The PM says that simply means there’s a clear understanding, but with nothing put in black and white. And more than that, Barrow told News Five that his briefing on that informal acceptance has been corroborated by comments made by Senator Eamon Courtenay.

On the Phone: Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“I was happy to see that Senator Courtenay who was part of the talks confirmed what my understanding was, what the report that I used as the basis for the press release that we put out…the accuracy of that report is now vouched for by Senator Courtenay so, but an informal understanding it means in my view exactly what the words in their normal sense convey – while there was nothing in writing because in fact there was and that was made plain that the meetings, the actual negotiating sessions would take place and until those concluded there would not be a formal protocol in writing. In the meantime normalcy meaning that Belizean military and civilians would be able to traffic in an uninterrupted fashion along our portion of the Sarstoon was clearly understood by both sides so I stick by that. That is my report from the meeting and as I’m saying now that Senator Courtenay who participated is back and is saying absolutely the same thing I will maintain that that was what took place.”