COLA Says Belizeans Will Vote No

Geovannie Brackett

But don’t expect Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA) to pop any champagne. It issued a strong blast at both sides via press release this morning, pointing out that the government has practiced appeasement all along, in respect of the Guatemala claim, instead of standing up for Belize. It argues that there is apparently nothing to decide since both sides are clearly united in arguing for a yes vote. While it agrees with the seventy-four percent of Guatemalans who did not participate in the referendum, arguing that their silence is consent in respect of recognizing Belize’s borders, it does not want Belizeans to skip the referendum next April. President Geovannie Brackett told News Five today that the clearest message to send at that time is to vote no.

Geovannie Bracket, President, COLA

“COLA is going to have to stretch out and get entrenched – you will see that in the next few months, COLA will be holding a host of activities to educate the people of Belize and promote our ‘No to the I.C.J.’ position. We will do that through several means. And I am telling the government from now – they will meet the fiercest resistance this country have ever seen. We are going to push on all levels. Direct action is inevitable. We are not going to boycott the referendum, because that only stands to jeopardize our position. What we need is a high voter turnout, we need people to come out and vote in the referendum, participate and vote no to taking this claim to the I.C.J. And so it will be a battle between the government who will be spending millions to force us to go to the I.C.J., and grassroots organizations like COLA, who is going to do all it can with the very little that it has, to maintain its position and promote its position.”