Ambassador recalled, For. Min. apologises for gaffe
A diplomatic faux pas has led to the recall of Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala and strained relations with that country at a crucial point in the negotiating process. The incident is still mired in the muddy language of diplomacy, but News 5 has been able to ascertain that the flap concerns an internal foreign ministry memo that, for some reason, Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala, Moises Cal, circulated to thirty or so members of the diplomatic corps in Guatemala City. When Guatemalan Foreign Minister Gabriel Orellana got hold of the document he allegedly went ballistic and made it known that the act was a clear and flagrant breach of good faith. Under the terms of the O.A.S. facilitation process, the negotiating teams are not supposed to go public with the particulars of any matters discussed; indeed Foreign Minister Assad Shoman and members of the Belize delegation have been close-mouthed to the point of irritation when it comes to dealing with the local media. Today an obviously contrite Shoman, appeared on Love FM’s Morning Show to explain the delicate situation.
Voice of Assad Shoman, Min. of Foreign Affairs
“There was an unfortunate incident, which occurred in Guatemala out of the embassy of Belize there, in that a private draft discussion paper that was being circulated among a few members of the negotiating team somehow found its way out to either all or many of the embassies and missions accredited in Guatemala. This caused a situation where the Guatemalan government, and the Foreign Minister in particular, felt that there was some breach of faith or breach of confidence involved here and he was extremely upset about it and could have caused a severe…could have had a very negative effect on the facilitation process. At a delicate time like this we could not allow that to happen, so I had to take the decision to recall the ambassador.
“On the other hand, as you know, sometimes when you recall an ambassador for consultation it is meant to indicate some sort of dissatisfaction with the government to which he is accredited. And so to make it clear that this was not the case, I also have asked our ambassador to the Organisation of American States, who has of course been involved in this process very closely, being there at the OAS, to go to Guatemala as a special envoy. This would be for a temporary period of course, but a period which is very delicate. As you saw from the press release that the facilitators made through the OAS yesterday, they are saying that they intend to finish this, or to have the proposals by the end of August. And so at this point in time, it was not possible not to have someone of a very high calibre, and who knows intimately this situation in Guatemala; and so I have done that.
“But I would also like you and our listeners and the Belizean people to know that Ambassador Cal is held in the highest esteem, not only by the Prime Minister, but by myself as well. We feel he has done a good job in Guatemala. Mistakes happen and sometimes they have consequences which are unforeseen and which in a different situation may not have the same consequences. And I can also tell you, because I spoke personally to the Foreign Minister of Guatemala in Washington on the subject, that he himself told me that he holds Ambassador Cal in the highest esteem as well. So this is the unfortunate situation that occurred and the action that I have taken.”
The special envoy referred to by the minister is Ambassador Lisa Shoman. As for what was in the mystery memo, sources tell News 5 that while no state secrets were involved, the release of the draft position paper was sufficiently embarrassing that Ambassador Cal was taken to the woodshed and Foreign Minister Orellana received–and accepted–a profuse apology. Meanwhile, although Ambassador Cal retains his title, he will likely cool his heels in Belmopan until the end of the O.A.S. facilitation process, when presumably the people of both countries will have the final say on their future relations.
