Cal: Signs in Guatemala are positive
As both Belizeans and Guatemalans wait to hear what the facilitators will recommend, according to Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala, Moises Cal, the feelings from top to bottom are positive.
Moises Cal, Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala
“There is a will from the President of Guatemala to have this issue resolved as early as possible, for various reasons of course. One is perhaps the whole issue of the lost opportunities that Belize and Guatemala have experienced over the last, many, many years in terms of trade and commerce, education, culture etc. But also because of the whole integration process of Central America.
We have been talking about integration, integration, integration, but yet there are many obstacles that are in the way towards integration. Many of the differendums existing are obstacles to these. Belize Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Honduras Nicaragua, Nicaragua Costa Rica, I believe that the President of Guatemala wants to show an example that yes, this can be done and he wants to set that. At the private sector level, the last visit of the Chamber of Commerce to Guatemala showed to us that indeed the private sector also are very interested in having this issue resolved once and for all.
And then you have the civil society, or the population at large, which of course is quite divided. Our perception is that there is still some who have this nationalistic emotional aspect of “Belize es nuestro”. Others are obviously more realistic, especially those who have visited Belize, who have visited here, who have families here. And they have course are saying well, Belize is a reality, it is a different kind of identity. A different culture, a different level of human development. So therefore there is no way that Belize would ever be quote unquote returned to Guatemala.”
