U.S. Air Ambulance Lands at P.G.I.A. Despite P.M.’s Persistence

Audrey Wallace

But we go back to the issue of the air ambulance. While P.M. Barrow remained steadfast in his decision not to have the quarantined cruise passengers medically evacuated from the Phillip Goldson International Airport, the U.S. government was equally determined to land a private aircraft at the P.G.I.A.  The charter would defy Belize’s authority over its airspace and touched down at the P.G.I.A. late Thursday evening.  C.E.O. Audrey Wallace describes the back and forth with the U.S. State Department over the landing of the plane.

Audrey Wallace, C.E.O., Ministry of Finance

“Shortly after four p.m., the U.S. Embassy called again to say that notwithstanding the prime minister’s decision an evacuation flight had been arranged and the plane would be leaving the U.S. for Belize.  The government’s position was reiterated and the embassy told that no transfer would be facilitated and the plane should not take of from the States or if it had already taken off it should turn back.  About an hour later, I received a call from the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of the Western Hemisphere.  The Assistant Secretary informed me that the flight was on its way and would be landing in an hour.  I reiterated that the government was adamant that no evacuation from Belize through P.G.I.A. would be accommodated.  I was thereafter informed that the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry would be seeking to speak with the prime minister.  The prime minister eventually took a call from Secretary Kerry around seven-thirty p.m. and he can fill you in on that discussion.  Suffice to say that I was advised by the prime minister within an hour of that call that his decision not to facilitate the evacuation stood and that the U.S. Embassy should be informed accordingly and that no further appeals could be entertained.”

So tonight as we go into the weekend, Carnival Magic is en route to Galveston, Texas carrying onboard a lab technician, who is two days shy of confirming whether or not she is infected with Ebola.