Sedi Says Amendment to Compromis May Be About Economics

Wilfred Elrington

According to the original Special Agreement, a simultaneous referenda was scheduled for October 2013, but Guatemala decided it was not proceeding with it and for years, it did not support taking the territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice. But all that has now changed and Guatemala is now aggressively pursuing that route. We asked Minister Elrington why the change of heart.

Wilfred Elrington, Foreign Minister of Belize

“Over the years I have come to appreciate that most countries are impelled into action for economics motives and I can see the Guatemalans getting tremendous economic benefit from bringing an end to the dispute. They are already making some serious inroads in the CARICOM region and already very dominant in SICA, they are moving into strengthening their relationship with the Commonwealth countries which we have typically associated with. So they are benefitting tremendously from an economic point of view. In taking on these new image of maturity, of being serious about this dispute resolution and the like, in my view it is enhancing their own stature in the international community and they are benefitting from it in that it is encouraging investors and others to treat them with respect and want to invest in their country. So I can see for them – you remember that historically they were the ones opposed to going to the ICJ unconditionally – but they have changed that, the world has changed and economics is paying a very, very great role. Even the capacity to work closely with Belize: to buy more cattle from Belize to buy more beans from Belize, the capacity to export their products through Belize. All of those could be motives as to why they want to get rid of the claim now.”