Petrocaribe Celebrates Ten Years in Belize, PM Says Law Will Not be Repealed

Dean Barrow

In the midst of all the discussion on the Petrocaribe Loans Act, which the Opposition wants repealed, the Petrocaribe initiative officially celebrates its tenth anniversary. While there was much fanfare at the APBEL office in Belize City this morning, on Friday, following the special sitting of the house, PM Barrow spoke candidly with the media on the idea of revoking the Petrocaribe Amendment Act. The prime minister said flatly that there is no way that the legislation can be revoked.  While that may be so, the PM also said that he was prepared to consider the Opposition’s presentation on an alternative to the bill.  That opportunity however, was wasted when they choose to walk out of the house in protest.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“That is an impossibility.  I am telling you that is an impossibility.  We have had, Mr. Marshalleck is a good lawyer, we have had though far better minds, legal minds than Marshalleck look at this thing and so that simply cannot happen.  Whatever they come up with we will look at but I insist to people that that’s not really their endgame.  They want to stop this thing.  Every time we have tried to do something creative to try to put ourselves completely on the good foot they go back to court and they change the nature of their application to take account of whatever new law or whatever resolution the government passes so that they can still end up asking the court to stop the program.  They really are talking out of two sides of their mouths.  What they want to do is to shut down this program and it isn’t going to happen.  I don’t want as I said to appear to be completely closing the door on anything that they can suggest.  Why didn’t they do it with respect to this particular house meeting?  The amendments were circulated about nearly a month ago and I invited certainly everybody, including the N.T.U.C.B. for some submissions, they sent some submissions I think yesterday.  I don’t know how serious they are but why couldn’t Mr. Marshalleck have come up with something for this house meeting if he’s able to come up with anything at all?  I don’t think so.  I have to think that really this was their chance for a last stand and they absolutely rubbished that opportunity.”