P.M. Doesn’t Need to Wait for O.A.S. Report to Prove Guats Entered Belizean Waters

Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington was at the press conference today and indeed, the entire issue of the Sarstoon expedition and Guatemalan falls squarely in his portfolio. But apart from being just a face at the head table, Elrington did not contribute to the briefing. Perhaps the PM believed that Elrington said more than enough in an interview he gave to the Amandala earlier this week. In that interview, the Foreign Minister asserted that he could not believe the reports by the media personnel on Sarstoon Sunday, but preferred to wait on the report of the O.A.S.  The PM today clarified that he does things much differently.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“If you listened to me just now, I said that I believed that the impeding of the small boats and the bigger boat was an incursion, was done in Belizean territory. And I cited as a source of confirmation for my belief what the good media had to say. So it is very clear from that that I accepted you fine people before the state as honest and independent interlocutors. I am not going to comment on what the Foreign Minister said on some interview—I haven’t seen it, I haven’t read it—but the line that you ultimately take is from me. This is a prime minister’s press conference, you’ve heard that line and I will tell you that I speak not just for my office, but the entire cabinet and government of Belize.”

Dean Barrow

Reporter

“Sir if there is such a cleavage of views between what would be called reality, between yourself and the foreign minister, have you then considered that perhaps Mister Elrington should no longer hold this portfolio of Foreign Affairs?”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“How yo get there Jules? I repeat that whether you want to describe it as a cleavage or not, whether you want to point to some cleavage I do not concede at all; the line that I have given is the official line of the government of Belize.”