Flashback – George Price Speaks on Territorial Sovereignty
George Price
At the top of our newscast, we showed you the BTV-led trip to the Sarstoon Island where they, along with a handful of Belizeans and the media, planted the Belize flag. The BTV, like many others, have been sounding the call for Belizeans to assert themselves on territory that is ours. That always was the message from George Price, the man who led Belize’s independence. And just how did the first premier/prime minister feel about Guatemala’s claim? We take a look at an interview being aired by Carib Vision today where Price speaks candidly about his leadership and approach to the issue. At the time, he reaffirmed that not a centimetre of our territory belongs to Guatemala.
George Price, Former Prime Minister/Father of Independence
“Well, the claim was always there; that is the Guatemalans unjust claim…that they wanted parts of Belize or all of Belize. And our response was no…not one square centimetre of territory will be ceded. And we stuck to that even though there were offers that if we gave them part of Toledo district, we gave them part of the country, there will be some settlement. But we held on to that. And that is why to move further, we needed some guarantee—a military guarantee—because the whole problem, the history was caused by the United Kingdom in being remised in doing something in the past. So we felt they had an obligation and that is why we went to the United Nations and got their support. And I think what helped us with the United Nations was that we stuck to that, no territorial cession because looking at the history of the western hemisphere, there are so many other countries having territorial claims on them. I think Brazil had about twenty or so; Peru and all these countries. Guyana, Venezuela….that is so. And I guess that is why we were very strong on no land cession.”
Reporter
“Adamant that you were not going to concede…”
George Price
“…a centimetre of land.”
You can see the extended interview coming up on Carib Vision later tonight right here on Channel Five.
