O.A.S.’ Almagro Comes to Belize

Luis Almagro

It has not been officially announced, but the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro arrives in Belize this Thursday. This is Almagro’s second visit to Belize, the first was last April when he was present for the program for Promoting a Culture of Peace facilitated by the O.A.S. Peace Fund in the Adjacency Zone. On this trip, Almagro will overnight and depart on Friday. He has scheduled meetings with Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington, as well as with the leader of the Opposition, John Briceño.  The Secretary General will also visit with the B.D.F. for a flyover. As we understand it, the O.A.S. is most interested in an early referendum because it has been a challenge to seek financing for the O.A.S. offices and programs without the poll. Now, The Prime Minister has committed to the unions that a referendum will not held until after the re-registration exercise in 2018 among other things because of the twenty-million dollar price tag. The referendum is estimated at a cost of seven million dollars and indications are that these have not been factored into the new budget.  But as we said, the purpose of the visit is not confirmed as yet and we wait and see what will come out of a press conference on Friday.