Belize’s borders are not recognized, warns Sedi

Wilfred Elrington

The purpose of the visit of the Secretary General of the O.A.S. was to push for an early referendum and to take the claim for resolution at the International Court of Justice. On this side of the border it is already known that a referendum will not be held until after a re-registration exercise in 2018. But the Foreign Minister, Wilfred Elrington made a stunning statement in talking about the dispute and the I.C.J. Elrington says that Belize’s borders are not internationally recognized.

Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“We have got to complete the process of our sovereignty, territorial integrity and the problem that one of our main problem is that up to the present time we still don’t have internationally recognized borders. That creates problems. That creates serious problems. We have got to make sure that we take the necessary steps and the only step we can do, the only place that can help us to ensure that that in fact is defined will be the ICJ. That is why it is so important that we go.”

Reporter

“Who apart from Guatemala doesn’t recognize our borders.”

Wilfred Elrington

“The international community does not. It’s not only Guatemala. You see the international community does not take sides and if you give a little thought to it you will know that our maritime borders have never even been agreed upon. That has to be agreed upon, we don’t have any maritime borders agreed upon in the sea. Boundaries have to be agreed upon by countries who are neighboring countries in 1893 we got out northern boundaries agreed with Mexico and part of our sea, 1859 we had the Western border agreed with Guatemala but they resided on that in 1939 but we never did have with Guatemala any agreement with respect to the Maritime boundaries neither with Guatemala nor with Honduras which is very close to us. That is work undone. By the same time the Guatemalans because of their claim to our territory don’t have their eastern bounds defined as well. Because of the claim, so these are things that have to be done, we have to do it. It is just like you are on a piece of land all your life but you are a squatter. You can’t do anything with that land until you get it surveyed and get the survey agreed upon and you have a title to it. This is a process we are moving towards.”