Wil Maheia Says There’s No Need for Sarstoon Protocol

Wilfred Elrington

Does Belize really need a Sarstoon protocol? After all, Belize considers half the river and Sarstoon Island ours. That is, until Guatemala effectively took possession of the entire river over two years ago. Now, the protocol would give formal rules for the traversing of the southern boundary by Belizean and Guatemalan civilians.  But Guatemala has been enforcing its re-possession with Belizean soldiers, civilians and news media. With no timeline in place, Wil Maheia told us today that Belize must defend what is its own.

Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs [File: May 26^th, 2017]

“I want to suggest that we continue to have discussion in relation to that matter; we’re working on it, we are not giving it up; it is something that we are working on, it is a work in progress.”

Reporter

“Well, not to rush you; but is there any timeline to concluding those talks?”

Wil Maheia

Wilfred Elrington

“In this matter, the Belize-Guatemala claim, you will know that this is a claim that has been going on for over a hundred years; so a few months is really not long in the scheme of things. I wouldn’t want to put a timeline on it. But we are working on it. We regard it as being most serious, we would love to have it. But we have to work with our partners and make sure that they acquiesce in our request. But we can’t force them, we can’t coerce them; we can just urge them to do it.”

Wil Maheia, Belize Territorial Volunteers

“First of all, there should be no protocol; the island belongs to us, half the river belongs to us; that was signed in the 1859 Treaty. So I don’t know this protocol bull that they are talking about; there should be no protocol. The protocol was established in 1859, thirtieth of April, when Guatemala and England both agreed that the island belongs to us and half of the river belongs to us. This foolishness about protocol – I don’t know where the Foreign Minister gets this from, but the protocol was established in 1859.”