Congress Gets to Decide before Guatemalan I.C.J. Referendum

Alexis Rosado

To go to the ICJ or not to go the ICJ? It is a question that Guatemalans may be deciding on very soon. Earlier this year, we reported that Guatemala announced that it will go to referendum and the Guatemalan press reported that several million dollars were raised for the national exercise. So, will they take it to the people? The process is not that simple, according to Ambassador Rosado. We asked him today about the process that Guatemala will take to get to the ICJ. He says a recent announcement was made that Guatemala will undertake a public education campaign – but it still has to go to the congress before a referendum is taken.

Alexis Rosado, Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala

“Two nights ago the Foreign Minister of Guatemala was on TV in a special program where he was announcing they will launch a public awareness campaign and he was talking about the need for the people to decide on going to the ICJ and talking about the different agreements we have in place. I am not aware of how much budget they have or they have raised. As far as I am concerned what they do need is to get their congress to approve or to give the go ahead to the supreme electoral tribunal to conduct a referendum on going to the ICJ and they would need approximately five to six months to prepare for it, once they have been given the go ahead. That is the information I have and I understand that they are making efforts to have it as early as possible but that is where it is; the Supreme Electoral Tribunal needs to get the go ahead from their congress to proceed.”

Andrea Polanco

“Is there any indication that that is likely?”

Alexis Rosado

“Well, how the congress in Guatemala will vote or how they will decide I am not too sure. I understand that they had a meeting with the heads of the different party blocks and I understand it was positive but really how they will vote is anybody’s guess.”