Sedi Disparages Eamon; Says Guats Will Stay the Course

Eamon Courtenay

The Foreign Minister has been a lightning rod for years. Many have called for his removal for statements he has made such as “artificial borders” and most recently, his persistence that our borders are not internationally recognized. But Elrington has remained as the chief negotiator in the most important issue for Belizeans: territorial integrity. Under his watch, Belizeans now have to seek permission to travel within our waters in the Sarstoon. When we sat with him today he remained steadfast saying all is proceeding well, noting that the embattled president of Guatemala, Jimmy Morales, told the UN on Tuesday that he is committed to go to the ICJ nothing withstanding that back in Guatemala, the presidency of Morales may crack at any time.

Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington

Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“I have spent nine years and I have gotten commendations from countries all over the world, including the O.A.S., for my performance.  Never in the history of this country have we gotten so close to the resolution of this matter as we now are.  Only yesterday in his pronouncement at the United Nations, the president of Guatemala, no less a person than the president of Guatemala has reaffirmed his commitment to cause this matter to be solved at the I.C.J. and he has reaffirmed his commitment to continue to dialogue with Belize until we get the matter solved and even after the matter is solved.  So clearly the partnership between two of us, in terms of reaching a solution at the I.C.J., is moving at pace and the shenanigans, to my mind, that is going on at the border with people who I will call irresponsible elements and being fomented by the seeming support that they get from the P.U.P. and people like Eamon Courtenay is not in fact a reflection of how well the process is going.  The process is going very well indeed.  As a matter of fact, the Guatemalans sent to tell us, even though they had a change in foreign ministers, the very next day they sent their chargé d’affaires to tell us, look we are going to hold firm to the course we have adopted.  We have resolved to go to the I.C.J. and we are going to continue that course.  Nothing that the Territorial Volunteers and others are doing is a reflection on the process and all our allies, the European Union.  They have come forth with the monies to continue to support the adjacency zones and actually the U.N. agency, the U.N.D.P., is now onboard to help us with the education program.”