Morales, Jovel, Almagro Gives Thumbs Up to Referendum Plan

As expected, Belize’s announcement on Monday of the date for our referendum on the taking of the unfounded Guatemalan claim to the International Court of Justice was good news for our western neighbors Guatemala. According to Prensa Libre, within a few minutes of the announcement, Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales had tweeted, “I appreciate the decision of the Government of Belize to set a date for your Popular Consultation. I urge the Belizean people to together [with us] find a peaceful solution to the territorial, insular and maritime dispute.” Joining in with congratulations was Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel Polanco and Secretary-General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro. About two hundred thousand voters are currently eligible for the April tenth, 2019 referendum, though that number may lessen following re-registration in July. Guatemalans voted overwhelmingly in favor of a yes vote on April fifteenth, but only a quarter of the seven million eligible voters turned out. Belize, under the Referendum Act, needs a simple majority of voters to validate the referendum, and majority of those turning to vote yes to complete the ratification of proceeding with the case in The Hague. Approximately eight million dollars will be spent on the final public education and awareness campaign in the run-up to the referendum.