Ministry asks public’s patience as Guats delay
The sun has set on another day and to absolutely nobody’s surprise, over three hundred illegal Guatemalan settlers who should have left a week ago, are still firmly planted on Belizean soil. As suspicion grows that the delays are more deliberate than accidental, News 5 went to Belmopan to get the official spin. A subdued David Gibson, CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, insisted that despite the lack of progress, Belize remains committed to the negotiating process.
David Gibson, CEO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“The hold up has been that the Guatemalans, in order to do the census and to do an evaluation of the crops and dwellings, as per the seventh of February agreement, asked if they could retain the technical support services of the International Organisation for Migration. We concurred with the understanding that it was specific to the task of doing the census, doing the evaluation of the crops on the ground and also the evaluation of the dwellings at the three settlements. This exercise took longer than was anticipated.”
“The next step now, given the fact that this is a week after it was expected that they would have been gone, the estimation now is that early in the coming week with the involvement with the government of Guatemala as per the agreement signed on the seventh of February, this joint commission which involves Belize and Guatemalan officials will be returning to the settlements.”
“Those who don’t leave voluntarily upon receiving payment, will be issued expulsion orders by the Government of Belize, by our authorities who will be present there.”
Stewart Krohn
“What do you think the Guatemalan government’s motive is in stretching this process out so long?
David Gibson
“One cannot directly accuse. One can only sustain a healthy skepticism.”
Stewart Krohn
“Do you have any feeling that it is the aim of the Guatemalan government to try to provoke the Belize government into some kind of precipitate action that might make Belize look bad?”
David Gibson
“I couldn’t say so, but certainly we are very much aware of the need not to act precipitately. So while it has been a test of our patience, we realise and recognise the need to adhere as closely as possible and completely, as a matter of fact, to what was signed onto on February seventh.”
“We have, I think demonstrated great patience and forbearance and understanding. I would not want to point an accusing finger, I think finally given the time that has passed, all the information is available, there is no good reason why there should not be compliance and completion of this exercise.”
Stewart Krohn
“Mr. Gibson, there is a lot of people in Belize, who while not contradicting the facts that you’re presenting, would say, look, from the beginning these people were on Belizean territory. It was clear to Belize that there were on Belizean territory, Belizean law gives us every right to just give them a notice and boot them out and we have been extraordinarily, some would say patient, others would say foolish, to allow this thing to go on so long. What do you have to say to people who are making this very logical argument?”
David Gibson
“I would ask them for some viable alternatives. I would emphasize that there is a need to be very objective, to be very calm in how we deal with this situation. We know that we have support in the position we’ve taken, it really has been a tremendous test of patience. The inclination to want to get into rash actions of perhaps just rushing in and issuing expulsion orders is there, but has been overcome so to speak. We have to be stick to what we agree to in as much as it is expect that they will stick to what they agreed to.”
Viewers may wonder what strategy is behind the Guatemalan foot dragging when it seems that such action would only increase domestic political pressure to provide land for dispossessed farmers. Speculation here is that the Guatemalan government is hoping to provoke Belize into using force to expel the settlers or making us so frustrated that we abandon the OAS sponsored negotiating process. Officials in Belmopan insist that they will not be manipulated.
