High level delegation arrives in Belize

It’s not often that we get to see the Secretary General of CARICOM in these parts so when we do, it tends to be a little bit special. Edwin Carrington arrived on Sunday and will spend the next few days spreading the gospel of regionalism to an audience that is not always sure of just which region it’s in and whether it really wants any part of either. Carrington and a handful of his top lieutenants have been meeting with Belizean officials to brief them on recent developments within the organisation and to hear how Belize can broaden and deepen its participation in Caribbean affairs. CARICOM’s most notable contribution to Belize’s well being has been in the diplomatic arena, as an important source of support in our ongoing drama with Guatemala. On the economic side it has always been envisioned that Belize would become a primary supplier of food to the Caribbean market but that concept has been kept from implementation by the lack of regional shipping, unreliable production and reluctance on the part of Caribbean importers to abandon local loyalties. Carrington will meet the press on Wednesday morning just before leaving the country.