Opposition Leader Comments on Belize – Venezuela Relations

Shyne Barrow

Reporters also asked Barrow for his take on the cooperation between Belize and Venezuela. Only a couple weeks ago, the Biden Administration eased the U.S’s oil sanctions on Venezuela after President Maduro and Venezuela’s opposition signed an agreement to set up a UN-mandated fund. Here is what Barrow had to say.

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“Again, I don’t support dictators and autocratic regimes. I don’t support democracies that don’t function as democracies, but function as authoritarian regimes and so while I’m quite critical of that, diplomacy and bilateral relations are just that. So, we always have to look at different stakeholders in the bilateral sphere and how these agreements or this negotiation could benefit us. So, I don’t want to say that I would not agree to this development with Venezuela, because of my personal beliefs as far as their lack of free and fair elections that have been criticized by all of the free developed nations. Definitely we are grateful for this debt restructuring, but we do have to be careful. I believe in diplomacy – President Biden meets with China, President Biden as you’ve said they are talking to Venezuela right now. So, I believe diplomacy allows for criticisms of your bilateral partners or your colleagues in the diplomatic arena and it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t do business with them.”