Shyne Says Sapodilla Cayes Should’ve Been Put to Referendum

Shyne Barrow

Guatemala has indicated to the International Court of Justice that it will be joining the existing claim between Belize and Honduras over possession of the Sapodilla Cayes.  It will do so as an interested party.  On Monday, we caught up with Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay following a senate meeting in Belmopan, where he discussed the latest move taken by Guatemala which has an unfounded territorial dispute with Belize.  Here is the opposition leader’s perspective on the latest development.

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“If you recall when the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Belize unilaterally made that decision, again, I believe, in our constitution it says anything related to our maritime borders and our land borders must be decided by referendum.  I believe that that question should have been to the masses before we decided to make that a part of the ICJ’s determination because it was never a dispute.  Honduras… no active claim.  They have not brought that matter up, why would we bring that matter up?  Some of my colleagues believe that it was just a delay tactic because the PUP government is concerned at what may happen at the ICJ so they want to stretch it out so they don’t have to be left to deal with whatever decision is made there.  But, again, I’m not sure because I don’t see how the ICJ could ever rule anything other than all that is Belize will continue to belong to Belize.  I just feel it is haughtiness, it is just hubris, a Minister of Foreign Affairs that thinks he knows everything, who just works for his ego and not the Belizean people.”