No referendum in sight for Guatemalans on going to ICJ

Fred Martinez

The dust has still not settled over the Foreign Minister’s recent comments about artificial borders in the many twists of Belize’s number one foreign policy and national issue. But this week representatives from both Belize and Guatemala sat down to talk and it is becoming patently clear that the holding of a referendum and going to the ICJ will not happen anytime soon. The two countries signed onto a special agreement, also known as the compromis, in December 2008, but the road ahead is fraught with political hiccups.  And according to Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala, Fred Martinez, the talk of moving forward in Guatemala is simply talk.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

In discussions with the media this morning, Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala, Fred Martinez, said that Guatemala’s congress is not going to pass anytime soon, the necessary legislation to approve the conduct of a referendum to decide if they will take their claim against Belize to the ICJ.

Fred Martinez, Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala

“It is not heading anywhere. There is a situation of paralysis that continues in the Congress of Guatemala, not only with the special agreement, even with the internal affairs.”

The upcoming elections in Guatemala will serve as a distraction to the proper handling of Guatemala’s referendum.

Fred Martinez

“There is no continuity in the political process, which obviously over the years has caused repercussions, not only in their nation, but in also in their foreign policy and particularly towards Belize that every four years you have a new set of people going in there trying to start from scratch the whole process and that is why we have never had any continuity in the process. The scene right now in congress in Guatemala, when it comes to the ratification of the special agreement doesn’t look good from our analyses and perspective even if the special agreement is passed and a referendum for later this year, we believe it would be too close to a general election to a general election for comfort in the sense that people may just use the opportunity as a no vote against the sitting government. It is possible that the congress may decide to pass the special agreement and just leave it open and say a referendum to be held at a future date, which might be advisable since it keeps the process alive.  And a future date chosen because remember that date cannot be set unless Belize agrees to that date.”

Since the due date for a referendum is nowhere in sight, the ambassador says we will just have to continue relying on the confidence building measures administered by the Organization of American States, to keep the peace along the border. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

On Tuesday Belize and Guatemalan officials met and formed a six member joint commission to discuss a range of border issues.  The Belize team is headed by resident ambassador to Guatemala, Fred Martinez and the Guatemalan team is headed by resident ambassador to Belize, Manuel Tellez.