Guatemalans ready to take claim on Belize to ICJ
Harold Caballeros
There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in the past twenty-four hours on the referendum to the International Court of Justice. Today, the Secretary General of the OAS, Miguel Angel Insulza was in Belize for about five hours. On Monday, in Guatemala, both the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Belize and Guatemala met at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After meeting one on one, Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington and Harold Caballeros met with ambassadors of a number of countries that are members of the Group of Friends and Britain. Through an agreement with the OAS, both countries are to hold referendum on the same day, October sixth, 2013 for the people to decide whether or not the dispute should be elevated to the International Court of Justice. But prior to that, a public awareness campaign is to be held and the cost is far more substantive for Guatemala than for Belize. For Guatemala, the price tag is forty-six million US dollars. While they have already earmarked a large part of that figure; they will still require at least fourteen million from the international community to fund the education campaign. But do the Guatemalans believe that it is a worthy investment? In a one on one exclusive interview with Caballeros in Guatemala City, we also asked about their readiness to go the ICJ.
Harold Caballeros, Guatemalan Foreign Minister
“I think that one hundred and sixty years is time that we leave this conflict behind. If both countries say yes, we will have an opportunity to focus on commercial exchange, cultural exchange, tourism, archaeology and so many positive factors that can bring welfare to our populations. Thirty-two million dollars are for that particular day and those funds, the government already assigned them, so we don’t worry about the Tribunal Super Electronal—that is the entity that will oversea the election that day. Now the rest of it which is about fourteen and a half million dollars is for the campaign, the education campaign.”
Marleni Cuellar
“The people in Guatemala are they concerned that you are spending too much money on the referendum?”
Harold Caballeros
“Yes, yes. Of course, there have been some columns in the paper, but this is not a process that this government started; this is not a process that I started; this thing has been here for decades. Many of my predecessors started it and I think it is in the right direction and it’s my time now to finish it all the way to October the sixth.”
The goal of erasing our border is relentless. Prepare to teach your children Spanish.
there can’t be a claim anymore if the country of Belize is recognized by the United Nation as a sovereign state and given the a seat there damn stupid Belize government and also a guat president came here and stated that he recognized Belize as a Sovereign country already so the claim should no longer be
there can’t be a claim anymore if the country of Belize is recognized by the United Nation as a sovereign state and given the a seat there damn stupid Belize government and also a guat president came here and stated that he recognized Belize as a Sovereign country already so the claim should no longer be
!@#$%^& guatemala show leave belize alone… they just want to get the border and part off port. so they can have access with no problem. i would close the border and !@#$%^ guates stay i their country. we dont need no more crimes. AUTHENTICALLY belizeans has the right to get the jobs NOT !@#$%^ alliens.
in the words of lord laro tell guatemala to leave belize alone tell them to find a land of their own
Of course the Guatemalans are ready. They have been preparing for this moment since 1981 as the Guatemalan Foreign Minister states. Yeah, we WERE once a sovereign state before we started harboring international fugitives, ignoring extradition treaties, became unable to enforce our own laws and have a super LOW conviction rate, selling out nationality to human traffickers and terrorists and started paying criminals with tax money, defaulting on our debt obligations, (Super BOND) and using our SOCIAL SECURITY FUNDS as the piggy bank of corrupt politicians and the list of atrocities goes on. As a country, the world and our enemies see us as WEAK because we stand by and let these things happen to us in the name of DEMOCRACY. Even our own foreign minister refers to us as GARBAGE and being “stupid”. No one will ever take us seriously…..not unless we MAKE changes happen that benefit us and our generations to come. The Guatemalans just waited till we made ourselves weak, and now they will attack. Very strategic move on their part. Too bad out politicians are too ‘Stupid’ to do anything about it.
Start by stopping corrupt politicians from stealing our land and resources and start putting them in jail.Our people all of them stop killing and hurting one another and be fruitful to the jewel.Start by preparing for the worst because history has shown that we have nothing to benefit from our halloween neighbors.For belizeans to stand and defend our country we need to see genuine will and promise to have access to a piece of land and stop giving away our land (damn hustlers).Wake up if not we shall all live a nighmare.We need more than ever good,firm, honest leaders.Remove calvo and his muppets now before it is too late.God bless Belize.
@Belizean, there used to be a member of the United Nations called Taiwan.
It’s sovereignty WAS taken away by the United Nations, including the Security Council and the United States. I always thought that was shameful and wrong.
If it can happen to a rich country like Taiwan, don’t you think we can lose our sovereignty?
Nations lose their independence and disappear regularly — at one time there was a single Central American confederation, a hundred years ago Panama did not exist, there was a West Indies Federation in my lifetime that no longer exists, etc.
The world map changes all the time, and countries come and go. So does freedom for the people who live in those long-lost countries.
honestly being recognized as a Sovereign Nation Guatemala needs to get a clue. if their president recognizes that and they acting on the contrary shows no respect for that. Come on Mr. President of Guatemala get a hold of your business…
No to ICJ. There is not much that I need to say. Belize is for Belizeans. Close the border and see who feels it more…. I am sure that we Belizeans can do without guatemala and the idiot guatemalans….
Why are Guatemalans not bothering Mexico for taking Chiapas away from them? Guatemalans are idiots, they should have invested those millions of dollars in building a hospital or in something useful.
Belize would be a much better place if we stop fighting each other, when I was growing up in Belize, it was so peaceful, nice and friendly. Nowadays you cannot even walk the streets in the daytime and take care of your business for these thieves that are there. I remember going to and leaving the clubs and no one bothered you, now that cannot even be taken as a right for all the shooting. The Government needs to be more vigilant and stop being concern only about their families and take interest only in the Belizean people as a whole and to see after our own citizens, the Belizean people deserve it. They deserve better, then people like the Guatemalans would not even try claiming Belize as there own. Guatemala LEAVE BELIZE ALONE.
belize is the best place to grow our children, best place to retire, best place to live. i trust in God that this will be resolved in a mannerly and peaceful way. but if Not!! we’ll just have to call “BIGMAMA” to blow…… IN GOD WE TRUST!!!