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The claim that has been brought before the Supreme Court by the People’s United Party persists, despite the passage of a new piece of law which will allow government to proceed with an I.C.J. referendum in the coming weeks. During his presentation this afternoon, Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat, one of six claimants who […]
And one more thing on the referendum….late this evening, a joint statement was issued by the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. In the wake of the postponement, the three appear not to be happy with the court’s outcome, but voice support in favour of the referendum and hope that […]
Were it not for the stunning results of well-timed legal hurdles placed in the way of government, Belizeans across the country would have been anxiously anticipating the results of a referendum this evening, having voted Yes or No to go to the International Court of Justice. An interim injunction granted by the Chief Justice a […]
On Tuesday, a student was tasked to draw a map of Guatemala in a village school. At the request of Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, the primary school boy complied in front of his classmates, but President Morales provocatively told him he missed two very important things. One of those things was Belize. President Morales was […]
It has been an active couple of months for the country as it relates to the I.C.J. referendum. Things first got into motion with the signing of the 2008 Special Agreement, but it really kicked off when the government announced April tenth, 2019 as the day when Belizeans would make the very important vote. Well […]
As part of the Confidence Building Measures to keep the peace along the adjacency zone, the Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala has been providing funding. These countries form part of the O.A.S. and others are observers. On Monday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was asked was has been the reaction of the international community […]
Barranco in is one of the smallest villages in the country. The quiet community is located in a remote area of southern Belize and overtime, it has generally kept away from the news. The iconic Andy Palacio is a son of the village, he died years ago and generally, the population has been shrinking so […]
Traversing the Sarstoon is a tense and perilous journey. The Guatemalan Armed Forces are there to impede Belizeans from freely travelling upstream so Belizeans require escort from the B.D.F. and Belize Coastguard on the journey on our side of the river. That is in the south, but in the west, it is a different case. […]
News Five’s reporters have been deployed to various border communities to test the pulse of Belizeans as we prepare for that historic vote on April tenth which will decide if the International Court of Justice is to determine on the boundaries of Belize. We will be reporting from areas far-flung, as well as communities where […]
Next stop: Jalacte, a bordering community of some eight hundred residents. The experience there is much different. People from both sides of the border cross unimpeded; there is no immigration points, just the B.D.F. on duty at an outpost. We found out that the residents are more interested in trade than on going to the […]
Eight days from now the public will vote either YES or NO to determine Belize’s next step to address Guatemala’s claim over the country. As the day nears, opposing camps are intensifying their campaign. A few legal opinions have been penned including one by the late Gian Gandhi. During Open Your Eyes this morning, attorney […]
The relentless media campaign promoting a yes vote has seen a total blitz of radio and television leading up to April tenth. Ads in favour of Belize going to the I.C.J. are being aired in just about every commercial break. In between the rollout of new propaganda, government has brought out several bigwig proponents, including […]
What initially began as an awareness campaign a year ago, to inform voters about the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute, has since morphed into a party political crusade. The United Democratic Party and the People‘s United Party have taken opposing sides in the matter. But what can we expect come Referendum Day and will the machineries of […]
Former Foreign Minister Lisa Shoman is batting heavily for the Government of Belize, coming out as one of its chief advocates for going to the I.C.J. During the prime minister’s press conference on Thursday, Shoman, who is also representing government in the Special Agreement challenge, quoted Judge Schwebel’s responses to many of the questions posed […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow presented the latest legal opinion on the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute. It comes on the heels of another put forward recently by the Bar Association which commissioned preeminent international law professor Stephen Vasciannie to weigh in on the strengths and weaknesses of the claim should it go before the I.C.J. for resolution. […]
While it can be argued that Judge Schwebel is essentially rehashing what has been posited in the 2001 legal opinion, PM Barrow went on to say that it is Schwebel’s view that Belize would be granted temporary relief from the World Court should there be a yes vote in the upcoming referendum. This means that […]
On Monday, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin will preside over a constitutional challenge brought by the People’s United Party. The legality of the Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala, signed in 2008, is being called to question and whether Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington had the authority to sign without House approval. There’s a possibility that the […]
The Prime Minister’s campaign has been to promote a ‘yes’ vote come April tenth. It is also the position of former foreign minister Lisa Shoman, who shared the stage with him at the press conference and has also become a lawyer for the government. Today’s event was a push to convince the electorate to support […]
Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington has taken a backseat in the I.C.J. campaign, giving way to the Referendum Unit and Citizens for the Defense of Sovereignty to lead the charge in educating the public on the upcoming national vote. In fact, his absence from the usual media rounds is noticeable. Today, during the budget debate, Elrington […]
In responding to claims made by the Opposition, Foreign Minister Elrington called out parliamentarian Kareem Musa whose father, himself a former Foreign Minister, is in favour of Belize taking the Guatemala territorial dispute to the I.C.J. for resolution. Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, Foreign Affairs Minister “The son, the member from Caribbean Shores, is vying for […]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, was not spared the sharp wit of former prime minister Said Musa who, in his casual humour, took square aim at the ministry for claiming it had opened an embassy in Caracas, as well as the ministry opening a call center in Chicago and the […]
In less than a month, Belizeans will go to the polls to vote in the I.C.J. Referendum. For some, the vote is a straight yes or no, but many are still undecided and others are overwhelmed with the volumes of information and politicizing of the issue. Our correspondent Aurelio Sho was in Peten, Guatemala last […]
Thousands of teachers gathered today at the UB gymnasium in Belmopan to take part in an I.C.J. forum fully sponsored and organized by the Belize National Teachers’ Union. The four-hour forum saw the participation of more than three thousand, five hundred teachers who listened to presentations from three invited guests. Ambassador and YES proponent Assad […]
Many questions have been asked relating to Assad Shoman’s recently formed non-governmental organization. Citizens for the Defense of Sovereignty was formed less than three months ago and its primary objective is to ‘promote the sovereignty of peoples and the struggle for freedom, justice, and equality.’ In fact, the most urgent object of the movement today […]
During the forum today, Ambassador Assad Shoman explained what steps will be followed if a YES vote is secured on April tenth. According to Shoman, Belize will exercise its rights to ask the ICJ to implement provisional measures such as issuing a stop order to Guatemala from aggressing Belizeans who traverse the Sarstoon. Assad […]
