All that said, when will a referendum be held in Belize? The Prime Minister says the poll would only be held after the next general elections. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “I see where he had said, “look if you want to be saddle by this thing forever then do nothing, but if we want […]
Is Belize caving in to Guatemala? At the request of Guatemala, the Government of Belize has agreed to amend the Special Agreement signed between both countries in 2008. The compromis, as it is otherwise known, is a formal agreement between both countries to hold a joint referenda on the issue of whether the existing territorial […]
So what’s the Opposition’s take on the impending amendment to the special agreement between Belize and Guatemala? P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca told us that a few weeks ago PM Dean Barrow informed him that he had discussed the matter of the referendum with Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina. Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader “He said […]
But according to the Foreign Minister, government’s mandate, in this case, does not include public consultation prior to making a decision. Isani Cayetano “Minister, as you mentioned earlier, you were approached with this proposal, if I may, two months ago. After having discussed it with the Cabinet, the Leader of the Opposition was then […]
While Elrington reiterated that government will not act without consensus, he says that the decision to separate the dates for the referendum should not, in any way, affect the process or the mindset of the Belizean people. Isani Cayetano “How does that affect the overall psyche of the Belizean public seeing as though we […]
In the first referendum go-round, Belize was set to go while Guatemala couldn’t get out the starting date. For the past couple years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has maintained a special team which has done nothing, but prepare for a referendum. So why is the government saying that suddenly Belize would not be ready […]
Guatemalan Vice President Roxana Baldetti resigned last Friday amid a tidal wave of corruption charges. For weeks, Guatemalans have been demanding that Baldetti step down after being exposed for her role in a massive customs fraud and bribery scheme. But what does her resignation have to do with a recent attempt by Guatemalan security forces […]
Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington came under heavy fire some time ago for comments made on Belize’s terrestrial boundaries. His technical definition of the western border with Guatemala, which he described as “artificial” and its apparent porousness rubbed many the wrong way. In a recent presentation in the south, the Foreign Minister offered an informal description […]
As we reported in Monday’s newscast, an energy summit was held in Washington earlier this year and the U.S. is trying to move its energy influence back into the Caribbean. Last week, before his arrival at the seventh Summit of the Americas in Panama, U.S. President, Barack Obama made the first presidential trip to Jamaica […]
2015 is deemed historic and significant for Belize and the European Union because this year, the country has received a whopping forty million Euros, which is almost double the amount of money previously provided to Belize from the E.U. The eighty-four million, six hundred and nine-two thousand dollars will be used for the development funding […]
An energy summit was held in Washington earlier this year and the U.S. is trying to move its energy influence back into the region. But in Belize, for some time now, the government has been looking at alternative renewable energy projects that can add to the national grid and reduce Belize’s dependency on energy from […]
Belize’s Ambassador to the O.A.S., Nestor Mendez, in a historic vote became the new Assistant Secretary General Elect of the organization. The post becomes effective later this year in July and will be held by Ambassador Mendez for the next five years. In his first time back in Belize since the election, he too attended […]
But with a Belizean representative holding the second to the highest seat in the O.A.S. hierarchy, will it help with the resolving the Belize-Guatemala dispute? Nestor Mendez, Assistant Secretary General Elect, O.A.S. “The O.A.S. has been involved as a key facilitator in trying to resolve the dispute between Belize and Guatemala for many years […]
An Electoral Observation Mission, led by Senator Lisa Shoman, Chief of Mission and erstwhile foreign minister, is headed to Guyana for the May eleventh general elections. Earlier today, the Organization of American States issued a release announcing that Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the O.A.S., Bayney Karran, have signed an […]
The Summit of the Americas takes place this week on Friday and Saturday in Panama City, under the “Prosperity with Equity: The Challenge of Cooperation in the Americas.” The event takes place every three years but this summit is likely to turn out interesting because Cuba’s Raul Castro is being invited for the first time […]
A historic vote took place at the Organization of American States in Washington. Belize’s Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States, Ambassador Nestor Mendez, who is also accredited to the US State Department is the new Assistant Secretary-General to the O.A.S., following elections held this afternoon. Mendez contested against Permanent Representative of Guyana to […]
And this piece of regional news….The Summit of the Americas will be held this year in Panama on the eleventh and twelfth of April. It is deemed a historic meeting because for the first time, the Cuba will be allowed to participate following a proposed lift to the embargo between that country and the United […]
This Wednesday, at the Organization of American States in Washington, Ambassador Nestor Mendez will be vying for election to the position of Deputy Secretary General of the O.A.S. Guyana is also presenting a candidate for the post so the election is being closely watched. Mendez has been campaigning for some time and in many quarters […]
Following the incident, there was some expectation that the government would host an immediate press conference to at least express top-level outrage. That hasn’t happened. In fact, the only thing that has happened is the issuance of a very tepid press release. We’ve tried getting a comment from Prime Minister Dean Barrow, and he has […]
According to Minister Elrington, there is an allegation that Belizeans went across the Guatemalan side, and there is an allegation that Guatemalans came over on our side – and there won’t be any action taken until they determine what the truth is. He says they will ask the Guatemalans to join with them in asking […]
While it was probably a little too early to expect an official comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we approached Belize’s Ambassador to Guatemala, Alexis Rosado. He took part in the debriefing, but apart from expressing some disappointment, he would only say that the most important thing is that everyone is back home safe. […]
It is with deep sadness that tonight we report on the death of Guatemala’s Ambassador to Belize, His Excellency Manuel Tellez. He passed away on Sunday morning in Guatemala City surrounded by his loved ones and was laid to rest earlier today. Prior to his funeral services the ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala paid […]
Mexican Ambassador to Belize Carlos Quesnel is taking on a number of bilateral initiatives, some new and others in the pipeline. A priority area is in trade for which a number of entrepreneurs from Mexico have been making significant investments in the local tourism industry. In improving overall relations, the embassy is working to improve […]
And that partnership to strengthen the trade and investments in Belize is also being backed up with assistance to fight crime and narco-trafficking, two of the biggest challenges for the city and Ambergris Caye in recent months. Carlos Quesnel Melendez, Mexican Ambassador to Belize “As a matter of fact, this is also one of […]
There were numerous agreements signed in the past few days. The Government of Japan signed on to two grants for the agricultural and education sectors. A total of two hundred and five thousand one hundred and fifteen dollars were issued between both grants. One hundred and two thousand US dollars was handed over for an […]
