The Belize Progressive Party has taken umbrage with recent comments made U.S. Ambassador Carlos Moreno on the Belize/Guatemala issue. Ambassador Moreno has expressed support in taking the territorial claim to the International Court of Justice for resolution. The B.P.P., on the other hand, stands firmly behind its position that the matter should be resolved through […]
While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Police Department stay silent on the alleged seizure of Mennonites by Guatemalans, the opposition People’s United Party is not. In a release issued late today, the Party calls for an immediate investigation by pertinent authorities into the allegation made by Roger Plett. It states that, “we understand that […]
Tonight there is confirmation that the People’s United Party will be going to the Sarstoon on Saturday to challenge the Sarstoon Law which prevents Belizeans from visiting the area. That law is about to expire on May twenty-seventh. Interestingly, Saturday is the very day when Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington will be holding talks […]
The People’s United Party is proceeding to challenge the Sarstoon Law. The claim is being brought by the Party Leader John Briceño against the Attorney General and the Governor General. Briceño is seeking a declaration from the court that the Statutory Instrument passed on April twenty-ninth on Public Safety is contrary to rights guaranteed by […]
Now by definition, Civil Commotion is a legal term defined by common law as an insurrection of the people that’s of a magnitude little greater than a riot and a little less than a civil war. The P.U.P. contends that there was never any risk of that and there wasn’t a rational basis for the […]
The National Party Council of the P.U.P. has also approved an expedition to the Sarstoon by the Party. As legal advisor, the media asked Marshalleck if he is in support of the planned trip. His advice is contrary to the party’s position. Andrew Marshalleck, Attorney “No, my advice to them is that they have […]
Still on the issue of the controversial Sarstoon Law….as we said, the People’s United Party held its first National Party Council meeting at the Belize Elementary Auditorium. The N.P.C. discussed and passed a resolution on its role in respect of the ongoing talks with Guatemala, following a request by the Prime Minister Dean Barrow last […]
In his press conference last week Prime Minister Dean Barrow claimed that if the P.U.P. goes to the Sarstoon it could undermine all the progress that has been made in talks with Guatemala. We’re not sure what real progress has actually been made, since none is visible and the government hasn’t provided details of any. […]
At a press conference on Thursday, the Prime Minister appealed to the People’s United Party to stand down from a visit to the Sarstoon. He asked them to return to the negotiating table in respect of discussions on the ongoing situation at that volatile zone. The P.U.P. has indicated that it will, if certain conditions […]
The Prime Minister of Belize called a press conference this evening, ostensibly for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to report on meetings held with Guatemala and the O.A.S. in Washington. We’ll have all that for you tonight, though we warn that it isn’t really all that, strictly speaking. We start tonight’s coverage with a statement […]
To conclude his five minute statement, the Prime Minister uses the podium to publicly appeal to the Opposition People’s United Party to desist from going to the Sarstoon. Even as he says that the bi-lateral meetings in Washington resulted in what he calls a breakthrough, the PM says that the PUP can ruin it all […]
Late this evening, People’s United Party Senator Eamon Courtenay responded to the prime minister’s appeal for the P.U.P. to stand down from its planned journey to the Sarstoon this weekend. The PM went a step further to urge the opposition to recommit to the diplomatic effort being made in dealing with the Belize/Guatemala issue. News […]
Now here is the thing. There is, according to the Prime Minister, a breakthrough coming out of the meetings in Washington, but he can’t tell us what that breakthrough is. There is progress, but the Prime Minister is also not able to say what that progress is, in even the minutest detail. There was no […]
If all that leaves you shaking your head, we’re in the same boat. But the media persisted, very interested in hearing details about all the splendid progress, and especially interested in this breakthrough in discussion on the particularly volatile Sarstoon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister “Sir, the press conference is to report to the people […]
Since we were obviously going to get nowhere on the meetings in Washington, News Five asked about a timeline heading forward, particularly where the Opposition is concerned. Talks of a bi-partisan approach to the Belize/Guatemala issue have seemingly broken down after the Opposition’s representative was not asked to accompany the Belizean delegation on these particularly […]
This morning, a boat containing rangers from SATIIM was denied entry to the Sarstoon, not by the Guatemalan Armed Forces, but by the Belize Defense Force. SATIIM co-manages the Sarstoon Temash National Park which is bordered on the South by the Sarstoon, but today they were banned entry at the B.D.F.’s Forward Operating Base. It’s […]
The report of a breakthrough is interesting, especially in the light of a resolution passed by the Guatemalan Congress today. That resolution was the approval of an advisory warning citizens of Guatemala not to come to Belize, to avoid being caught in the same situation as that which befell the Guatemalan minor in the Chiquibul. […]
The People’s United Party announced on Tuesday that it plans to proceed with a scheduled trip to the Sarstoon River, despite an existing Statutory Instrument forbidding travel to the river now controlled by Guatemalans. The last trek to the river by a delegation of Belizeans was met with resistance by police and coast guard. So, […]
So the P.U.P.’s National Executive and delegates of the Party Council may head to the Sarstoon sooner, rather than later. But as the BTV found out on Saturday, heading to that controversial river is not the same thing as actually reaching that controversial river. It’s going to be an interesting proposition for the constitutional Opposition, […]
The P.U.P.’s position on the recently enacted SI is fairly simple. From the onset, the party has flatly rejected and continues to criticize the knee-jerk piece of law, banning local travel to the Sarstoon. In fact, the Opposition is challenging the legality of the Sarstoon Law and wants it rescinded. On Tuesday, former P.U.P. Leader […]
As we said a little later, an expedition planned by the Belize Territorial Volunteers for the Sarstoon this past weekend was halted by elements of the Belize Coast Guard and the Police. In fact, the expedition didn’t even get off the ground, so to speak. The Prime Minister had no apology today, and instead hoped […]
Hours prior to the Prime Minister’s press conference in the capital, the People’s United Party briefed the media in Belize City. The National Executive approved five measures that the party will be undertaking in light of the developments in the Sarstoon. Essentially, the party wants the Sarstoon Law to be rescinded and will file a […]
You have heard the Prime Minister say there was no time to invite the representative of People’s United Party to the discussions to be held by Minister Elrington in Washington. The P.U.P. says there have been other recent instances where the opposition has been left out which signals that the long established bipartisan approach to […]
Maheia isn’t the only one disappointed by the new law. The P.U.P. has been engaged in the Guatemala discussion, and committed to a bi-partisan approach to resolution, but today the party came out swinging. Representatives declined comment, but the release makes it clear that the new law under the Public Safety Act is considered retrograde […]
Earlier you heard the N.T.U.C.B. take a stand on the release issued by the Organization of American States in which it prematurely “repudiated” the death of Julio Alvarado Ruano at the hands of the B.D.F. Today, the Belize Progressive Party expressed disappointed with PM Barrow’s response to the O.A.S. statement. News Five spoke with B.P.P. […]
