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Now back to the issue of the Guatemalan claim. Foreign Ministers Wilfred Elrington and Carlos Raul Morales are heading to Washington early next week where they hope to establish a bilateral cooperation mechanism for the Sarstoon. But prior to that meeting, there is an ongoing investigation by the Organization of American States into the shooting […]
There has been no official notification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Belize, but thanks to a release from Guatemala and one from the O.A.S., tonight we can tell you that the member states of the O.A.S., meeting in the Dominican Republic, have endorsed a draft declaration on the resolution of the territorial, insular […]
The Hilton brand of hotels and resorts is coming to Belize, on La Isla Bonita to be precise. The announcement was made today in San Pedro that Mahogany Bay Village is partnering with the iconic hospitality chain through one of its brands, Curio. With tourism numbers trending upwards, Mahogany Bay is investing eighty million dollars […]
Belizeans are free to access our portion of the Sarstoon – go forth and enjoy. That’s pretty much the last word, not in so many words, that we got from Prime Minister Dean Barrow on May twenty-fifth, following a now much scrutinized informal understanding in Istanbul. Two days after, Guatemalan military refused to allow our […]
Earlier we told you about the terse diplomatic note sent by Guatemala to Belize, rejecting the notion that there is free access to the Sarstoon by Belizeans. While that diplomatic note in which Guatemalan chastises Belize has just been leaked, at the Forty-sixth Regular Session of the O.A.S. General Assembly in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, […]
A biography of Jamaica’s fourth Prime Minister Michael Manley has been penned by well-known Belizean attorney and author, Godfrey Smith. The life story of the democratic socialist was commissioned in late 2013 and has been long in the making. Manley, one of Jamaica’s most popular prime ministers, comes from a rich background, including the trade […]
The government of Belize has issued a release expressing distress and sorrow over what it calls the senseless killing and injuring of innocent citizens in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine have been confirmed dead and fifty-three injured in what is being called the worst mass shooting in US history. G.O.B.’s release goes on to state that, “this […]
The shooting stirred comments and condemnation from many quarters. In Belize, an employee of Buttonwood Bay Medical Center, Raynard Humphreys, commented on Facebook, “I know people will hate me for this but I believe the killing of fifty last night in Florida is justified.” He continued, “I’m proud a moral psychopath (if that exists) took […]
The O.A.S. General Assembly is slated for next week. The annual session is the highest level of political engagement in the hemisphere between foreign ministers. It was stated at the much talked about meeting in Istanbul, Turkey in May that the foreign ministers of Belize and Guatemala would meet at the soonest possible time on […]
The very strong remarks made by former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega have gotten very positive attention locally. Vega castigated Guatemala for what he called a troubling shift in foreign policy which had resulted in military aggression at the Sarstoon – and he called for support from the Association of Caribbean States. The positive attention […]
Foreign Minister Elrington also, during his extended interview, explained that allegations that Guatemala is annexing the Sarstoon are unfounded and impossible. Shoman says she respectfully disagrees. Lisa Shoman, Member of Opposition’s Belize/Guatemala Committee “First of all, if someone comes into your yard and claims the line of mango trees along the fence and start […]
And then there was that unexpected assertion from Foreign Minister Elrington on Tuesday. He claimed that based on Guatemalan’s repudiation of the 1859 Treaty, that country is now claiming the entire territory of Belize. According to Elrington, “What is the proper situation is to say that they are stopping people from using the Sarstoon because […]
Amid the ongoing territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala, the Belize Progressive Party has been unwavering in its position that a resolution at the International Court of Justice is not the only option to bring finality to the claim. Since its establishment in October 2015, the B.P.P.’s spiel has been a call for action under […]
Of concern to the B.P.P. is recent talk that the Referendum Act will be amended. This, according to Bobby Lopez, has raised the ire of the party and, if necessary, its membership is prepared to take to the streets in protest. Equally, there is unease in respect of the pending re-registration exercise which he says […]
The issue of campaign financing is one that the B.P.P. has been wanting to address since entering the political fray. While neither of the established mass parties are willing to budge and disclose their source of funding, the B.P.P. says it too is doing away with full disclosure. According to Lopez, the party has agreed […]
The Sarstoon has been a fixture in the newscast for months, but what’s the latest on the river? Can we go there without being stopped, or not? The P.U.P. did last week, but then we learned that in effect Guatemala had granted permission for that familiarization trip. In fact, to make that point clear, Guatemala […]
And finally, there’s the International Court of Justice. There’s no certainty that the dispute will end up in that forum and if it does, that is years in the future. But actions now will certainly matter then. So is the continuous Guatemalan occupation of the entire Sarstoon something we should be concerned about? Shoman says […]
Just how much of Belize is Guatemala claiming? It’s a valid question, but the answer may surprise you. We’ve always thought that the claim was for roughly half of Belize, and there’s a 1999 letter which specifically refers to all areas south of the Sibun River, including all cayes except St. George’s Caye. In fact, […]
The O.A.S. is getting set to commence its investigation into the death of a Guatemalan minor in the Chiquibul. And according to Minister Wilfred Elrington, that organization will also be looking into the murder of Danny Conorquie and the shooting of B.D.F. Staff Sergeant Richard Lambey, which seems to be a very recent request despite […]
A new interregional tourism campaign was unveiled simultaneously across seven Central American countries this morning. Under the banner “Central America is Yours, Enjoy it”, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, in partnership with the Belize Tourism Board and B.T.I.A., launched the campaign locally. The purpose is to encourage travel within the region by motivating […]
The participating agencies have worked closely to design special packages that aim to show the true value of tourist attractions in Central America through social media and website placements. John Burgos, Executive Director, B.T.I.A. “Looking at it on a bigger picture, the strategic, sustainable development plan of tourism which was developed for 2014-2018 consists […]
NemWil, Regent and Guardian Life Insurance….they are well-known insurance companies that have operated in Belize as agents for the Guardian Holdings Group out of the Caribbean. Now under the new brand, Guardian Group, the Trinidadian Company is making its return to the Jewel, after a six month hiatus. Providing general insurance services, the multibillion-dollar company […]
The Istanbul talks on the Sarstoon were held on May twenty-third, and today was the first opportunity the media has had to debrief Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington, so to speak. Much has happened since that discussion between representatives of Belize and Guatemala, including an informal agreement which may or may not have actually […]
While Guatemalan officials have not hesitated at any point to name and shame Belize, those very same Guatemalan officials have bristled whenever Belizean officials question the actions of their government. From Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales’ response to Vega in Cuba, it is clear that they were caught off guard. But did the comments create more […]
On May twenty-seventh, just days after the Istanbul talks and word of an informal agreement allowing untrammeled access to the Sarstoon, Guatemalan Armed Forces refused to allow access to News Five. But more than that, Guatemalan officials informed Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that they were unhappy with G.O.B.’s release mentioning that so-called informal understanding. […]
