Tonight, the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Alberto Ramdin is in Belize for a quick round of meetings, visits and a press conference. He's not here to discuss the hardline position on the referendum that Guatemala has taken, that's the Secretary General's job. But, we gather, that he is here to talk about Belize's presence at the 43rd General Assembly on June fourth in Antigua, Guatemala. There's an issue because Guatemala is now including Belize on many of its official maps as part of its territory, separated only by a dotted line. It will also be on their new passport – and the PUP says that if they were in charge, no one with that passport would be allowed to enter the country. Today Foreign Minister Elrington took a more moderate position – while also laying down a hardline:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Foreign Minister
"I think that the way to handle these things is to solve it through diplomatic means or to solve it through legal means with the least discord and the least break in relationship between the two countries."

Jules Vasquez
"So you will attend the meeting on June 14th - the OAS General Assembly?"

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"That would be the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be recommending to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet that we attend these meetings and if you're not at the table, you won't be able to defend yourself. You have to be at the table to be able to defend yourself."

Jules Vasquez
"Recently we had a basketball team that went to play a tournament in Peten, Guatemala. When they got there they asked them to put on these Jerseys for the tournament and the Jersey had a map including our country as a part of their country. They immediately protested and left. But you will attend an OAS meeting. We have seen the preparatory video for the OAS meeting, Ambassador Mendez was there when it was presented. At that OAS meeting, the Guatemalan map, the logo for it will likely include our country annexed onto theirs with a dotted line. Will you attend a meeting if that logo/map is on display?"

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"Well it's good that you asked that question because you will be able to verify what I'm saying to you as early as tomorrow.. The man who is in charge of the arrangements for the OAS is the same deputy Secretary General Albert Ramdin with whom you just spoke. I'm telling you they are having an interview with him tomorrow. One of the last things we discussed with him was that that was not to happen. Nothing offensive is supposed to be published or broadcast during the course of the OAS meeting. That is not to happen. It is his responsibility to ensure that it doesn't happen. We are going there and we have been given the assurance that he is going to make it clear to the Guatemalans that that isn't going to happen."

Reporter
"If it does?"

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"We walk out. We register our protest, we walk out and we invite our friends and colleagues to do the same with us. That is how you handle these matters."

Ramdin's press conference is tomorrow and of course, we'll have full coverage of that. But Elrington also spoke about another pressing border issue: Wil Maheia's Territorial Volunteers. He says since the last trip to San Vicente he's gotten a letter of protest from the Guatemalans:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"I have gotten a protest from the Guatemalans advising us to do something about their activities. I think they'll get themselves in trouble. So the Guatemalans have very serious military minds and we have always been mindful of that. That has always been at the back of our minds determining how we move forward in resolving the problem. It is for that reason that we are so concerned when a few Belizeans with a few machetes decide that they are going to go across and make a statement to Guatemala."

Reporter "They are saying that they stayed within Belize territory though."

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"But the last time when the Guatemalans captured the Belizeans security forces; our position was that they were within Belize territory as well. You don't play into harm's way. I'm saying to you we have gotten a protest already in relation to the recent excursion that they took." And so in all these matters, you'd expect CARICOM member states to have Belize's back. But it's not all that clear cut, not anymore at least. Recently leading newspapers in Trinidad and Jamaica have run editorials saying that Guatemala must not be allowed to duck out of its commitments under the Special Agreement. And while that support is a good thing, Elrington says at the state level, it's not that clear cut.

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"We have historically worked as a block to prevent Guatemala from in fact getting its way into these international organizations. It's a give and take. The situation is not static, it changes and it evolves. But right now Trinidad is just about to conclude a special trading agreement with Guatemela. These countries have to feed their citizens. They have to provide employment for them. Over the last three or four years I have seen developments in CARICOM that have worried me. Positions that CARICOM members have taken, have changed. We don't traditionally support the British the way we used to do. As a CARICOM region, Belize has to understand that countries' support and alliances change given their particular interest at a particular time. We proposed to talk to the people in the Commonwealth about it. We proposed to talk to our people in SICA about it. We've been dealing with the people in the OAS. All our friends we will be asking to support us on this matter because it is so important."

Regarding next steps for the OAS, Elrington says his ministry is coming up with a road map for the PM and cabinet to consider.