The Government of Belize confirmed what the Guatemalans had made official from last week: the October 6th bi-national Referendum is off. It's a disappointment, but not an unexpected development since the Guatemalans have been pulling out of agreements at the last minute for decades. But in spite of this latest withdrawal – Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington is not discouraged. He told us yesterday that there's progress and an incremental acceptance.
Jules Vasquez
"Are we able to say now that truly these people have aptitrade what was undertaken in the best spirit in that December 2008 signing?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Foreign Minister
"No, actually my own view is that - if you know anything about the history of the negotiations arising out of the 1859 treaty then you will know the process has been a very slow one. As a matter of fact the decision to go to the ICJ was taken by Britain in the 1930's, they had indicated that they were prepared to go to the ICJ. The Guatemalans did not agree to do that unconditionally until 2008 and if you have been reading the history of this dispute you will know that this is the way it operates. Things move very slowly and things never follow smoothly. I think that if we look at the history, we have been having steady progress with them. As a matter of fact from attempting to invade us now they are working with us and working jointly with our military to protect the border and I don't see any negativity in what is transpiring. It is very cosistent with the historical evolution with this particular item."
COLA today issued a statement saying
"it is time that our Government takes a less optimistic view of Guatemala's actions…Belize keeps appeasing them in the name of good faith," end quote.
The statement adds, rather dramatically, that "the Special Agreement is dead and it is Guatemala, not Belize, who killed it."
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