7 News Belize

PM Barrow Says Elrington Was On Target In UN Speech
posted (October 4, 2013)
And today, we also got the Prime Minister to comment on Wednesday's angry statement by the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As we reported last night, the Guatemalans are vexed about the statements made at the United Nations General assembly by Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington. Elrington said, quote, "both our territorial and our maritime border regions have been suffering from depredation and environment degradation in consequence of the wanton and sustained illegal activities of Guatemalan campesino, fishermen and other criminal elements engaged in narco-trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling, illegal panning for gold, the extraction of Xate and other exotic plants and animals, the illegal felling of timber and the pillaging of our ancient Mayan ruins." End quote.

Those words, and many others on that subject, incensed the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs which sent a letter of protest to the OAS. The nine point letter says, quote, "The Government of Guatemala does not accept the derogatory and discriminatory treatment used by the Foreign Minister of Belize regarding Guatemalan farmers, fishermen and villagers, blaming them for numerous illegal acts, which, on the contrary are a source of concern for our government and we are strongly involved in counteracting them. Neither does it accept the unfortunate concepts which ascribe to Guatemala an alleged responsibility for environmental destruction in Belize…the actions of some nationals would never make the State responsible for such acts."

Indeed it is a major diplomatic dispute, and today the Prime Minister backed up his Foreign Minister.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"That tells me that Minister Elrington must have been on the right track."

Jules Vasquez
"He didn't speak a lie, but perhaps they are saying that that wasn't the place at all to talk about it."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I don't agree with them. When you go to the United Nations general assembly - that's precisely the place to talk about matters involving your viability, your territorial integrity and any threats there to. I think the Guatemalans are way wide of the mark in suggesting that that wasn't the place. Could I just add this much more; I don't want to say "poor" Foreign Minister because there is nothing poor about him. He can handle himself, but if he doesn't say anything, they give him hell. If he says something, they give him hell. All that a side, in my view he was right on point in speaking out as he did on this particular occasion."

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize