On Friday, we showed you an excerpt of the comments that PUP Senator Lisa Shoman gave last week Friday. She was speaking on the topic of the Belize Government's diplomatic note of protest to Guatemala following the Sarstoon River confrontation between the Belize Territorial Volunteers and the Guatemalan Navy.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow, in a prime ministerial press conference to address the expedition to Sarstoon Island, say, that "an extremely strong protest note" had been sent. Well, Senator Shoman disclosed some of the wording of that note and declared that it was weak.
Lloyd Jones, a former BDF major seized on his new platform as politician to criticize the government's foreign policy with Guatemala. Here's what he had to say about that and the current political upheaval in that country:
Major Lloyd Jones - PUP Standard Bearer, BRN
"I think the protest note reflects precisely the kind of cowardly behavior that we see coming out of the Barrow administration with respect to Guatemala. Mr. Barrow is bombastic when it comes to the Belizean people, but the shudders in fear when it comes to the Guatemalans. What we need in this country is a leader who is smart, but fearless and will have Guatemala understand that they cannot continue to bully us. At some point we are going to have to stand up as a people, otherwise this kind of behavior is going to continue and it will only get worse."
Daniel Ortiz
"From the mind of a military person, what are the considerations one makes when the political directorate in that country is in upheaval due to the scandal? The president is currently in jail and so the military commanders must be the ones who keep things stabilized as well as to continue their mandate on our borders. How does that play into the dynamics between Belize and Guatemala, our militaries? Should we worry that they will become more aggressive?"
Major Lloyd Jones - PUP Standard Bearer, BRN
"I think that from a strategic point of view, it is always troubling when there is such great disturbances politically in any country. Guatemala has a history of the military thinking and acting on its own. That becomes compounded in the absence of political leadership. As so therefore that has to be a concerned. The engagement between the BDF and the Guatemalan armed forces must continue and we should ne looking for assurances from them that their behavior will not fall to far from the norm. But is has to concern us and I think that the national security council must remained engaged in this process and keep a watchful eye on the events as they transpire in Guatemala."
Guatemala held the first round of its 2015 General Elections yesterday. The results show that Jimmy Morales, of the National Convergence Front Party, is in the lead with 24.14 per cent of the vote. Sandra Torres - who is Narda Garcia's sister is in a virtual tie with Manuel Baldizón, of the Renewed Democratic Liberty party. They both got about 19% of the vote. The top two finishers will move unto the second round of the elections in October, when a new president will be elected.
Resigned President Otto Perez Molina is in Matamoros Military prison in Guatemala City, awaiting trial for corruption charges.
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