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PM Barrow Goes Hardline on Morales
posted (October 27, 2015)
We also asked the Prime Minister about Carlos Jimmy Moralez, the new President Elect of Guatemala. Moralez got 2.7 million votes or 68.7% - more than double the votes of his opponent ex- first lady Sandra Torres in Sunday's presidential election. Observers are saying his elections could affect Belize Guatemala relations. During his campaign, Moralez made it clear that he feels Belize is part of Guatemala, and his country should do all it can to retain it.

Reuters reports that Moralez quote, "floated the idea of reviving a historic land dispute with neighboring country Belize". Now does this revival mean a more aggressive and forceful approach to handling this issue? Well, PM Barrow warned that if Moralez tried that approach that he certainly wouldn't stand for it.

Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Congratulations are due to him. There is a letter that we'd prepare that I will sent to him, offering as a matter of courtesy and in view of the special circumstances that attend the fact of our being neighbors and the fact that we have their unjust territorial claim to deal with - I am sending off a letter in which I am making plain that we remain committed to a peaceful resolution of the dispute. Let make something clear. Mr. Morales is neophyte, he is a novice. He's pull off a magnificent coo in winning these elections and winning these elections so handily and for that he is to be congratulated. But he will learn that the kind of talk that we heard from him at the start with respect to Belize is absolutely unacceptable. Belize rejects that in its totality and if as I believe will be the case, those around Mr. Morales will make clear to him that to proceed in good neighborliness with Belize, to proceed on the basis on respecting Belize's territorial integrity, is the only way to go. If he realizes that or let me put it another way - the sooner president elect Morales realizes that, the better we will all be. We want to live in peace. We want to continue to live in peace. We want to settle the problems peacefully. We want to do so by diplomatic means. We will not be bullied and Mr. Morales need to lean that right. Belize will not be bullied."

The 46 year old Morales - a former television comedian - will be sworn into office in January.

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