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So, is he still reminding his peers in Cabinet of Belize's trade obligations to the Caribbean Community in the context of the Guyanese Rice issue? That's what we asked him today, and he this time around, he appeared to have walked back significantly from his strident position in March of last year. When he put the question to him directly, he carefully toed the line of the official position from the Government. Here's that back-and-forth:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"Fortunately for me I was parted to discussion with cabinet on Tuesday in which we got details of the issue and it seems to me that what really transpired what that the importer proceeded to import the rice without getting the requisite permission from BAHA. That is like a person wanting to import guns into the country, but don't get a license from the commission of police to bring in the guns. That cannot be allowed, because it is not following the legal process."

Daniel Ortiz
"What the importer says in this situation, he says he has done everything he could have done, was possible in his power to get that permit and that it was your government who took the position that he would not be granted that permission to import the rice. Was not that he was acting beyond the law or acting in contravention of the law. He went through the process and the government took this position."

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"Well you know, he'd be free to say what he wants and I think it is good that he has an opportunity to ventilate his own position. But the information I got officially seem to accord to with what took place in the court, where he went to court and the court said look, you had not gone through the proper procedure. I have been in contact with the foreign minister from Guyana on the matter. They don't have any real problems. We have explained to them what is taking place. They understand fully what the situation is. So they don't have a problem with it. They understand that you have procedures that need to be followed."

Today, the grassroots organization, COLA, released a statement on the issue saying that it, quote, "respects the decision of the Supreme Court that Mr. Jack Charles went about things the wrong way in his effort to bring in imported rice from Guyana." The statement adds, "that does not give the Customs Department the right to destroy Mr. Charles' rice, not when there are many other uses for it.

Mr. Charles should first of all be given an opportunity to re-export his rice at his own expense. Should he not comply, then COLA believes that the rice should be tested, and if it is found not to be contaminated, then it should not be destroyed, but instead distributed free of cost to school feeding programs, poor Belizeans and others who can best make use of it…" End quote.

And, this time around, COLA appears to have thrown Charles completely under the bus. Their release continues, "…We do not believe Mr. Charles should be compensated in this circumstance, as while his intentions were good, his methods were poor, and he should not receive different treatment from the average wrongdoer…" End Quote.