Turning now to Belize - Guatemala relations. It made major news earlier this week when we learned that the Taiwanese had agreed to a 650 million US dollar support package with the Guatemalans. The money will be used to extend the "Jacobo Arbenz" 4-lane freeway to Puerto Barrios - which happens to be a fulfillment of the commitment in the 1859 Aycinena-Wyke Treaty between Guatemala and Great Britain. The British never fulfilled their end of the deal - which was to build the road - which is the basis of today's territorial dispute. And now, in an odd twist of history, the Taiwanese will do so, almost by accident.
But, there's no direct benefit to Belize - because it does nothing to change Guatemala's territorial claim to half the country.
So what does it mean for Belize's relations with Guatemala and Taiwan? And for Guatemala and Belize, with this road coming right up to Belize's southern doorstep?
Today we asked the experts at a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefing. Newly installed CEO Pat Andrews says they are looking at it:...
Pat Andrews, CEO - Foreign Affairs
"We are in this moment here making an analysis of what potential impact this could have on Belize for trade and for development, on the borders, on Jalacte and all that area that concerns this."
H.E. Alexis Rosado, BZ Ambassador to Guatemala
"My own view is that in the world that we live in today, we're talking about connectivity, connectivity generally, with technology, with infrastructure, and so forth, and this is just another example of countries...here in Belize we see a lot of investment in infrastructure, roads, and so forth...Guatemala Central America doing the same thing."
"It is an eventuality that should we wish to benefit from trade, commerce, investment and so forth we have to be connected. So, sooner or later, we could either miss the boat, or the boat will continue moving. I think that what Guatemala is doing in this case is that they are improving their networks of roads. It's not that the road wasn't there; it was always there, what they're doing is that they're improving it. It's good for them, they have two ports on their Atlantic Coast, Puerto Barrios, Santo Tomas, it should be good for their business. To what extent we will use it as an opportunity or use it as a threat that is something that is left up to us."
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