Will Belize Rely on Allies for Guatemala to Respect ICJ Ruling?

The ICJ may eventually settle Belize’s territorial dispute with Guatemala on paper, but securing the border will require more than a court ruling. Prime Minister John Briceño says government is already building international support to ensure Guatemala respects the decision when it comes. As Belize awaits the judgment, officials are engaging regional partners and key allies to help protect the country’s internationally recognized boundaries and prevent future tensions.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“It will not be easy because they are hardliners like in every country. But the government will. The government has been very clear. We want a juridical solution to this problem, and that gives them a safe face mechanism to be able to say we were fighting, but ICJ said Belize is independent.” But also we’ve been doing a lot of of diplomatic work with the friends of Belize, United States of America. Canada, that the UK, the European countries like Germany Japan, all these countries, I’m talking to them. I’m preparing them for the ruling from the ICJ, that we are going to need their help to help us to be able to clean the demarcation. Our border is demo- it’s is already pegged out and it’s marked, but because of the constant aggression of Guatemala, we decided then, okay, let’s see if we could amicably resolve it between ourselves. Remember the Paul Reichler and Shira Ramphal, I think around 2004. And even the Guatemalan representative said, “Hey, you don’t have a case. This is the border.” And of course, they rejected it. And then I’m glad that we started as a UDP government and said, “Musa,” about whether we should then go for a juridical decision through the ICJ. And I commend the former Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who then said, “Okay, let’s go to the ICJ,” and we continue to support that process. And we believe that by talking to them, to our friends, that they will  help us, Mexico even in Central America, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, that they will help us to be able to ensure that that Guatemala can respect the ruling of the ICJ.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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