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Up to yesterday, OAS Secretary General Miguel Insulza had visited every country in the Americas except Belize. But he came yesterday for a two day visit, on the invitation of Prime Minister Dean Barrow. And trust us, Insulza is not just another diplomat. As the man in charge of the OAS, he is the lynchpin in the ongoing progress between Belize and Guatemala. It the OAS which recommended that both countries take their territorial difference to the International Court of Justice for final settlement. At a press conference today, he discussed that course of action.

Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General, Organization of the American States
“My advice to both countries was to go to solve their dispute at the International Court of Justice. The reason for doing this is that the court is most prestigious in the world and the one that gives more guarantees to more countries although we have identified that both Belize and Guatemala have signed their statute. The ruling by the International Court of Justice will settle this issue forever and therefore both Belize and Guatemala could enjoy good friendship in a secure and safe borders. So the next thing to do is what they are doing now; the countries have to meet and decide exactly what is the quota or terms of the decision to go to court and write them down in a treaty, in an agreement and that agreement I understand have to be approved by the congress or parliament of both countries and then taken to a referendum.”

Hon. Sedi Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“Actually the prospects are very good. The only possible snag we could find in respect to this process is if the Guatemalan Congress disagrees with the initiative. Outside of that, if in fact they agree we should go to the ICJ, I don’t see the Belizean people saying we should not go. So once that is done then we’ll go.

Our case seems to be one that is extremely good but apart from that we cannot have the situation whereby people continue to come into your country and we are virtually helpless to prevent them from coming in. Over the last two years thousands of acres have been cut down by the border, xateros are all over the country, lots of farming is being done by Guatemalans, trees are being fell, lumber cut, and we really don’t have the resources to keep the Guatemalans out and the situation is compounded by argument taken by Guatemala that they don’t recognize our western border. They say that the 1859 treaty was not a border treaty and even if it were, it was entered into unlawfully and they are not going to be bound by it and so it is their view now that we don’t have a western border and unless and until we can define a western border, and police it with the help of friends abroad, we will continue to have problems.”

Jules Vasquez,
So from your perspective, if I can rephrase what you said, it is a matter of urgency that we go to the ICJ?

Hon. Sedi Elrington,
“It is a matter of urgency that we take steps that can bring an end to this problem.”

And while it is a matter of domestic urgency in Belize, it is far less so in Guatemala, and as was alluded to by Elrington – President Alvaro Colom is expected to have difficulties having his congress endorse a simultaneous, bi-national referendum. Secretary General Insulza says the matter crosses political lines and he remains optimistic.