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It took 41 months – almost three and a half years – but the Guatemalan Congress has finally approved a partial scope trade agreement with Belize. As the term “partial scope” implies, the agreement will allow for the trade in a limited list of specific items, such as rice, beans, cattle and other commodities that are to each country’s mutual advantage.

It couldn’t come at a better time for Guatemala as there is a massive drought-induced food shortage in that country; in short, many of their people are on the brink of starving. But there are greater lessons in this signing than timeliness and expediency.
First of all, three years! That should be an indication of how long it takes a treaty involving Belize to get through the Guatemalan Congress. It was passed in Belize’s parliament within months of its signing in June of 2006 – but it’s taken more than three years to wend its way through that country’s congress. And that’s because the agreement is probably the first bi-lateral agreement between Belize and Guatemala and sovereign equals.

And that’s the other lesson: Godwin Hulse who co-chaired the negotiations says he is surprised that it has gotten the approval of the Guatemalan Congress because he thought never thought it would never be signed. And he though that because implicit in the agreement is the understanding that Guatemala recognizes Belize as a sovereign nation – and that the trade will be across borders.

But Hulse adds that aside form the emotionalism of it, the agreement is really a logical progression, because as neighbours their will always be trade across Belize’s borders as a practical necessity. According to a release from the Guatemalan Embassy in Belize it will come into force on October 21st.