Guatemala is preparing for its ICJ Referendum on Sunday - and all kinds of mixed messages are being sent out. First, at the official level, there was this event on the 8th and 9th of April in Guatemala City called "The Belizean and Guatemalan Garifuna Culture as an Expression of Social Cohesion, Intercultural Dialogue and Promotion of Peace." It featured dance and cultural presentations, quote, "meant to showcase the historical coexistence of the communities living on the borders of Livingston and Puerto Barrios, Izabal, Guatemala, and the Toledo and Stann Creek Districts of Belize."
And while they performed in some of Guatemala City's busiest outdoor venues proudly displaying their African ancestry, a sinister and racist counterpoint to that was simultaneously playing at the Great Hall of the National Theater, which is like their version of the Bliss Center, but one a much larger and grander scale.
A local theater company put off a musical called "Good Bye Belize?" - which features Guatemalan actors in blackface - considered a very offensive way for non black actors to perform the caricature of a black person. The practice was common in the US over a hundred years ago, where it was used to spread racial stereotypes. Well, now it has hit Guatemala in a play that was first written 47 years ago. It has been updated as part of the publicity for the April 15 consultation.
And while that offensive display was showing at the national theater, on Guatemala media and Facebook - citizens could see this ad, basically a brochure view of Belize, encouraging Guatemalans to vote yes because, if they do, all these beaches could be for them. Historians would call it delusional, but that is the popular sales pitch going into Sunday's referendum.
And, on the same subject in Belize, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is backtracking from the remarks made last week by Foreign Minister Hon. Wilfred Elrington. In an interview he suggested that the Guatemalans would go to another referendum after the ICJ renders a decision. But, that's inaccurate; the truth is that the terms of Special Agreement of December 2008, should the electorates of Belize and Guatemala approve the submission of Guatemala's claim on Belize to the International Court of Justice for a final settlement, there can be no question of another referendum on the Court's ruling. That ruling would be final and binding.
That clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came late this afternoon, and earlier in the morning, we had spoken with Eamon Courtenay, the PUP's lead senator about it. Here's what he had to say about the grave misunderstanding:
Eamon Courtenay, Attorney
"The position as far as the People's United Party is concerned is very clear. 1) There is no provision in the Guatemalan constitution or other law in Guatemala that provides for a referendum to approve a decision of the ICJ. So what Minister Elrington said is incorrect. And I would be very surprise to learn that Ambassador Rosado would have advised him that that is the provision in the Guatemalan constitution, because there is no such provision. There is no way that any party would agree to go to court to resolve a dispute whether at the ICJ or anywhere else and then have a final and binding dispute issued and then subject it to a referendum for approval whether or not the party accept the results. There are 2 quick points to make; first of all the ICJ where it seeks to resolve a dispute, one of the conditions set out in the treaty is that the parties must accept the result. So you can't come to them for a resolution of a dispute and say we will decide after the fact whether we will accept the dispute. Secondly, the special agreement itself says the parties agree that the decision will be final and binding. So this notion that Guatemala will then have a second referendum is just flat wrong."
7NEws will have coverage of Sunday's referendum in Guatemala.
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