And while Vernon is working the European diplomatic channels to advance Belize's arguments and quietly build consensus, another CARICOM state is not being so cautious about the ICJ. Venezuela is claiming two thirds of Guyana - and, earlier this year Guyana got UN approval to take the case to the ICJ. This is significant because it is the only one before the ICJ that is comparable to Belize, insofar as one country is claiming a large part of another, in this case Guyana could lose two thirds of its territory. So, why are they so eager to go to the ICJ with so much at stake? We asked Vernon:
Guyana and Venezuela have been given deadlines by the ICJ to file their cases, but thus far, Venezuela has decided to boycott the process. The US recently made news by shifting its position on the issue, and siding with Guyana. We should note that a huge oil reserve is in the contested area.
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