Belize has had four Prime Ministers in its history - and now, all three who are still living have come out saying they will vote yes to the ICJ.
Right Honourable's Said Musa and Dean Barrow have made their positions well known - and, now, Right Honourable Sir Manuel Esquivel has done the same.
Today at his home, the 78 year old Esquivel told Jules Vasquez why his long history with the Guatemalan claim tells him this is the best and simplest opportunity Belize will have to end the dispute:
Sir Manuel Esquivel (Rt. Hon) - Two Term Prime Minister
"A yes without any hesitation."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Explained to me why you have arrived at such a hard and fast position?"
Sir Manuel Esquivel (Rt. Hon) - Two Term Prime Minister
"Because we have in various forms tried all different things, none of which made much sense and the only reason why we are in this position now is that we have manage to reduce it down a yes or no and having done that - that's great. We are not going to get better than that."
We also asked Esquivel about the political climate surrounding the referendum. It's become strictly politically polarized: UDP saying yes, and the PUP saying no.
Esquivel says PUP Leader John Briceno bungled an opportunity:..
Sir Manuel Esquivel (Rt. Hon) - Two Term Prime Minister
"Both parties were in the same position until Briceno decided he needed to save his head and went no, because people in his party was so tenuis that he had no choice but to say no and so he ended up saying we'll alright no then. Which is a hell of a way to make a decision."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"In 1992 you were leader of the opposition and you made a decision along with your deputy leader at the time to go with the PUP and take a bipartisan support of the maritime areas act. You had to know that this would cause a great splintering in your party and it did."
Sir Manuel Esquivel (Rt. Hon) - Two Term Prime Minister
"It did, because as with the case with Briceno, with our case we had this Baymen - loyal and patriotic - nothing would satisfy. So in that case if you know you cannot win either way, well then you must take the decision of what you want it to be. You can't say well alright so what you think then. No."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"With the historical context of how you handled that, making a hard decision to no placate. What do you make of how Mr. Briceno has handled his decision when he reached that same rubicon?"
Sir Manuel Esquivel (Rt. Hon) - Two Term Prime Minister
"Well he didn't have enough cards to play. I think I was lucky enough to have cards to play."
Tomorrow we'll have more from Esquivel about that critical time in the UDP's history, 1992, when a faction of the party - including Phillip Goldson and Derek Aikman splintered to form the National Alliance for Belizean Rights.
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