On Friday, she dodged our question - and she appears to have been caught off guard, but at a PUP press conference today, Schakron fought facts with fury - making an impassioned declaration of her dual nationality. She did it before a boisterous crowd at a PUP press conference, so her declaration - which could have been a quite matter of fact of thing - was lent the air of a firebrand speech at a public rally - here it is - mostly uncut:

Yolanda Schakron - PUP Candidate, Lake I - Holds US Citizenship
"First of all, I would like the Belizean people to know that I have absolutely no problem in giving up my US Citizenship. I, Yolanda Schakron, tell you, the media and the Belizean people, that I am as Belizean as 'rice and beans'. I want the people out there, the people of Lake I, to know that Yolanda will not be moved. She will stand strong. And this, I direct to Jules, my good friend. Jules, I invite you one of these days - today, tomorrow - when I am on that campaign trail out there in the Lake I division, to come with me and see the suffering of our people. The people of Lake I have been neglected for 4 years. Enough is enough. The battle has begun, and we will win this war. I want the Belizean people to know that at the age of 15, I got my papers through my parents who were residents of the United States at that time, and I am a Belizean, and I will continue to fight for the people of Belize. Dean Oliver Barrow, are you afraid of the women of this country? Well, come March 7, we will take you out of power, and we will put in the People's United Party. Thank you."

And while Schakron's icy stare-down is cold enough to deep-freeze a hot meatpie from Dario - there are practical issues which her blustery statement blows right past.

Principally, she said she has no problem renouncing her US citizenship, but she never said that she will or when she will.

So we pressed for some specifics - and here's the answer we got:

Jules Vasquez
"How long will it take? Will it take time for you to be nominated or for you - presumably, if you were to win, for you to be elected - how will it work in a practical timeframe? Have you investigated that?"

Yolanda Schakron
"I believe with the other questions, I believe that Mrs. Lisa Shoman could answer those."

Jules Vasquez
"As your lawyer?"

Yolanda Schakron
"As the lawyer for the Party."

Lisa Shoman - Director of Communications, PUP
"As to the party, we are satisfied that Mrs. Schakron's eligibility for running is - there is no issue with it. It is interesting, however, from a perspective of any lawyer, that the UDP ran Mrs. Marilyn Williams when she was a dual citizen as well, so don't worry; the same way the UDP can manage, we will manage."

Again, while we note the historical reference, the allegation against Williams by the PUP in 2003 was that she was a US permanent resident, not a citizen.

So, Shoman's oblique answer clarifies nothing. And so the matter still hangs - and there are two issues arising. First to renounce one's US citizenship, that person must appear in person before a U.S. consular or diplomatic officer, at the U.S. Embassy and sign an oath of renunciation. There is no indication from her party that this will be done or is intended to be done before nomination day on Friday, February 17th. - which is just four days away.

Second, as her passport shows, Schakron is a Guatemalan by birth - a matter in which she had no choice, but, still - at some point - to become a Belizean citizen - she would also have had to renounce her Guatemalan nationality. And - as far as we know - once that nationality is renounced there is no restriction against such a person serving in the National Assembly.

Again, for those not clear on section 58 of the constitution, "No person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives who- is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or State."