But, of course, the change in administration in Washington is much bigger than just deportations. There's an entire shift in the foreign police outlook of the United States and ambassador young told Cherisse Halsall that Belize will just have to wait and see which way its number one trading partner goes:
Lynn Young, Belize Ambassador to the United States To the Organization of American States
"It's very rare for a president who has lost an election to come back and get re-elected, so it is very significant. And of course, as we all know, the events in the world today are, well, historical. The situation in Europe, the situation in the Middle East, the migration problems within the region, the situation in Haiti, and the situation in Central America-these are all unprecedented. I would say that in recent times, it has been far more difficult than at any other time in my lifetime, for sure."
"In that sense, President Trump is taking over the presidency at a very crucial time in the world. So yes, even from that perspective, it's historic."
"This particular president does not show his hand, so you don't always know when he's serious about what he's doing. He's hard to read. If nothing else, I think we know there will be a lot of uncertainty, and we must remain flexible, especially on a bilateral basis with the United States."
"The U.S. is our biggest trading partner. Our diaspora in the U.S. is the largest group of Belizeans outside the country, and the remittances back home are huge for us. U.S. policies affect us in terms of immigration and international crime. U.S. leadership is essential, not just for Belize but throughout the region."
"We must watch carefully to see what changes in policy might be enacted. The media reports many things, but at the end of the day, what actually gets implemented is what truly matters. For Belize, in the next few months, we need to engage at both the multilateral and bilateral levels to understand how the new administration plans to implement its policies."
"Honestly, I don't think any of the policies are directly aimed at Belize, but there will be spillover effects that we'll have to manage."
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