P.U.P. Supporters Protest at Battlefield Park

While the Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin heard arguments after the P.U.P. filed an application for an interim injunction to halt the referendum on April tenth, outside the courtroom the P.U.P supporters gathered. They were bussed in from the districts to the Battlefield Park under the banner “Vote No to the I.C.J.” According to Leader John Briceño, about a thousand persons showed up to support the party’s position and the legal case against the government. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo reports.

Hipolito Novelo, Reporting

While the P.U.P.’s legal team battled G.O.B.’s legal representation inside the courtroom of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin, outside at Battlefield Park, P.U.P. supporters gathered. They were there to support their party’s position.

P.U.P. Supporter 1

“What I want they to do is to stop the agreement, put an injunction on it and stop. We need more time. How will we just run to the I.C.J. and vote? That does not make sense.”

P.U.P. Supporter 2

“It is a very special decision to think about it because even though we go to court, we Belizeans will pay for the court. It will come out from our taxes and it is still affecting us in a way or another. “

The party bussed supporters from all six districts.  Among the group were those who claim to have been disenfranchised and as a result, will not be able to vote on April tenth.

P.U.P. Supporter 2

“This is something that will affect every Belizeans and our kids and everybody in this country of Belizean. It is important for us to say no to the I.C.J. because this decision will affect every Belizean in this country.”

P.U.P. Supporter 3

“Why is it so sudden that we going to the I.C.J.? The government is signing us to go to the I.C.J.  We cannot afford to go to the I.C.J. because our country belongs to us. We are not giving a blade of grass to Guatemala.”

The group dwindled as the day went by, but Leader John Briceño says the crowd’s presence was to show the government that proceeding with the referendum on April 10th is against the best interest of the Belizean public.

John Briceño

John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader

“These are Belizeans that want to express their dissatisfaction with a government which refuses to listen to them. We had no need to be here today. If the government would have only cooperated with us because as far as 2016 I have been saying that when it comes to the issue of the Belize Guatemala claim or the unfounded claim that Guatemala has over Belize that this is something that we are suppose to be working with together, both parties, that we are suppose to be united as Belizean. It is unfortunate that we here today because we are not ready to have a referendum on the tenth of April. So the people who are out there came across the country that wanted to express their dissatisfaction and also express their support to the legal team.”

Hipolito Novelo, News Five.