Opposition Chides G.O.B. Over Lack of Sarstoon Protocol

Last week, we told you about the faceoff between members of the Belize Territorial Volunteers and the Guatemalan Armed Forces in Belizean territory on the Sarstoon River. Over the years, there have been numerous reports of these confrontations with no solution in sight, except for a ruling from the International Court of Justice. It is an issue that the Leader of the Opposition raised in his State of the Nation address. But how would he resolve tension on the Sarstoon?

 

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“Being candid and taking principled positions, to me and being consistent is what we would hope from the government.  I can assure you that when the prime minister met with the president of Guatemala, Sarstoon was not on the agenda. The continued aggression in our waters was not on the agenda. They are more concerned with being friends and being polite and exchanging niceties. When you don’t have to be rude, you don’t have to go to Guatemala and declare war. But you have to say, listen, this is what we need. I promised Belizeans that I would have a Sarstoon Protocol, let’s work this out. Let’s come to a solution. I need to deliver this for my people. I need to protect my BDF. I need to protect my Coast Guard. I need to protect civilians that want to traverse our waters. Let’s figure this out. But we have not seen any deliverables. Again, the Prime Minister went to Mexico begging the outgoing Mexican president and said that he agreed to give us the twenty-five megawatts.  That has not happened yet. So what the prime minister knows how to do is to try to shape narratives and deceive the people. So, he will have the drums playing, the marching band, the BDF marching, all of this pomp and circumstance. But what is the reality? I actually wanted to do my speech from Pound Yard, right at the bridge. In a rubber boot, because that is the reality. That is where the reality is, putting forward this theater, when the reality for Belizeans is far from what he’s saying. And it’s not me just making it up.”