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Belize and Guatemala amend Special Agreement

By on May 25, 2015
Belize and Guatemala amend Special Agreement

Belize and Guatemala amend Special Agreement

San Ignacio town, Cayo. Monday, May 25, 2015. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington and his Guatemalan counterpart Carlos Morales today signed an amendment to the Compromis or Special Agreement signed in 2008 in Washington, D.C.

That Special Agreement provided that both Belize and Guatemala would hold a simultaneous referendum on whether or not the centuries old claim by Guatemala to over half of Belize’s territory should be submitted to the International Court of Justice, ICJ, for final resolution.

The amendment which was signed today allows Guatemala to proceed with a unilateral referendum later this year.

The signing was witnessed by outgoing Secretary General of the Organization of American States Jose Miguel Insulza and the incoming Secretary General Luis Almagro.

According to the Prensa Libre newspaper, “the lack of agreement on legal issues” was the reason why Guatemala backed out of the previously planned October 6, 2013 simultaneous referendum.

As Prensa Libre reported today, Guatemala recognized Belize as an Independent nation in September, 1991, but Guatemala maintained its territorial, insular and maritime claim.

The Opposition People’s United Party, (PUP) withdrew its support for today’s signing by Minister Elrington did not have a representative in the delegation that traveled to Guatemala City for today’s signing of the amendment to the Special Agreement.

One Comment

  1. Jim

    May 25, 2015 at 4:11 pm

    How can one nation vote on another nations nationhood. The only people entitled to decide what happens with Belize is the Belizean people.

    Reply

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