1. The ICJ does NOT guarantee that Belize will remain with all its territory intact as it is since Belize became a Crown Colony in 1862 and after it became Independent in 1981.
2. Going to ICJ is like buying lottery (boledo). We may win but we may LOSE. We have proof of many court cases where injustice prevails; the innocent are found guilty and the guilty walk away free. We stand a good chance of winning; however, IF WE LOSE, WE WILL LOSE OUR LAND. Our country is too much to lose. We simply cannot, and will not take that chance.
3. Belize is a sovereign nation member of United Nations. Even Guatemala accepted this fact although reluctantly. Guatemala cannot be trusted because they always change their position in their claim with time.
4. The determination of the Belizean people WAS, IS, AND WILL always be: To be a Sovereign and Independent Nation with ALL ITS TERRITORY INTACT.
5. Neither Guatemala nor Spain ever occupied or settled in Belize, NEVER. Guatemala has NEVER EVER had legal rights over the territory, nation of Belize.
6. Whenever Spain attacked to expel the British from this land, all 5 attacks (including the last, which was called the Battle of St. George’s Caye in 1798) came from the Captaincy of Yucatan, Mexico; NEVER from Guatemala. If they didn’t bother to defend this land it is because it DID NOT BELONG TO THEM.
7. Belize is not a piece of barren land. Belize is a country of people. These people, BELIZEANS, have always owned this land. Belizeans DO NOT WANT TO BE A PART OF GUATEMALA.
8. Probabilities are so high that Belize has a large reserve of petroleum; for that reason Guatemala started with their nonsensical, unfounded claim once more.
9. Guatemala is a poor nation, so poor that some people have been dying of hunger there. This may happen to Belizeans once we are incorporated to Guatemala. We can’t even think about it. In addition, they are racists. They have killed thousands upon thousands of their indigenous people. General Efrain Rios Montt, ex-president of Guatemala, was taken to court because he was one of the most vicious genocide perpetrators in Guatemala.
10. ICJ cannot stop Guatemala from continuing to claim Belize. If the decision happens to be in favor of Belize, they can and will continue their unfounded claim. They will continue their claim because the Constitution of Guatemala says Belize is for them. So ICJ’s decision won’t change that.
11. If Belize does NOT go to ICJ, WE LOSE NOTHING; however, if we do go and GUATEMALA WINS THE CASE, WE WILL LOSE PART OF BELIZE, FROM SIBUN RIVER TO THE SARSTOON.
12. Do you want Belize to disappear as a nation? From Sibun River to Sarstoon River will be for Guatemala. In addition, although Mexico is not claiming Belize; BUT if the division is done, should Guatemala win the case, then Mexico automatically is by that decision owner of the rest of Belize, from Sibun River to Rio Hondo. This means BELIZE WILL NO LONGER BE!
13. There will be a severe psychological, cultural and language mal-adjustment and trauma for the people if the southern part of Belize is given to Guatemala which will take decades to overcome, if it can actually be overcome.
14. Do Belizeans in the west and south want to belong to Guatemala??? If yes, go to ICJ. If NOT, SAY NO, NO, NO TO ICJ.
15. This is an Anglo- Guatemalan Dispute. “Anglo” means British. How come Belize is now in it, and at stake??? Let Britain solve their dispute with Guatemala, if there is any. HOWEVER, THEY MUST RESPCECT OUR TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE TOO. Belize DID NOT, CANNOT INHERIT THE DISPUTE. Belize is INDEPENDENT with defined boundaries. United Nations accepted Belize as a nation, because it is a nation, SEPARATE FROM GUATEMALA. Belize got its independence from England, not from Guatemala.
16. We CANNOT trust ICJ because they have ulterior interests, backed up by a couple powerful nations WHO WANT BELIZE TO BE A PART OF GUATEMALA.
17. Government of Belize has not had the courage, the “BALLS” to tell Guatemala in a firm way that their claim is unfounded and void, that Belize will NEVER relinquish a square centimeter of our land. On the contrary, they allow Guatemala to take the initiative to say what will be done.
18. Guatemala failed to ratify the treaty within the stipulated 6 months done in 1862 with the British, and when they did, she (Guatemala) was informed by the British Government that the treaty had lapsed with Guatemala’s failure to meet its requirements and that Great Britain would NOT COMPLY with it.
Anyway, Belize got its independence from England but IF a crooked, unbiased, unjust decision comes up WE WILL NOT RELINQUISH OUR LAND. We had our independence from England and WE WILL DEMAND IT FROM GUATEMALA AS WELL. BELIZE IS FOR BELIZEANS!!!
BELIZEANS SAY NO, NO, NO TO ICJ!!!