Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, today updated Amandala on the Government of Belize’s foreign relations role with regard to Belizeans held in Mexico on accusations of possessing illegal firearms and attempted murder.
As we had reported last week, Mexican officials had detained three Belizean security guards – Martin Miller, David Gomez, and Curlin Thompson, along with George Hardie, Jr., an American of Las Vegas Casino, after an armed confrontation with a group of Mexicans on the Belize side of the border.
Elrington told Amandala that as soon as he arrived in the country yesterday he contacted his CEO, Alexis Rosado, and he was informed that the matter is being dealt with very efficiently.
Mike Bejos, Belize’s Minister Consular to Mexico, had been sent to Mexico to ensure that the persons detained from Belize are being accorded all the courtesies they are entitled to under international law, said Elrington. He added that Government officials can’t interfere in the process, and it would not be proper for them to negotiate to try and influence Mexico’s own legal process.
Elrington acknowledged that there is a treaty between Belize and Mexico for convicted Belizeans, to allow for Belizeans serving sentences under certain circumstances to serve the remainder of their term here at home – but, he noted, the men in question have not yet been convicted of anything and are still being investigated.
Elrington noted that this is not the first time Belizeans have had run-ins with law enforcement authorities in Mexico and in fact, there are Belizeans currently serving time in Mexico. Similarly, Mexicans have been remanded for breaking laws here in Belize, he added.
What is different this time around, he said, is because we are dealing with a high profile case because of the persons involved.
“There in Mexico, you are deemed to be guilty and you prove yourself innocent,” said the Attorney General. “Here in Belize, you are deemed to be innocent until proven guilty. It’s very complicated. It’s not easy at all to deal with legal matters in Mexico. So in my own personal case, I am very careful when I go across there.”
Even in traveling to do business in Mexico, said Elrington, he does not drive in Mexico, but prefers to park his vehicle on the Belize side of the border, and take a Mexican taxi or bus.
Addressing the controversy over Government’s decision to recall Rafael Chavez as Belize’s Honorary Consul to Quintana Roo, the Attorney General told our newspaper, “Cabinet took the decision two to three months ago to remove him and replace him with another person.”
However, said Elrington, he was just told yesterday that that person has dual nationality and that complicates matters, because some foreign governments do not like to endorse foreign diplomats who are also nationals of their country.
Cabinet Secretary, James Murphy, told us that about a month ago, the Government of Belize indicated to the Government of Mexico that they would like to have Belizean Jorge Valencia replace Chavez, but his appointment requires the approval of that country.
Rosado, Elrington’s CEO, said that while the issue of dual nationality is vital in the case of diplomats, consuls are allowed to serve with dual status.
Elrington told us that the issue of dual nationality came up in the case of Belize’s Consul General in California, Roland Yorke, who, he said, did a very patriotic thing two weeks ago in giving up his US citizenship to serve in that diplomatic capacity for the Government of Belize.
Yorke, said Elrington, had lived in the States for over 30 years.