The Editor Amandala
March 26th, 2013

Dear Sir,

It is amazing that in this age of instant communication the Guatemala Minister of Foreign Affairs, Señor Fernando Carrera, realizing that a “family emergency” which required his presence, would not have informed his Belizean counterpart or even his OAS handlers that he would not be in Washington DC on Sunday, March 17, thereby allowing the Belize delegation to abort their mission saving time, money and the resulting embarrassment to our Foreign Minister and by extension to the independent country of Belize.

There is little doubt that Guatemala has suffered a diplomatic “black eye” by this insult, but that is the price they are prepared to pay for what seems to be the new tactic, that of propagandizing their unfounded claim via bogus maps and the stepping up of the indoctrination of their next generation of school children. We should take these as a tactical warning of the repeat modus operandi from the past.

My experience over the last fifty years was that when Guatemalans in authority could not have their own way they resent it and become peeved or “piqued” by our response. For example, when in the 60’s our Post Office returned all mail from Guatemala which had postage stamps depicting Belize as a part of their territory, they resorted to “rubber stamp” their propaganda on the back of the envelopes.

Finally, my current opinion on the proposed Referenda of October 6th, this year, is that if they cannot be done simultaneously as agreed, then there should be no referenda.

Sincerely,
(Signed) Compton Fairweather