BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Dec. 3, 2020– The COVID-19 pandemic remains the hot topic across the country, while more heavy rains yesterday further aggravated an already serious flooding situation in many areas, particularly the Belize River Valley villages.

While the hurricane season officially ended on Monday, November 30, with Belize only sustaining minor damage from Nana in the southern districts, and associated flooding from other major hurricanes, there was significant destruction from hurricane winds, flooding and mudslides in parts of Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala from recent back-to-back category 4 hurricanes, Eta and Iota.

Now, as a result of the flooding, which destroyed many crops in the fields, there is a growing shortage of food crops, especially vegetables and red beans, along with rising prices at the local markets.

Add to that the persistent crime problem, as joblessness and hunger amidst suspension of the Food Pantry/Food Basket program has led to increased tension among various gangs in different parts of the city.

With the pandemic almost at the point of overwhelming our local hospitals, the Police Department is stretched thin in battling crime while trying to help enforce quarantine and mask-wearing among the citizenry, even as more and more of their officers are testing positive, and a second officer just succumbed to the virus a couple days ago.

Despite all that is going wrong, “Crismos di cohn,” and Belizeans welcome the positive distraction, even if it may look like escapism, that the season brings traditionally — a time of peace and sharing the “good tidings of great joy.”

Things could be worse, and many are ready to embrace anything that could take our minds off the stress of this persistent battle against an invisible but deadly enemy that has caused us to stop even the playing of outdoor sports.

It is in these circumstances that we pause to take note of a matter we seem to have forgotten, and that only a year and a half ago was the number one item on the agenda for our daily news cycle – the ICJ.

We realize that the deadline is only five days away for Guatemala to file its case against Belize at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

A perusal of the ICJ website shows nothing lately from Guatemala, and we could find no mention of their claim being filed in their local publication, Prensa Libre.

On April 15, 2018, with a low voter turnout (around 25%), Guatemalans voted overwhelmingly in favor (95%) of taking their claim against Belize to the ICJ for final resolution, and on May 8, 2019, after a very contentious campaign, a majority of Belizean voters (55%) voted YES to go to the ICJ and have them decide finally upon Guatemala’s claim to our territory.

Guatemala was due to file her claim on June 8, 2020, with Belize scheduled to respond with our position a year later on June 8, 2021, but on April 8, Guatemala asked for a one-year delay, claiming setbacks in their preparation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court agreed to a six-month postponement, and in a press release on April 24, 2020, it declared that the new date for Guatemala to file her “Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim” against Belize would be December 8, 2020; with Belize required to respond on June 8, 2022.

So, despite all else that is going on around us, Belizeans are reminded of the stark reality of our existential crisis, as we wait during the remaining few days for our western neighbor to “lay her cards on the table.”

We are at this point because a majority of brave hearts determined we couldn’t wait any longer to finally remove this disgusting thorn from our side.

So, Belizeans’ simple message to Guatemala right now is, “Put up, or shut up!”