Photo: Belize Barrier Reef 

In a letter to Oceana’s president Keith Addis, Prime Minister Briceno reiterated his government’s support of the current moratorium on offshore oil exploration. He also called the Oceana petition drive unnecessary. Oceana has responded by calling for the enshrinement of the ban in law before it stops gathering signatures.

by Marco Lopez 

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Dec. 8, 2022 

After Oceana Belize’s vice president, Janelle Chanona, informed the Belizean public that the government planned to engage in seismic testing and announced that Oceana would be conducting a petition drive in an effort to compel the government to set up a legislative mechanism that would require GoB to consult the Belizean public via referendum before carrying out any offshore exploration, there was seemingly some type of breakdown in the working relationship between Chanona and Prime Minister John Briceno. Briceno had told reporters that he considered Chanona’s decision to publicly divulge what they discussed to be “dishonorable” and a breach of trust, and suggested that her claims that the government was possibly setting the stage for oil drilling were dishonest. It was perhaps the strained relations between the two that led the Prime Minister this week to send a letter regarding the petition, not to Chanona, but to her boss, the president of the Oceana board of directors, Keith Addis. In that letter, Prime Minister John Briceno called the petition drive which Oceana is currently conducting unnecessary and instead urged the organization to re-engage with the Belize government in good faith. 

In the first portion of his letter, PM Briceno stated, “The Government of Belize, through this open letter to you, seeks to reiterate its policy position with regard to oil exploration in general and seismic testing in particular. Public clarity is necessary because of recent representations made by Oceana Belize on this important subject, representations which we deem precipitate. First, as you know, there is currently a prohibition on offshore petroleum operations enacted by the National Assembly in 2017, which as Leader of the Opposition, I had actively supported…. The Government reaffirms its support for this law which is binding upon the State.”

He then placed on paper what seemed to be a pledge which he says his administration had made on a number of occasions: that “any change to the existing prohibition on offshore petroleum operations would arise only with the support from a majority of Belizeans by way of a national referendum.”

The PM further went on to state that no government department or ministry “has or proposed to authorize offshore seismic testing without alteration of the existing prohibition.” He did not state, however, how such alterations would or could come about. The 2017 Moratorium on offshore exploration was legislated in the Petroleum Operations (Maritime Zone Moratorium) Act, 2017, which prevents the government and any other person or corporate bodies from doing any exploration activity in Belize’s ocean space. In his letter, PM Briceno said that he continues to support the ban.

Finally, and significantly, the Prime Minister indicated to the head of the Oceana board of directors that what was stated in the letter “supersedes any prior state or inferences” and represents a written assurance of the government’s policy stance on the matter. His letter adds that his administration has embraced the cause of marine conservation over the last two years, and he made mention of the conservation efforts being carried out as part of the Blue Bond agreement with The Nature Conservancy, as well as a number of other conservation initiatives being undertaken by the government.

“In the circumstances and with the assurances provided herein, the Cabinet and I consider the referendum proposed by Ocenana Belize to be unnecessary. Instead, it would be best for us to re-engage meaningfully and in good faith, and to refocus on those many marine conservation challenges that require collaborative action now,” the PM’s letter stated

The comments in his letter indeed seemed to be solid reassurance, but nonetheless, are not necessarily legally binding — something that Oceana Belize’s vice president, Janelle Chanona, noted in a response she sent to the Prime Minister. In her letter, she expressed appreciation for the reassurance provided by the PM’s statement. But Chanona suggested that more than words would be required to get the organization to abruptly stop the petition. What Chanona requested in the letter was that the Briceno administration provide proof of its commitment to not carry out oil exploration without a referendum by making it a legal requirement for a referendum to be conducted prior to such exploration.

PM Briceno has, in previous public statements, said that at some point the government will be compelled to engage in seismic testing offshore to determine what resources lie within Belize’s ocean space, within the exclusive economic zones, for leveraging purposes during negotiations with nations and international entities that might be willing to pay the country not to engage in drilling.

While Chanona, in the letter sent on December 7 to the PM, states that she is heartened by the Prime Minister’s reaffirmation of support for the offshore oil moratorium in his correspondenc,e she noted in the letter that Oceana Belize is committed to joining “fellow citizens in reiterating the resolve to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes to protect the tens of thousands of livelihoods that depend on the integrity of our natural environment.”

She went on to remind him that “In 2011, 2012, 2016 and now in 2022, Belizeans have come out in the thousands to publicly exercise their right to have a say in what happens next with offshore oil.”

She further stated, “In respect of such sensational people power, and in the context of expressed bi-partisan support for a national referendum before any change is made to the existing prohibition on offshore petroleum operations, we look forward to meeting with you and your team to discuss how existing legislation can be amended to include a referendum.”

She stated that by putting legislation in place that would bind the current administration to its purported pledge, the government will ensure that the Belizean people are afforded transparency in regard to the issue of oil exploration well into the future. Such a move by the government, she said, would be “deserving of global recognition”.

Vice President Chanona gave an assurance that once the amendments are made to the relevant legislations, “the continuation of our current signature drive would be unnecessary,” adding, “Like you, I too look forward to identifying opportunities for collaborating with your administration on the extensive list of challenges confronting our marine resources.” 

The organization awaits a response from GoB.