April 24, 2019– In the life of Belize, our country, nation and home the time has come for us to reflect and know who we are, what country we live in (a “colony or an independent nation”) and the country we want to continue to live in. We are no longer a colony. We are an independent people; and “we” must shape our future to continue surviving. We will survive only when we defend and protect ourselves “together”. Guatemala knows that. United States, United Kingdom and European Union know that. They also know our weaknesses. That is why they try to get us to the ICJ. US, UK and EU know they’d get what they want. So does Guatemala.

Both at Belize’s expense.

Self-Determination:

One of the most secure ways of warding off the Guatemalan claim is for Belize to:
1. Vigorously internationalize self-determination
2. Proclaim independence and freedom from all unacceptable colonial treaties, agreements and practices
3. Forcefully pronounce owing no nation, any restitution or settlement for any pre-independence breach by alien “master” or power.
4. Fully embrace Article 1 of United Nations Charter and proclaim its  “right to self-determination & self governance”

These self-determination proclamations may require internal adjustments to update and implement, where needed, constitutional reform, moral and legal practices to convince and win regional and international allies.
To this end Belize can start to address some of its major shortcomings:

1.     The Development of Resources into Infrastructure

A.    Commerce Bight Port
1. It is the best and deepest port in the country; the only port that can be modernized to dock bigger ships, do more trade and commerce, stimulate investment, improve transportation costs, increase revenue by doing international trans-shipments to and from Southern Mexico and Guatemala with a joint population of between 50 to 60 million consumers.

B. North-South Coastal Highway
1. An opportunity study shows this highway to be feasible; it adds impetus to the concept of the Commerce Bight Port and it improves north-south traffic cost (from 106 to circa 40 miles) one-way.
2. Increases overall economic development, national economy, foreign exchange and coastal development between the north and south of the country.

II.     Shared Environmental Protection and Conservation of Exhaustible Natural Resources
e.g.  a)  Share responsibility for the reef with Stann Creek and Toledo Districts
b)  Share responsibility for fish and other wild life habitats with islands and wherever they are located
c)  Include interested agencies and NGO’s to participate
e.g.  Oceana

III.    Health Care
Increase easy access to quality health care centres nationwide to
reduce suffering and death from curable causes

IV.    National Security
1.    Increase security patrols nationwide
A. Engage border locals and residents in clearing border and work along with BDF
B. ngage Toledo in patrolling Sarstoon

V.     Equitable distribution of voting divisions to guarantee equal availability of opportunities, services, benefits and jurisdiction to all the “people” throughout the “nation”.

This would serve the people and nation much better than the commonly accepted inequity of Belize City being regarded as better and above the rest of the nation.

As a matter of fact that inequity is the reason for the satisfaction with all important offices being in Belize City to where the rest of the country must go to be served.  That is, Belize City is “superior” and the rest of the Country is “inferior”. A case in point: there is absolutely no sense why the “people” (including the sick, severely handicapped, disabled, amputees, aged and senior citizens and the poor) from the farthest and most remote areas of the country have to undergo extreme hardship and inconvenience to travel to Belize City to acquire a “birth paper” or to Belmopan to acquire a “passport”. That service can be easily and more efficiently performed by each and every district town. Quite often those disabled people die at home because they cannot travel for those documents to go abroad for their required health care.

Another case in point is the serious threat of the ICJ/Guatemala challenge. While it is universally accepted that the first and very reason for creating a “Government” is to secure, promote and defend the interests of the “people and the nation” as a whole, Belize is the unfortunate exception. In Belize the “government power centre” is skewed to be in and controlled from Belize City. Power is not equitably distributed throughout the nation. That is, the “Executive Branch” headed by the Prime Ministry, the “Ministry of Foreign Affairs”, the “House of Representatives”, the “Senate” and the main branches and advisors to these bodies are overwhelmingly from Belize City and form the majority of the “government power centre”.  Hence, it controls the affairs of the nation from Belize City with the Belize City mentality. That circumstance poses a severe weakness nationally   because if and when any power, internal or foreign, attempts to control Belize all it needs to do is to control the power centre and the rest of the country falls in line.  If, however, the entire nation were included in national decisions making, serious errors, such as the ICJ/Guatemala threat, would not have been hatched at all; nor would the nation and the people be aggressively led into the fatal risk and suicidal gamble the ICJ really is.

The inequitable voting division distribution may be an internal issue. However its effects go beyond our borders into the international world. Case in point: 1) the April 11, 2019 UK, US, EU disrespectful interference in Belizean affairs; 2) the April 14, 2018 Guatemala ranting and raving to recover its territory Belize; 3) April 12, 2019 Belizean ranting and raving, prompted by Belizean Government to go to the ICJ; 4) the same day April 12, 2019 the House of Representatives voted to go to the ICJ. These incidents warrant concern and questions:

1. Is there any evidence of undue aggressive effort by the Government of Belize to vote “Yes” to the ICJ?  ….  Overwhelmingly so and in plain sight;  because (1) Government hangs posters all over to vote “Yes” to ICJ. (2) Government posts Social media statements urging a “Yes” vote.  (3) Government reports statements by supposed international legal experts assuring a “Win”.  4) Belize is going into its most important voting. Yet the Government is at its worst; so corrupt it intends to take the Nation into the most rigged election.

2. Is there any evidence that the Belize Government is rushing the Referendum? …  Definitely yes; because (1) the government labelled the Court injunction as a delaying tactic. (2) Government press release pushed the Referendum forward.

3. Are there reasons to suspect undue influence by foreign powers on  Belize’s leaders? …  Absolutely; because (1) The April 11, 2019 UK, US, EU Press Release, (2) The Guatemalan April 14, 2018 demonstration; (3)  Belize repeatedly argue friendly nations would abandon Belize if it refuses to go the ICJ

4. Are Belize leaders acting on principles to secure Belize national safety?

…  No way; because (1) They act on partisan loyalty over Belizean national interest, welfare and a successful way forward; (2) Their sole concern is going to the ICJ: no regard for national security; (3) It is extremely unpatriotic to risk national security in a fatal gamble

There is a very disturbing similarity among the (1) April 14, 2018, Guatemalan ranting; (2) the April 11, 2019 UK, US, EU criticizing Belizean Judiciary   judgement; (3) the April 12, 2019 Belize ranting; (4) the same day April 12, 2019 Belize Government passing the Bill; (5) the May 8, 2019 Referendum.

Reason and logic have shown and demonstrated that very similar events are not separate and different, but rather are influence of one over the other. Belize national policies and choices do not only reveal foreign influence. They also expose their consequences. UK, US, EU are not impartial nations; they only demand that Belize go to the ICJ. Guatemala is the same. This logically argues for ICJ possibly passing Belize over into Guatemala’s hands and/ or control. Belize deserves much better principles to secure its safety, welfare and successful way forward. ICJ, foreign influences and international manipulations definitely will not provide that for Belize. Belize’s internationalizing self-determination proclamation offers a much better way of securing itself from the Guatemalan claim.

Vote “NO” to ICJ