Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2016. 9:32 a.m. CST.
By BBN Staff: The Permanent representative of Guatemala to the United Nations furnished a report just hours after Belize Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington delivered his address to the UN General Assembly.
The report begins by stating that they listened carefully in ‘disbelief’ to the speech given by Belize’s Foreign Minister which contained untrue statements.
In the report, they state that Guatemala always seeks peaceful means to reclaim that which was taken by force and deceit and even as they recognize the independence of Belize, they have never renounced their rights just as they have never resorted to violent acts against citizens of a brotherly country.
They emphasized that the minor was shot at the hands of armed militia of Belize and described it as ‘irrational conduct’ on Belize’s part.
“Today we are seeing another kind of violence due to abject conduct that contravenes the friendly links between nations, as prescribed by first article of United Nations Convention also as prescribed by article two; in the last decade there have been victims of defense less Guatemalan farmers; their only mistake is that they find themselves in areas under Belizean administration but they do not threaten peace and security of Belize. Guatemala nonetheless recognize the right of the people of Belize to self-determination but we maintain our legitimate claim to the historic rights we have to part of that territory,” the statement read.
The report argues that in respect of the Belizean officers, “people who entered into Belize from Guatemala” does not mean they were Guatemalans.
It reiterates that “Guatemala is a founding member and during this whole time we have never resorted to use of force or threat or use of force but on the contrary, we have always sought through peaceful means to find settlement.”
It ends by accentuating their stance “We regret to have to use this forum for the first time. Disproportionate use of force is not justified. We need to paint the true picture on the ground. Continue to search for a solution to our rights. We will not back down in order to find a just solution to this historic dispute. We will never abandon our citizens. We will soon be agreeing to the Protocol to the Special Agreement which reaffirms our will to submit this old problem to the ICJ in order to avoid further violent acts which will only be harmful.”
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