There are two aspects of the Guatemalan problem which we in Belize need to face. The first of course, is the juridical claim by the Government of Guatemala to a big chunk of our land.
The other aspect of the problem comes from population pressures on the other side of the Chiquibul forest - from land-starved indigenous people in the south of Guatemala who hunger after the greener pastures they see on the Belize side.
This second aspect is a problem Belize will have to deal with all the days of our lives, because these indigenous people are not going away. They will continue to press as long as they have a reasonable chance of success.
But if we can find a solution to the juridical claim by Guatemala, Belize will be in a much better position to resist the population pressures which are causing us so much anguish with our forest reserves at Chiquibul.
For this reason Belize has been directing her diplomatic skills to deal with the land claim. We have convinced the world community and the United Nations that Belizeans have the right to live as a free, democratic nation, with all our territory intact.
We have also convinced the nations of our hemisphere and those who may at one time have sided with Guatemala, that Belize as a free and sovereign nation has an important contribution to make to the world community.
But today we have arrived at a crossroads, where we have to pause to decide what next to do.
Guatemala has decided to consult her electorate in a referendum to determine whether she should submit her claim to an international court. Belize has decided to do the same by referendum but there are a lot of Belizeans who are passionately opposed to any move to take our case to court. They say we should leave things as they are. Let sleeping dogs lie!
The nature of Belize’s dilema is similar to that of a man who has acquired a choice ocean-front property. His bigger neighbour owns land to the west and to the south. The man and his neighbour reached agreement on where to run the fence line separating their two properties, so the man erected a fence and built a house. Later he expanded his house to take up the entire lot.
Years later his neighbour demanded that he break down his house and give back half of the land because of some disagreement over the terms of payment.
The claim is ridiculous on the face of it, but once such a claim has been  made, the homeowner has to deal with it. He needs to find a way to settle the problem.
Belize and Guatemala agreed on their territorial boundaries by the Treaty of 1859. But since then, Guatemala has repudiated the treaty and has laid claim to the entire southern half of Belize.
If Guatemala decides to take her claim to the International Court of Justice and Guatemala a huge legal advantage over us.
Why?
Because the Guatemalan claim is a  juridical claim based on law and the legality of a boundary treaty.
Belizeans cannot afford to have Guatemala win this claim by default - either because we are too angry or too indifferent or too fearful to challenge it.
If Guatemala makes the move, we have to challenge it. There is no other way forward!
Reporter

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