The coalition of 12 conservation NGO'S wrote to the Prime Minister one week ago - asking him to put a pause on all EIA's until there could be some clarity on what Belize's development policy for marine areas is. He wrote back today, saying his response had been delayed because the government was seeking legal advice on the matter.
The PM says that, first, they are not violating their commitments under the Blue Bond Agreement and adds that a legal opinion confirms that the government of Belize is in full compliance with the agreements both in letter and in spirit.
He adds, sharply, quote, "there is no question that my government will ensure that any EIA approvals are granted in adherence to Belize's laws and regulations. It is a clear overreach to suggest that within the context of the agreements that all EIA's should be paused." End quote.
The PM then reminds the NGO's that conservation and development are not at odds with each other.
So, in brief, government is telling the NGO's that they know what they're doing, and, basically, that the conservationists should rend unto Caesar what is Caesar's.
He explained his response to CTV-3 in Orange Walk today:
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"We take the letter seriously and that we have ask our attorneys to take a look at the agreement that we signed with the blue bond and we have been assured that we are not breaking any of the agreements that we have. We made the point also that as a government we have made a commitment to this country to be able to reduce poverty, but the reduce the poverty you have to grow the economy and to create opportunities for everyone. But we have to develop, but responsibly. So, that is why we have the EIA process and that's what we are doing with all projects. I think it would be irresponsible for us as a government to say we're going to stop all projects in this country until we can revise our laws. We do believe like in everything that we have to be revising all laws constantly as things changed and Minister Habet has assured the cabinet that they are starting to look at that and starting to see how they could modernize the environmental regulations of the country."
The Vice President of Oceana, Janelle Chanona gave her reaction to the press today via Zoom; she said that central questions have still not been answered:
Janelle Chanona, V.P., OCEANA, Belize
"I hope I'm wrong in saying that I do read a bit of a modicum of defensiveness, because certainly we want a collaborative relationship and we want there to be in all our correspondence a measure of constructiveness to it. We still have a fair amount of questions already emerging from it, so we will be following up in due course with the correspondence."
Reporter
"It appears you are apart several miles, particularly on the point where the NGOs say that as per the blue loan agreement, you expect that the EIA regulations are going to be updated before any new development is approved, but that is not the way that the PM and his people are interpreting it and that I think is the crooks of the matter."
Janelle Chanona, V.P., OCEANA, Belize
"To be perfectly blunt, I got very nervous in terms of seeing the line of referring to legal counsel, because as we've seen lately, a lot of that legal counsel that the government has received in the past have put us in some interesting situations."
Reporter
"I think that's one of the biggest highlights in that letter. You know our people need jobs and it cant be that developments will be exclusive of those things that will develop the nation as well just because of the environment. I kind of get that sense in that letter."
Janelle Chanona, V.P., OCEANA, Belize
"You have me looking over my shoulders, I don't know the community has ever said that we are anti-development or anti-job creation, but that's the conversation we want to have, because it cannot be that we are using job creation and development to justify these decisions if we don't have clarity on what type of jobs are we talking about, what type of development agenda we're talking about. That is the conversation we want to have."
"Admittedly, it will be a difficult conversation, but we have to have it if everybody is knowing where we are going and how we are going to get there. It is not stopping development, it putting a pause on certain things so that we have clarity, so that we have a plan. We have said, if we are failing to plan, then we are planning to fail and we can't afford to fail. I know it's easy to paint the NGOs as being anti-development, but that is really and truly not the case. It is just about trying to get clarity on what the national development agenda is, what is the port policy, what is the master tourism policy, so that we know where we are and how we can intervene and how we can move forward together."
Jules Vasquez
"What I'm seeing here is a government saying listen we run this in our own deliberate logic and wisdom, I hear you, but don't interfere, we know what we are doing."
Janelle Chanona, V.P., OCEANA, Belize
"I certainly can respect that opinion. but I think many of us in civil society also feel like a pressing responsibility to also call out and to ask these questions and to keep asking these questions until there is clarity in that position, but certainly we will continue to ask these questions, because these are shared natural resources and there should be clarity so that everybody understands and as I said, I have no shame in saying I am still very confused about the state of play."
Chanona says they will be drafting a formal response.
