Belize/Guatemala talks resume in Washington on May 4th, but they do so under considerable strain after Guatemala's allegations that Belize's law enforcement personnel used excessive force when they shot a Guatemalan Xateros.
And persistent inflammatory press accounts in the Guatemalan media is putting public pressure on the very young Berger administration to ditch a referendum process that is already unpopular in that country. In fact, the only public figure in Guatemala who's trying to keep the process on track is Belizean ambassador Fred Martinez who's been all over that country's media ventilating and defending Belize's position on the encounter.
Today we spoke to the Ambassador just after he flew in to Belize and he told us that the government is totally dissatisfied with the manner in which the incident has been treated and in fact the Guatemalans have breached the confidence building measures.
Fred Martinez, Ambassador to Guatemala
"The press has fanned this over the past ten days non-stop and it has not helped that the foreign ministry of Guatemala has chosen to believe the words of these two guys that ran away and are using the line oh these guys were unarmed. So Belize has issued a statement in Guatemala in which we clarified the incident and saying that we find it very distasteful that this thing should be going on precisely just before you have negotiations in Washington and that the truth must be told. Our Embassy has been very firm in pressing Guatemala about this issue."
Alfonso Noble,
"What is your interpretation of Mr. Briz walking into a press conference holding this picture and basically adding fuel to this fire that has already started?"
Fred Martinez,
"Well we have already said that it is most unfortunate that he did so because it is a clear violation of the confidence building measures which say that no government, either Belize or Guatemala, should go to the press to blow up an issue without getting the full story from the other government."
"I don't think it is meant to affect the talks in Washington, despite the incident relationship between the governments are still cordial. We still have been meeting one on one, the foreign ministry and the embassy in Guatemala and the foreign ministry of Belize with the embassy of Guatemala here in Belize setting up the agenda and clarifying the points for May. Do remember that the talks are held under the auspices of the OAS and so that adds pressure on Guatemala to be there. I don't think it should affect the substance of the confidence building measures. On the contrary a review of the confidence building measures will be held. It is imperative that we continue the confidence building measures because that is what is keeping the peace along the border."
Martinez appeared on a Guatemalan television talk show for an hour this morning.