And while the US$25 million and how it will be used is one matter, another is the foreign policy implication of the growing ties between Belize and Venezuela. The Leader of the Opposition warned that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may not be pursuing the kind of diplomacy that can work for Belize.
Hon. Dean Barrow, UDP Leader
"President Chavez is, to put it mildly, a controversial fellow and his foreign policy is, I believe, not the kind of foreign policy that our country practices. Of course we respect Venezuela's sovereignty and Venezuela's right to determine its own foreign policy. I just hope that there is not any hidden quid pro quo with respect to this loan. So we have to be careful I think in terms of our foreign policy, not to be playing footsy with these latter day socialists. But that apart, and I am sure we will be reassured by the Prime Minister that there are no foreign policy quid pro quos, and if we are given those sort of assurances, and if we can be told what the rate of interest is, and if we can be given disclosure with respect to exactly what it is that the money will be used for, which debt will it used to retire, then Madam Speaker I would think, subject to what my friend from Collet, we would wish to support the motion."
Rt. Hon. Said Musa, Prime Minister
"I would say very candidly Madam Speaker that as far as we are concerned on this side of the House there is no foreign policy implication. There is certainly no commitment given to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for the benefit of this loan. Absolutely no strings attached, I can make that absolutely clear and certainly we are not playing footsy with President Chavez or President Fidel Castro or anybody else, or President Bush for that matter. We don't play footsy Madam Speaker. In fact if anybody is dancing in this House it was the Honorable Leader of the Opposition because you listen to him and you still don't know what is his position on this issue."
And while it may not be a quid pro quo, it is a fact that Belize is supporting Venezuela's controversial bid for the non-permanent seat on the United Nation's Security Council, which will be voted on in October. What makes it not quite "footsy", is that the other country which wants the seat is Guatemala, and that country has the energetic support of the United States.
