If all goes as planned, on Monday morning at the OAS Building in Washington DC – Belize and Guatemala will sign the special agreement committing both countries to pursue a referendum. It has the air of a historic moment, but with the negotiations so fragile, subsequent events could also prove it to be thoroughly inconsequential. The South American writer Borges might call it, “everything and nothing.” And when we spoke to him about it today, even the prime minister seemed circumspect.
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
“I don’t know what may or may not have happened in Guatemala but whatever did happen or did not happen is making no difference, as I understand it, to the proceedings on Monday. I think that is as it should be. Thereafter we of course wait and see what happens with our public education campaign and as well what takes place in Guatemala in order to determine of course whether we’re even going to reach the stage of the referendum. The signing of this special agreement does not automatically presage the holding of a referendum. You can’t get to step two without step one but all sorts of things can happen between step one and step two.”
Monday’s signing is set for 11 am eastern time.
