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Guatemala's territorial claim on Belize is about to be 175 years old - so we know all too well about how territorial claims can hang ominously over a sovereign nation's head.
Tonight, citizens in our fellow Caribbean nation of Guyana know that feeling too well; because they are in fear of their neighbor annexing a large portion of their country.
On Sunday, Venezuelans approved a referendum to claim sovereignty over an area comprising two thirds of Guyana that is rich in oil and minerals.
The dispute is one of the topics that was discussed at a meeting of the International Democracy Union - a coalition of center-right parties.
According to the Leader of the Opposition who attended, it's an annual event, and also the reason he was late to today's House Meeting. He said that the government should be showing as much support for Guyana as they did for Palestine. He added that if Venezuela is allowed to act in such a rogue manner, it could have implications on us as well.
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Venezuela proceeded with their referendum and they announced, Maduro announced yesterday that he was taking over that part of Guyana and he appointed some military general as this governor of this region and all the people in that region will now become Venezuelans, this is outrageous, this is abhorrent, and as Belizeans, this is what we should be protesting about. Again, I don't believe in suspending diplomatic ties but I hope that the prime minister and his foreign minister are writing to the Venezuelans, are calling the Venezuelans in because this has direct implications on Belize. While we cry and we pray for the people of Gaza and the people of Israel to resolve their differences, that does not have the type of implications as what Venezuela is trying to do to Guyana. That is frightening and shocking and I pray that the Americans, the British, all of the superpowers get together and defend Guyana because Maduro must be stopped because if he's not stopped, what are they going to start to think in Guatemala next? That is real, that is not all the way in the Middle East, in North Africa, that is right here. What Maduro does is a test of the resolve of the nations that defend and protect democracy and we should all be alarmed. I am shocked that the Caricom nations have not said anything as yet and Guyana is a member of the Caricom nations. I won't say anymore because I don't want to get ahead of myself and offend anyone but I hope that we will see the Caricom nations come out strong against this. We at the IDU and the CDU came out strong against it and the United Democratic Party had already pleaded with Mr Maduro to resolve this issue peacefully at the ICJ. The actions of the Maduro government are unacceptable."
Belize has been part of a CARICOM statement against Venezuelan aggression, but has not issued an independent statement.
