The ICJ case concerning Belize's Sapodilla Cayes has a new development, in that Guatemala has filed an application for permission to intervene in the proceedings.
Belize instituted the proceedings in November of last year, requesting that the ICJ declare that Belize is sovereign over the Sapodilla Cayes - which Honduras has also claimed.
In Guatemala's submission, it claims that that case overlaps with its submissions concerning their claim over Belize.
Today the Leader of the Opposition said that the government should have seen that coming before moving forward with the proceedings.
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"When the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the government of Belize unilaterally made that decision, again I believe in our constitution, it says anything relating to our maritime borders and our land borders must be decided by referendum, I believe that question should have been put to the masses before we decided to make that a part of the ICJ's determination because it was never a dispute, Honduras, there's no active claim, they have not brought that matter up, why would we bring that matter up? Some of my colleagues believe that it was just a delay tactic because the PUP government is concerned as to what may happen at the ICJ so they want to stretch it out so they don't have to be left to deal with whatever decision is made there but again I'm not sure because I don't see how the ICJ could ever rule anything other than all that is Belize will continue to belong to Belize, I just feel it is haughtiness, it is just hubris, it is just the Minister of Foreign Affairs that thinks he knows everything and believes that he works for his ego and not the Belizean people. But it was to be expected that Guatemala would submit as an interested party because obviously they do have an unfounded claim against our land and maritime borders."
