And while Belize must forge its own path on sustainable development - how far is it willing to go in condemning US attacks on vessels coming out of South America? So far 10 vessels have been destroyed and their crew killed - with the US alleging these are drug vessels. But, there has been no due process, and no compelling evidence offered. Caribbean leaders say it is bringing war to a zone of peace, while internatIonal observers see it as a prelude to a Venezuelan invasion.
We asked the PM for his view today:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"We look at the Caribbean as a zone of peace and we need to do everything to keep it as that and as that Venezuela has been a partner and Trinidad and Tobago is a member of CARICOM. So we hope that we could be able to tone down the rhetoric and tone down this whole talk about an invasion into Venezuela because that helps no one."
Jules Vasquez
"But are you prepared to condemn the United States for the extraterritorial, extrajudicial assassination?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"It's not about condemning anybody. It's about calling on what is happening and we have done that already."
"We have already condemned the shooting of these boats in some instances and maybe there may be drugs in there. We don't know but it is something that we have condemned already."
