BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – Opposition Chief Shyne Barrow has reiterated his criticism of an announcement by Prime Minister John Briceño that Belize can not invade Guatemala as he urged residents to not frequent the controversial Sarstoon River border, fearing additional escalation of tensions between the 2 nations.
Guatemala and Belize have a long-standing border dispute courting again to the start of the Nineteen Nineties. Guatemala claims about 11,000 sq. km (4,250 sq. miles) of Belize, half of its territory.
Prime Minister Briceño expressed concern over the small measurement of Belize’s Defence Power (BDF) and its obvious incapacity to match that of their Guatemalan counterparts, stating that in as a lot because the nation would have appreciated to invade Guatemala, they’re no match for them.
“They take youngsters on the market typically, and God forbids one thing to occur. What are we going to do? We are able to’t invade Guatemala as a lot as we wish to. However, we are able to’t,” the Prime Minister mentioned.
Nationwide Defence Minister Florencio Marin questioned whether or not the prime minister’s assertion was taken out of context.
“You positive the Prime Minister didn’t misspeak? I might assume he would have run that by us in Cupboard. So, now we have gotten no such directive.”
However talking at a information convention on Monday, Barrow instructed reporters, “Everyone knows that the prime minister has important shortcomings.
“We all know that he can’t assume correctly, he can’t converse correctly, and that is simply one other instance, a really embarrassing instance of his inabilities and his unsuitability to guide this nation,” Barrow mentioned, including, “What’s extra agitating and what escalates issues greater than you telling a rustic that you simply wish to invade the nation? ”
Barrow questioned the rationale behind the assertion by the pinnacle of presidency, saying, “We’ve develop into used to him being an airhead, and, sadly, it comes at the price of our nationwide safety.
“However what we ought to be speaking about is when the prime minister and (Eamon) Courtenay (International Affairs Minister mentioned that we solely have 1,000 troops and Guatemala has twenty thousand troops. We have to improve our army.
“That’s one thing that, as prime minister in a United Democratic Social gathering authorities, my Cupboard and I’ll take into account rising our army. We can not anticipate anyone to save lots of us. As we see with the Sarstoon, nobody is interfering,” Barrow instructed reporters.
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