Coalition wants Minister of Foreign Affairs removed

Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington must go, or else. That’s the message given by the newest advocacy group called Belize Coalition for Justice. At their launch today, they had a laundry list of issues that they wanted cleaned and ironed. But the strongest message came from Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA) which demanded that the government relieve the Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs of his post. Elrington, who once said that the borders are artificial, has already come under fire from COLA for misinformation contained in an OAS statement. The call for his head today follows statements he made regarding compensation for the family of a Guatemalan farmer who was killed on October fifth by the Belize Defense Force in the Ceibo Chico area of the Chiquibul forest. The reaction to the killing of the Guatemalan was swift; the foreign minister threatened to close the borders and expel Ambassador Fred Martinez from Guatemala. Elrington says tensions have subsided but the new NGO is not allowing the issue to die.

Giovanni Brackett, President, COLA

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the statement of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington who plans to give hard earned Belizean taxpayers’ money as an act of compassionate to the family of an official subverter of our sovereignty. The latest among many as grossly uncalled for and not only reflecting the Belize government’s position, but also wreaking of international cow-towing and subservient behavior instead of strong meaningful dialogue and forward talk. We will say no compensation to any Guatemalan family—not now; not ever. Number two; we condemn all past and present actions of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honorable Wilfred Elrington, as he is currently playing a bankrupt, morally corrupt game and with our lives and our dignity. Moreover, we fear his actions that are also reflective of the current administration’s mindset may set Belize on a collision course of disaster on the magnitude of the thirteenth proposal of 1981. And even the loss of our nation state to Guatemala. He must be made to resign from the ministry and be replaced with someone who is more competent and someone that the Belizean people can respect. We here demand that the Prime Minister remove him for his many blunders on such a delicate national/international issue. If Belize is yours, let me hear it! This is our country! And any foreign minister that is not going to negotiate with strength; any foreign minister that will not adhere to the Belizean demands has to be removed and to be removed forthwith or you can get the understanding that we will take it to Belmopan.”

Channel 5