1 week ago
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Opposition Senator Patrick Faber has criticized the Government of Belize for what he calls the absence of a serious, principled foreign policy position in response to the recent United States military operation in Venezuela and the subsequent arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. intervention, which involved strikes inside Venezuela and the capture of Maduro and his wife by American forces, has drawn significant global attention and controversy. Some world leaders have expressed concern that the actions may violate core principles of international law, including respect for national sovereignty and non-interference, as outlined in the United Nations Charter. At a press briefing this morning, Faber said the government’s official statement, which aligned Belize with a CARICOM call for restraint and respect for international law, was little more than a generic press release. He argued it failed to clearly state Belize’s position on whether the U.S. actions were legitimate under international legal frameworks or how Belize intends to uphold its obligations under treaties and conventions to which it is a party.
Patrick Faber, UDP Senator: “The statement of the government avoids a clear defense of sovereignty, believes as you all know has its own territorial dispute. And when we speak with weak language on sovereignty matters abroad, it weakens Belize’s standing here at home. The statement also, my friends, reflects political covering. Belize now operates under the safe third country arrangement with the United States. Belize has sought renewal of the Millennium Challenge Compact, $250 million US dollars. Belize also shares now biometric and biodata through IOM systems linked to the United States and regional security agencies. These arrangements create pressure. The statement reads like a government afraid to offend Washington rather than one that is confident in its principles. The statement offered no plan. It was no call for any kind of emergency gathering of the CARICOM, no call for the OAS or the UN engagement, which we’ve seen has happened, but it didn’t come by way of a call from Belize, and no proposal for mediation or deescalation of the situation. Now, in contrast, the United Democratic Party has a different view. We believe that what happened in Venezuela was not a routine internal political event. A sitting president was removed following foreign military operations. Belize stands at a moment where we do not need to be ambiguous. We need to be certain. We need to be clear because of sovereignty and credibility and regional stability relies on it. And the honest to goodness truth is that that statement reads like a generic press release, one that they just felt obliged to put out something, but that it does not communicate, did not then and does not now communicate any serious foreign policy position. If you read the statement, it doesn’t even name the United States as the actor that carried out military operations in Venezuela. And even though the statement admits that the Venezuelan president was removed by force, the omission of the name of the country that carried it out, the actor, was not there. And this omission, my friends, matters because international law does not allow regime change by foreign military action. The release of the PUP hides behind CARICOM instead of leading. Belize aligns with a regional statement but refuses to say what Belize itself believes about the legality or the legitimacy of what occurred. The release of the government spoke of dialogue, but dialogue after a government was already overthrown by force. That, my friend, turns dialogue into empty language instead of real, instead of a real policy position. The statement of the government claimed respect for the UN Charter, but it avoided the central question of Article II of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the political independence of any state.”
Faber went further, drawing a parallel between the Venezuela situation and Belize’s own territorial challenges with Guatemala. He said Belize should be especially vigilant in defending sovereignty and territorial integrity, principles the country has long championed in its dispute with Guatemala and in its support for Guyana’s territorial claims against Venezuela.
Patrick Faber, UDP Senator: “Belize must stand on the international law. We are relying on that very same international law to solve the problem that we are having with Guatemala. If we now, flout it. If we now don’t demand the highest regard for such international law, then we must be careful of what will come to our doors. The UN Charter exists to protect small states as much as it exists to protect large ones. If powerful countries can remove governments they dislike then no small nation can feel secure especially us here in Belize. Belize’s own territorial vulnerability makes the principles even more important and our position is there should not have been any foreign military operations to remove that sitting president. The UDP rejects any attempt to normalize or to justify regime change through military intervention regardless of who carried it out. As a party we encourage all our sister nations to recommit to the principles that unify us on the CARICOM and have us stand together firm and strong as the region.”
Faber reiterated that the country’s position must be rooted in consistent adherence to international law and in the defence of sovereignty everywhere
English (US) ·