Is the US Influencing Belize’s Stance on Venezuela? Minister of Foreign Affairs Responds

Is the US working to sway Belize’s support away from Venezuela? Recently, Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that Belize’s stance on Venezuela has not shifted in light of its election controversy. Both nations have shared political ties dating back to as far as the Esquivel and Musa Administrations with Venezuela providing funding and debt relief. But could the country be shifting support after the US, which strongly opposes Venezuela’s President, provided 125 million US dollars to Belize through its Millennium Challenge Corporation? That is what we asked Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francis Fonseca.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “It’s not for me to characterize the objectives of the United States government. I would say to you that our discussions with the MCC group have been in absolute good faith. I think they genuinely and sincerely based on our discussions understand that there are serious constraints to growth in countries like Belize. They have had a dialogue and discussion with us over many many months for us Belize for us to identify those constraints. So they didn’t come from them it came from us and we said listen education, especially investing in technical vocational education that’s a constraint to growth for Belize. Energy, trying to reduce the cost of energy that’s a constraint. So you know we are absolutely comfortable with the manner in which this grant has been approved and the process that took place because it came from us and so it’s not for me to question the objectives. I know every country has their foreign policy interests and they use whatever tools are available to them to advance those objectives and interests and a stated goal of the MCC charter is good governance and good governance they want to see developing countries like Belize improve our governance structures, commitment to equality so I think those are objectives we share so we’re fully comfortable with that.”

The MCC grant will be used to improve the country’s education and energy sectors.