VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBE #0348 2612228
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 182228Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY BELMOPAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2023

UNCLAS BELMOPAN 000348 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL BH
SUBJECT:  BELIZE FM MEETS WITH NEW AMBASSADOR 
 
¶1.  AMB and DCM called on FM Wilfred Elrington on September 17, 
immediately in advance of AMB's presentation of credentials to the 
Governor General, Sir Colville Young.  Ambassador Adalbert Tucker, 
Director for Foreign Trade and Alfonso Gahona, Office Director for 
the Americas were also present. 
 
¶2.  The FM commented that Belize and the U.S. have a continuing good 
relationship and that he was looking forward to working with the AMB 
on many issues of mutual interest. 
 
¶3.   Noting the AMB's engineering and manufacturing background, the 
FM said there was no real manufacturing in Belize.  It was 
troublesome for him that although there is easy access to the 
European, Caribbean, and North American markets, Belize had little 
to offer these markets.  He recognizes the need for development of 
productive capacity and suggested the AMB might have some ideas for 
areas of cooperation.  Tucker, the Director for Trade, said Belize 
needs to mobilize its productive base over the next three years and 
that they were looking to take advantage of best practices of others 
in the region. 
 
¶4.  The FM said that Belize has not concentrated enough on 
developing its human capital.  Very little money is spent on 
educating the majority of the population.  He commented that prior 
to independence in 1981, Belizeans never felt that they really 
"owned" Belize, that they really had a stake with its development. 
Now that they are the masters of their own country they have to 
focus on developing their human capital in order to create wealth 
for themselves. 
 
¶5.  The FM mentioned his own and the Embassy's frustration at the 
GoB's inability to get convictions in the courts of those charged 
with human trafficking.  He noted from his own experience as an 
attorney that the police (and the military) have received only 
minimal training and that police work did not always stand up in 
court.  He expressed appreciation for the improvements in police 
professionalism to be expected from the Merida Initiative.  He noted 
that over the years more money had been spent on equipment for the 
police, but there had been less attention paid to molding and 
developing people who can function in higher executive positions in 
the police department. 
 
¶6.  The FM said that Belize was the only Caribbean country without 
an ROTC program in the secondary schools.  He was of the opinion 
that an ROTC-type program would attract a better quality of student 
to careers in the police and military. 
 
¶7.  The thread through the FM's conversation was the need for human 
development and education in many areas of endeavor in Belize.  The 
AMB, using a computer metaphor, said that with hardware one needed 
software as well.  The FM expressed his pleasure in welcoming the 
AMB and his wife to Belize and assured the AMB of his accessibility 
to discuss any issue. 
 
THUMMALAPALLY