BELIZE HAS HIGH HOPES OF THE NEW GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT.

Belize has great hopes of joint economic growth with our neighbor GUATEMALA to our WEST, with the election of the NEW President and Vice President. As observers from Belize, over their Eastern Peten border, we have been astounded in the changes and improvements in the last 15 years, since the downsizing of their military from 50,000 to 17,000 back in 1996. Guatemala has changed. Still not the industrialized rich nation it could be. But equality of education, health services, roads and telecommunications has changed the way the 21 different Mayan language groups interact with the big city folks. Everybody in that country is experiencing a rising material, more affluent life style, than ever before in Guatemala from the past 15 years of civil government.
We have noticed the economic improvements and these have been DRAMATIC indeed. A lot of international chain businesses and factories have opened national branches in Guatemala and lots of things once imported into that country are now being MADE IN GUATEMALA. Even the local LADRINOS have successfully started their own internal new businesses and factories. Much improvement has yet to be done in Guatemala in manufacturing, but they do have the population base, of 12 million people, that make the future BRIGHT with PROMISE. IMPORT SUBSTITUTION should be big on their agenda. If they get their manufacturing base expanded, that country GUATEMALA is going to become the industrial manufacturing,DYNAMO OF CENTRAL AMERICA. You just watch the last 15 years growth. In Belize, with our current population of 350,000 we hope to tag along on the coat tails of Guatemala and join them on the climb to a better economic future. We may be the neighbor poor relations, with a small population, but the successes of Guatemala over the last 15 years have effected us as well. We believe if the GDP curve continues to climb for Guatemala, it will also increase for BELIZE as well.
How well the civil society and government do, will be the main crux to how well, both Belize and Guatemala grow economically together.




Inauguration of the new President, Molina, and Vice President, Roxana Baldetti of Guatemala.
A female VICE PRESIDENT OF GUATEMALA is elected. Good luck to her.
New President of Guatemala MOLINA and his VICE President Roxana Baldetti

What we in Belize also hope, is that the new administration of GUATEMALA, GET RID of their useless military, and substitute better and more well trained, diversified specialist, police forces, overhauling the police systems and also their justice systems, which are perceived to be inadequate and corrupt. Belize is not any better, so we cannot complain. We, as both our countries are saddled with inherited justice systems and police systems that do not work. Big challenges and hopefully Belize and Guatemala can improve and work together to build a better future for our growing populations. Particularly without the interference of the USA and European nations.