BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – The Senate has approved an amendment to the Referendum Act that will mandate the Belize government to trigger a referendum if there is intent to explore the country’s maritime space for oil.
In 2022, OCEANA, founded a year earlier as the most significant international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation, launched a petition to trigger a referendum.
In July, the non-government organization delivered 22,000 signed petitions to the Governor General. Still, instead of triggering a referendum to have voters decide, the government placed it in law.
Senator Janelle Chanona, also the Vice President of Oceana, says the legislative amendment fulfills the same objective.
“Truly, these amendments are validation that the people of Belize want to have a conversation about offshore oil and anything that would happen in the future there and want to participate fully in that.
“So, I want to thank everyone who signed the petition. Twenty-two thousand ninety registered voters signed that petition, and we are here because they decided to be counted in this. I know men, women, and youth are in that population, but also, to underscore, it was a call, a demand, an urging that this want for involvement is there.
“I am happy that was heard, the message received, and it has been respected. That is a sign of leadership, and we will do our part to ensure that it is promoted as an example for others to follow and genuinely appropriately set precedents.
“So in recognizing those people, I also want to fully acknowledge that some people are not happy that we are not going to a vote right now, and I want to recognize and acknowledge it, but also to highlight that the amendments before the Senate today is a commitment that a vote will happen,” she said.
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