Last night, we showed you how the Belize Territorial Volunteers met major resistance from the Guatemalan Armed Forces at the mouth of the Sarstoon River on last Saturday.
Wil Maheia and the BTV members were having their third annual Sarstoon Eco Challenge kayak race, but the GAF were simply not having it. They used their vessels to block the Belizeans from going around the Sarstoon Island, as part of their racing course. The Guatemalan gunboats steadily trailed the kayakers, allegedly attempting to cut them off and force them to turn around.
And of course, Maheia, the members of his Belize Progressive Party, and all the groups connected to him are condemning the behavior of the Guatemalan Military.
The Ministry of National Security released a statement today, saying that Maheia and his group failed to properly inform them of this Kayak race.
The Ministry says, quote, "Belizeans are repeatedly advised to check in with the Belize Defence Force at the FOB before proceeding up the river. The FOB has on several occasions gone as far as escorting civilians that are in the area doing legitimate business. Although totally aware of the proper procedure, Mr. Maheia did not observe them on both occasions and instead proceeded along the river without a BDF escort and without informing them of his intentions, whereupon the GAF seized on the opportunity to restrain the group. At that stage, the situation could have become volatile if the BDF had intervened. To avoid such situations, the BDF prefers to provide escort from the outset, however, Mr. Maheia never stopped in to alert the FOB of his intentions." End quote.
The media put that to Maheia today in the press conference which they hosted to complain about the GAF's behavior this Saturday. Here's how he responded:
Wil Maheia - Leader, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"It was a Kayaking race. So, you can't stop kayaks, during a race, to ask for permission. But, the day before, we stopped at the base, and informed the BDF that we will be here tomorrow, doing our race. During a race - if you have a cross country race, you can't stop and talk to police. You have to focus on the race. We know that there was race going on. We informed the day before. Plus, every media house in this country had announced that the race would take place. They know about the race because the day before, we went to scout out th area, and we put a flag on the Sarstoon Island, and on the way back, we informed the BDF that tomorrow, the race is tomorrow. Plus, the week before that, both Coast Guard and BDF were informed of the race. I met them in Barranco, and told them that we would be having the race the 15th. In fact, we event invited them to participate in one of the activities we had, which was the football competition."
Daniel Ortiz, reporter
"You have a lot of opponents who keep on suggesting that every time you plan any of these events, you endanger Belizeans intentionally, to seek out a sort of confrontation with the Guatemalan military stationed at the mouth of the Sarstoon. What's your answer to those people?"
Wil Maheia
"My answer to those people is that we, the Territorial Volunteers, we love Belize. And we have not taken a gun to anyone's head and say you must come with us. People come with us freely. We have never ever forced anyone to come with us. And I believe that it is time for Belizeans to stand up and defend 8867. We are singing right now, everything you see is 8867. But is it really 8867? Because the Sarstoon Island is not part of that, not anymore, and the Sarstoon River is not there. It's totally controlled by the Guatemalans."
Robert "Bobby" Lopez - Leader, Belize PEACE Movement
"The Belize PEACE Movement joins the BTV in condemning and denouncing this at of aggression against our people. It is also a violation of our constitutional right to freedom of movement within all of Belize. And in doing so, our government should have been there protecting them. And again, we say kudos to the Coast Guard, but we sure are a little disappointed, in fact very disappointed in our BDF."
Giovanni De La Fuente - Leader, Northern Territorial Volunteers
"Belizeans, it is time that we take stock, and look at what is happening in our country. We have been moving from one point of weakness to another. We are now at a point in our history where we can no longer safely go to the Sarstoon River. The Guatemalan Armed Forces will exert their occupation in the Sarstoon. I would daresay that they have effectively occupied the Sarstoon. It may or it may not bother you. You might be in the safety of the Corozal District, or the safety of Belize City, and say, well, I don't know. Wil Maheia and his crowd go down to Sarstoon. I don't know why they don't just cool off. Belizeans we're losing Belize a little by little."
The statement from the National Security Ministry notes that the other 2 annual Sarstoon Eco-Challenges have gone consistently without incident, and it is only this Saturday's one in which a confrontation happened.
The statement from the National Security Ministry makes some interesting comments on the conduct of the Guat military.
It says, quote, "On the matter of the kayakers being intervened by GAF and prevented from circling the Sarstoon Island on September 15th, it is important to recollect that elements of the GAF, many times act without restraint towards civilians and interfere with Belizeans traversing the river. This action is illegal and a contravention of international law. The Ministry, therefore, consistently protests these actions, and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has done so with respect to this latest incident."
And the Ministry of National Security is not the only organization to react to the images of the Guatemalan military aggressing Belizeans.
Today, the NGO community, which calls itself the Belize Network of NGO's released a statement saying, quote, "The BNN is extremely concerned about this clear violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty by the GAF, a sentiment that we expressed exactly a year ago. We, again, strongly urge the Government of Belize to immediately send a strong protest note to the Government of Guatemala, and to inform the world community and international organizations such as the…(OAS) about these continued acts of aggression by the Guatemalan armed forces."
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