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PUP Demands Sarstoon Protocol
posted (September 19, 2018)
Today, Leader of the Opposition John Briceno joined the BTV - and Elrington and Saldivar - in condemning the actions of the Guatemalan forces.

But Briceno went one step further: he challenged the government to finalize the Sarstoon protocol so as to avoid future incidents on the boundary river. Briceno also commended BTV president Will Maheia for raising awareness of these Sarstoon confrontations.

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"We are very disappointed and we have been calling out the government for a very long time that we need to have a Sarstoon protocol. When we were actively involved with the work with Guatemala, we were pushing for us to sign a protocol. We had prepared a first draft of that protocol, but it seems that's its not going anywhere. I think that as a government we can do more. I think we can put more pressure on Guatemala and to make sure that maybe we need to spread this beyond Guatemala and Belize and making sure that all the friends of Belize and that all the countries in the United Nations to be aware of the illegal behavior of Guatemala trying to take a portion of the Sarstoon River that we know and they know rightfully belongs to Belize. As I said many time over and over the position of the People's United Party is that we are not going to give a single inch of Belizean territory to Guatemala."

Reporter
"How does the Opposition view Wil Maheia, the leader of the BTV, out there he is considered as provocateur in the face of the GAF and someone who is instigating these things to happen?"

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"Wil Maheia is a very close friend of mine. I need to put this on record and in many instances I admire the work that he has done. I say this because by taking those actions, it has raised a level; of consciousness about the challenges that we have at the border. For too long it is only the military and the government officials or some government officials know about the challenges that we faced on those borders. Wil has allow this to be able to play out all across the country and not only at the Sarstoon, but even on the western border where we have contact encroachment by Guatemalans into our territory. So I do believe that in a sense he has done something good."

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