The Belize Territorial Volunteers has recently been acting as chaperones to persons interested in taking trips to Belize's southernmost borders, especially through the disputed Sarstoon River, which the Guatemalan Armed Forces have been enforcing control over.
Yesterday, the border activist organization took a contingent of Belizeans, including Senators Osmany Salas and Mark Lizarraga to the border marker known as Gracias A Dios via the Sarstoon River. The BTV reports that the BDF stationed at the Forward Operating Base at the mouth of the river was very kind and welcoming, but that friendly greeting was not forthcoming from the Guatemalan military, right across the river on the Guatemalan side. They note that the GAF followed their vessel all the way to Gracias A Dios, observed them for the entirety of their expedition, and then followed them back out of the river.
They assert that the GAF was in Belizean territory, on the north side of Sarstoon Island.
Just before they moved off yesterday, the NGO Senator, Osmany Salas, gave his companions a sort of briefing on what to expect, and here's what he had to say:
Despite the looming Guatemalan presence, the expedition made it all the way to Gracia A Dios, and back to PG, without incident.
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