There's a group of Belizean border activists in Orange Walk who are challenging Belize's most basic immigration laws. They don't believe that they should have to stamp in and stamp out at Immigration when they're leaving or entering the country. And, also apparently, they don't believe that their movements in and out of the country should be confined to approved border crossings.
They put their resolve on the line this weekend when they decided to cross from Santa Cruz Village in Orange Walk to Botes, Mexico - which is not an approved border crossing. In fact, right now it is an area of intensive patrols by the Coast Guard, police, and Customs to cut down on Christmas contraband.
Police briefly detained them for illegal entry into their own country. But then - at the minister's order - they were released charges. That is much to the chagrin of the men - who wanted to create a national uproar and a test case. This is Renee Cuello's second attempt and he told CTV-3 today why he's angry.
Rene Cuello, Detained, but not charged
"It's just humiliating to be coming into your country and being arrested or trying to leave and they don't want you to leave, so I decided to take a trip yesterday, because I heard that the immigration were there and they don't allow no one to pass and I think that unconstitutional. When we went yesterday, I guess somebody called them and tell them we are on our way. Because when we went they were coming back and we were going. They came to look for reinforcement. So we went ahead and we went there and we spoke to the coast guard, the customs and the BDF that were there. They didn't interfere with us. So we got a little dorey and we jumped in and we paddle our way across, because there is no boats with machine. We went and we did what we had to do and we came back. When we came back they were at the bank on the river, heavily armed. We came in and when we stepped out of the dorey, the police commanding officer told us we are all under arrest. I told them that why we did it. We want them to arrest us. They say Mr. Cuello we are giving a break to come into the country. They are giving me a break to come into my country? Its a joke. So when we went to the police station they were processing the bail. We had to get someone to bail us. And we were waiting there for quite a while until they came back. They came and say they are not going to charge us, because some minister called. So I told the immigration officer I didn't need any minister's permission to come into my country, not immigration officials to give me a permission to come into my country."
"Any illegal exit is to be foreigners, not for Belizeans. You can come anywhere into your country and they cannot arrest you for that."
Minister of State for Immigration Beverly Castillo told us the law is very specific where Belizeans and visitors can only cross at established border crossings - and those who do not can be charged for illegal exit and illegal entry. But, she says Immigration did not charge these men because that's just what they wanted to create an uproar.
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