7 News Belize

BTV and BDF VS. GAF on Sarstoon
posted (July 23, 2019)
The Guatemalan Armed Forces was at it again on the Sarstoon River today. A navy boat stoped the Belize Territorial Volunteers as they were heading up-river on the Belize side of the waterway which forms the boundary between the neighbouring countries.

But, today, there was a big difference; the Belize Defence Force swooped in to fend off the Guats, and stand by the BTV.

Here's the story of what happened:..

Will Maheia, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"This was a trip between where the BTV offered to take Satiim up Sarstoon into Black Creek to investigate some allege stealing of timber by Guatemalans. So we left Punta Gorda Town around 7:30 this morning and when we got to the BDF base, they told us we could go ahead and proceed."

Jules Vasquez reporting
But 10 minutes later, they were intercepted by the Guatemalan Armed Forces, eight fully armed soldiers. Maheia told them emphatically, we are on the Belize part of the river:

The soldier tells him this is not Belize, its Guatemala, please return to where you came from. He tells Maheia he cannot go up the river, he needs authority and he hasn't shown him any letter or documents to show he can advance:

Will Maheia, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"Why would we have a paper for our own country? As far we know this belongs to Belize, but you wont let us go up this river?"

GAF Soldier
"This belongs to Guatemala. Have a nice day."

But, undaunted, the 7 man BTV and SATIIM crew continued up the river in the Binky - even as the larger more powerful Guatemalan metal shark powered alongside them creating swells that were threatening to capsize the Binky:

Will Maheia, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"You are making is dangerous for people in this boat."

And, right on cue, like the part of the movie where the good guys come to the rescue, the BDF's vessel appears and cuts off the Guatemalan vessel,

Then taking up the escort of the BTV crew - but that doesn't mean the Guatemalans turned back. They just kept on, right there maintaining the harassment even as the BDF played escort.

Will Maheia, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"The BDF today showed themselves really well against the Guatemalans who insisted from blocking us from going up the river and the BDf held their own and when the Guatemalans tried to block us, the BDF stepped up and was really professional about it from stopping the Guatemalans from blocking us."

And while that's the good news, the bad news is that the BTV and SATIIM team still didn't make it to all the way to Black Creek because of a mechanical failure.

Notably, Maheia says this is the first time since the May 10th ICJ referendum that that the Territorial Volunteers has encountered this kind of determined resistance from the Guatemalan Armed Forces. Will Maheia also reports that this week he has seen the Guatemalan Armed Forces trailing the BDF on their routine patrols up the river to Cadenas.

The Government of Belize has been flirting with the idea of asking the International Court Of Justice to grant provisional measures to order an end to Guatemalan aggression on the river. But, government has indicated that it would prefer to hammer out the voluntary Sarstoon Protocol from the Guatemalans - which they committed to in 2016 - but have yet to deliver on more than three years later.

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