7 News Belize

Western Border Blockade Ends With New Cargo Protocol
posted (May 13, 2020)
The three day blockade on the Guatemalan side of the Western border ended this afternoon. That's after customs and immigration hammered out a protocol to allow the passage of about a dozen Guatemalan 18 wheelers which arrived on Monday to purchase yellow corn in western Belize.

They were not allowed to enter because the drivers are Guatemalan - and their COVID status is not known. When that happened, those truckers blocked the border bridge in Guatemala, leaving more than two dozen other large cargo trucks bound for Belize stuck on the Melchor side unable to come across.

For a while, Belizean authorities held their ground; saying that the trailers should be pulled in by Belizean towheads - like what happens at the northern border.

But, for many reasons having to do with the nature of the corn trade - this was not a practical choice. In the middle were anxious corn producers who are worried that they will lose the Guatemalan trade connection and be stuck with hundreds of tonnes of corn in their silos and in the field.

So - with that urgency fuelling the push for a breakthrough - after two days of back and forth, a compromise was reached this evening.

As we understand it, the protocol dictates that the Guatemalan truckers will be allowed into Belize, but they will be trailed by a customs guard in another vehicle - until they finish their business and go back out the border.

Minister of state for Immigration Beverly Williams told us more a short while ago:

Hon. Beverly Williams, Minister of State, Immigration
"The Guatemalans I am aware that some of them entered today, they took back empty bowsers and some of them dealt with banana. So the border is closed now at 4. However, I don't know that the matter is fully resolved because the trucks are still parked at the border, but there is a little movement now and hopefully by tomorrow we will be able to determine better if they are in agreement with the protocols that we've put in place."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You all have created a document with protocols for movements at this border?"

Hon. Beverly Williams
"Yes, for the movement of importation and exportation of cargo at the western border at this time, because when the cargo comes in it goes from the Guatemalan side it comes into the cargo area in customs and so that is where if you have a bowser that can be unhitch then you will unhitch and the Belizean driver will take that bowser further into Belizean territory. If for those that cannot be unhitch you will have to have the movement of that vehicle or whichever kind of means of transportation whether it's the trailers, the bowsers whatever it is that brings it into for example Blue Creek or Spanish Lookout or down to Fyfes or for citrus pulp, whichever one it is that the Guatemalans would come in as the driver along with a buyer. But those will come with a custom guard. The guard is already established for customs, so they come with a custom guard who supervises the movement of the buyer and the trucker and then return to the border and then it leaves after having cleared the procedure at the border."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But at the same time Belize s Covid free and Guatemala is not. Did we compromise too much to facilitate the very important trade in corn?"

Hon. Beverly Williams
"Well you said it Jules, the trade in corn is important and that is why the protocols were necessary to ensure the safety of the Belizean people. That's the reason for the supervision by the guard. They have to come in and go to the sellers in Spanish Lookout. That will be done under supervision."

We'll see if all goes as planned tomorrow morning. The cost for this will be borne up front by the Guatemalan buyers, but both parties will likely pay when the final price is negotiated.

So there is a cost and some inconvenience, but the western border is now opened for cargo movements, which is expected to rush into Belize tomorrow morning with cement, and steel, and to pick up other items such as corn, citrus pulp and rice husks.

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