7 News Belize

The Cattle-man/Cop Standoff At Arenal
posted (June 12, 2020)
For months, we've been reporting on the desperate situation with the cattle trade with Guatemala. For years, cattle had been going over to Guatemala illegally through Calla Creek and Bullet Tree in the Cayo District. But, the chairman of Bullett Tree shut that down once the COVID threat appeared - and so did the Guatemalan government.

But, there's still a market for Belizean beef in Guatemala, and where there is demand, the supply will find a way in. So it seems, certain cattle interest have found another backdoor - this one in Arenal Village - half of which is in Belize, the other half in Guatemala.

For a couple weeks now we've been hearing reports and seeing picture of cattle trucks slipping in through Arenal. Well, after the commissioner went west on Wednesday to stress that nothing should be coming in or going out through that village - police cracked down on a cattle truck heading for the border today.

The Commissioner of Police told us about the slight showdown that ensued this morning:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well I know this morning we had a standoff with a group of cattle ranchers who were taking cattles to Arenal and there were some miscommunication between the officers and those concerned and I quickly got on the phone and I directed commander of operations and OC Benque that under no circumstances must these cattle be allowed to go to Arenal, the ranchers must return where they came from with their cattles and that's it. There was a decision out of cabinet I was told yesterday that had put a stop to this and the directive is that no cattle must be allowed to move and until that polices changes that is going to be the stand of the police. Whenever we meet these cattle ranchers on the highway moving from point A to point B with the cattles they will be stopped and return to where they came from."

Reporter
"How tense that it get this morning? I saw photographs of it, I saw a number of police vehicles, I think I saw customs vehicle as well."

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well I think it got a level that it should not have gotten, but it didn't reach the stage where anyone had to be arrested or anyone was injured per say, but there was an exchange of words between officers and other persons concerned and the matter was quickly diffused."

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