By Zoila Palma: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is urging Belizeans planning excursions to the Sarstoon area to exercise caution.
The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) has traditionally travelled to Sarstoon Island around September 10 to plant the Belizean flag as a symbolic assertion of Belize’s sovereignty.
Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oscar Arnold, said patriotism should be expressed responsibly, noting, “We know September is national celebration, not only for Belize, but for Guatemala.”
Arnold said the government understands the patriotic significance of the annual activities but is urging citizens to avoid reckless actions that could put lives at risk.
“Patriotism should be shown every day, all year. But the month of September seems to be that sweet spot where everybody there’s an uptick in the showing of patriotism,” Arnold said.
The annual expeditions have resulted in encounters between BTV members and Guatemalan military personnel.
Arnold said preparations are underway to prevent any incident from escalating, explaining, “At the ministry level, at the level of the Belize Defence Force and the Coast Guard discussions have already been made.”
“I believe both foreign ministers spoke of this as well and the commitment is there that if there’s any small flare up to ensure that the communication lines are open, that the communication is in place to ensure that we don’t have any escalation of whatever small disturbance may take place,” he added.
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By Zoila Palma: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is urging Belizeans planning excursions to the Sarstoon area to exercise caution. The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) has traditionally travelled to Sarstoon Island around September 10 to plant the Belizean flag as a symbolic assertion of Belize’s sovereignty. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
The post Sarstoon Expedition: Foreign Affairs calls for responsible patriotism appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
