By Zoila Palma: For the first time in nearly two decades, the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) were unable to make their annual trip around Sarstoon Island on September 10, after a heavy presence of Guatemalan military and civilian vessels blocked their passage.
BTV leader Wil Maheia told 7news Belize that the group was escorted by the Belize Defence Force (BDF) and Belize Coast Guard from Punta Gorda to the Forward Operating Base (FOB), where they were informed that 14 Guatemalan gunboats were in the area.
“For the very first time, we were escorted from the time we left PG,” Maheia said, describing the situation as “pretty intense” as BDF and Coast Guard vessels surrounded the BTV boats.
He commended the security forces for safely escorting the group to the FOB, but said the volunteers were unable to proceed further. “For the very first time, we were not able to circle the island,” he said, adding that the Guatemalan vessels continued following them as they were escorted out of the river.
Maheia expressed frustration that the incident occurred only days after the Foreign Ministers of Belize and Guatemala met to discuss relations and dialogue.
“How can you a few days before be talking with the guys who you call the ‘friends of Belize’ and a couple of days after, we can’t even enter the Sarstoon River, which is ours?” he questioned.
He also said he had never witnessed such a large number of Guatemalan vessels in the area during his nearly 20 years of visiting the Sarstoon. “I have never seen this amount of gunboats,” Maheia said.
Despite the incident, Maheia said the BTV will continue its efforts to assert Belize’s presence in the Sarstoon.
“We are insisting that the Sarstoon Island belongs to us,” he said, adding that the group intends to return to the area. “We are going back to Sarstoon. I’m not announcing a date we’re going, but we will be back to the Sarstoon,” Maheia said.
The post Belize Territorial Volunteers: “For the very 1st time, we were not able to circle the Island” appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: For the first time in nearly two decades, the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) were unable to make their annual trip around Sarstoon Island on September 10, after a heavy presence of Guatemalan military and civilian vessels blocked their passage. BTV leader Wil Maheia told 7news Belize that the group was escorted by
The post Belize Territorial Volunteers: “For the very 1st time, we were not able to circle the Island” appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
