Who Stole the Gracias a Dios Plaque?

Wil Maheia

In February thirty-seven Belizeans, members of an expedition led by the Northern Territorial Volunteers, were seized by Guatemalan military in Belizean waters and forced to go to Livingston, Guatemala. They were returning from an expedition to Gracias a Dios, where they had refurbished and placed a plaque on the border monument there. But now pictures of the marker surfacing over the weekend reveal that the plaque with the word Belize has been removed. Belize Territorial Volunteer founder Wil Maheia told News Five that he has not been able to verify the pictures, but if true, the missing plaque is cause for concern.

Via Phone: Wil Maheia, Belize Territorial Volunteers

“I haven’t been there physically to verify it, but from pictures that I have seen; that’s what it shows.”

Duane Moody

“What does this mean sir?”

Via Phone: Wil Maheia

“Well it means that somebody either went there and removed it, but my concern is that that is the Belizean marker and there is a B.D.F. outpost that is not too far from there; that’s within a few hundred meters and how could somebody be tampering with our marker when the military is there. So we don’t know who it is—if it is Guatemalans or Belizeans. But it has been removed.”

Duane Moody

“Do you feel that it is possible that Guatemalans could have come across to Belizean territory and remove the [plaque]?”

Via Phone: Wil Maheia

“It is very possible. I mean, I can’t say a hundred percent if it is Guatemalans because I did not see who did it, but somebody did remove it. But it is very possible. Guatemalans come over day and night so it is possible they come over as well as like I said, there is B.D.F. right in the immediate area, that is stationed in the immediate area so you would hope that they would be monitoring something as important as our marker.  I wouldn’t even say it is mischievous. I would say is coward. It is a cowardly act.”

According to Maheia, a group of volunteers will travel to the marker on Wednesday to verify if in fact the plaque is missing.