OAS report criticises Belizean armed forces
The two facilitators attempting to mediate a solution to the Guatemalan claim have presented their recommendations following an investigation into the November twenty-second killing of three Guatemalans by a BDF patrol…and the news does not reflect well on Belize. Sir Shridath Ramphal and Paul Reichler, having studied the report made by O.A.S. investigator Sergio Caramagna, have concluded that the BDF/police patrol used excessive force when dealing with aggression by three members of the Ramirez family who were armed with machetes. The shootings occurred near the village of San Vicente in Toledo. Not content to merely criticise the actions of the Belizeans, the facilitators have made six specific requests.
The first is that the Government of Belize provide monetary compensation to the surviving dependents of Jesus Ramirez and his two sons Jesus Jr. and Virgilio. They also urge government to initiate judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings against those involved to determine their legal guilt or innocence.
And while that process is being carried out, those who fired shots in the incident should be immediately suspended from active duty, and the rest of the patrol should no longer be posted in the adjacency zone.
To prevent future loss of life and to reduce tension along the border, the facilitators also recommend that all military patrols in the adjacency zone, which stretches one kilometre each side of the border, be joint patrols made up of Belizean and Guatemalan troops. This will take effect as of December twenty-second and last at least a month.
At the same time, beginning immediately, any act of law enforcement carried out in the zone should be witnessed by an observer from the other side’s military or police force.
And finally, both governments should enhance procedures for ensuring the rule of law by all persons on the respective sides of the adjacency zone.
While the government of Belize is trying to put the best spin it can on the report, the fact that both facilitators have signed off on a document which is clearly condemning the actions of Belizean law enforcers, is a bitter pill to swallow. Until the report was issued, authorities here insisted that the patrol acted in self-defence and had no choice but to kill their assailants. About the only silver lining for Belize is that the investigation affirmed that contrary to Guatemalan claims, the incident took place on Belizean territory and not in Guatemala. A report in the ruling party’s Belize Times indicates that the government will comply with all the requests…and this is not surprising since they come from its own appointed facilitator. Speaking this evening to News 5, Ambassador James Murphy commented that quote “We held a different point of view, but we will act on the recommendations. We will act in good faith as part of our commitment to the facilitation process.” end quote. It is hoped that when the facilitators hand down their plan for a final settlement of the substantive dispute sometime early in the new year the Guatemalans will follow our example, and do whatever has to be done in the name of peace and reconciliation.
In related news, the facilitators can breathe a little easier now that they know where their next paycheque will be coming from. At this week’s ministerial meeting in Washington, the government of Taiwan presented a cheque for one hundred fifty thousand U.S. dollars to pay for the cost of the mediation process.
