Bz: Guats attacked; patrol acted in self-defence
Late this evening, the Belizean and Guatemalan governments have agreed to have the Organization of American States conduct an investigation into the deaths of three Guatemalans killed on Thursday by a joint BDF/Police patrol. According to the Belize Government, the men, who have been identified as sixty-one year old Jesus Ramirez Senior and his sons, eighteen year old Jesus Ramirez Junior and twenty-one year old Virgilio Ramirez, attacked the patrol just after eleven a.m. in the village of San Vicente in the Toledo District. According to the patrol, they were in the area to discuss incidents arising from a land dispute between the Ramirez family and Toledo farmer Rojelio Lobos. The patrol first encountered two of the Ramirez’s, who were carrying spear guns used for river fishing. The men were ordered to drop the spear guns, and while one complied, the other replaced it with a machete and lunged at the officers. The machete wielding man was subsequently shot and reports are the other man was then joined by a third, and both armed themselves with machetes and attacked the patrol. They were also shot before the Belizean patrol withdrew from the area. Already, the Guatemalan press has disputed the location of the incident and claims the Guatemalans were the ones attacked on the Guatemalan side of the border. At a press conference held earlier this evening, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Defence, Alan Usher, says not only did the incident happen in Belize, the officers had no other course of action.
Alan Usher, C.E.O., Min. of Defence
“It did not occur in Guatemalan village of Santa Cruz, it occurred at the farm of Mr. Jesus Ramirez. That location has been visited by patrols many times. I personally have visited that area. There are numerous GPS readings. We know exactly where the coordinates of those farms, of those buildings and the adjacent area, it’s well known. I pointed out earlier the border marker is clear to be seen to the south, a few hundred meters to the south of that farm and to the west, the position of that marker. It’s without a doubt, there’s absolutely no doubt on our side at all, that the incident occurred here in Belize.
There was an encounter, an initial encounter with two men, we believe to be of the Ramirez family, one of which was shot and presumed dead. There was a subsequent incident a short time later with the survivor of the first incident and a third fellow that showed up at the scene at which both of them were shot and also presumed dead.”
Janelle Chanona
“It was the BDF that shot these people and since they withdrew from the area, the bodies were thereby recovered by whom? The Guatemalans?”
Alan Usher
That is something that we will take up…”
Janelle Chanona
“Could that be why there is a difference in your body count and what the Guatemalans are saying as to how many people died?”
Alan Usher
“Three people were shot and seen to fall. No BDF…”
Janelle Chanona
“They were shot by the BDF?”
Alan Usher
“They were shot by the BDF/Police patrol.”
Janelle Chanona
“Can you tell me which member of the patrol shot them, whether it was a BDF officer or a policeman?”
Alan Usher
“We will not disclose that…there is a matter of judicial proceedings to take place at some point at the future. So we are releasing whatever information so as not to prejudice that proceeding. Three people were shot and seen to fall from close range and presumed dead. Those people have not been examined by Belize medical authorities and therefore the pronouncement of death is something that can only been done by a medical officer.”
Janelle Chanona
“So why did we report that it was two people that did if it was three people that were shot at close range?”
Alan Usher
“Because we don’t know.”
Janelle Chanona
“The bodies are where now?”
Alan Usher
“Those bodies are now held by Guatemalan authorities and we presumed they were moved by the other relatives.
One must not attack people with machetes, so whether it was a uniformed person or a civilian with a machete, attacking someone. Each person has a right to defend one’s health and section four of the Belize constitution has in it, exactly, each person’s right to life.
The visit of the patrol yesterday was part of a follow up report of an incident that was reported to Punta Gorda police on the sixteenth of November. Mr. Lobos, the Belizean, Mr. Rojelio Lobos, that lives not too far from the Ramirez farm reported to the police an incident involving up to eight male persons with firearms and that incident reported to the police. There was a situation existing, this was the latest incident. It was reported to the Belize Foreign Ministry and I know that there has been an exchange on the two foreign ministries on that matter. And it is a long series of aggravation between these two gentlemen. Basically, it’s a land dispute between two private individuals and due to the sensitivity of that area, of border, we get the two foreign ministries involved and unfortunate incidents like this one.
The government of Guatemala has called for an investigation by the OAS to be included…of which both countries are to be included and that is what Belize has been asking for, for quite a long time in the previous incident specific to this Ramirez Lobos case and in the case of the incident that occurred yesterday on the twenty-second of November, Belize also asked for independent inclusion of whatever joint investigation that will come about. So we are happy that the government of Guatemala has seen wisdom in our proposal to include an independent third party.”
