Melchor residents protest new border tax

A
new border tax has prompted complaints from Belizeans and protests from
across the border. The twenty-dollar per person fee went into effect today
for all tourists who depart Belize by land, whether at the northern or
western borders. The fee will be used to fund the activities of the newly
created Border Management agency, which is slated to greatly improve efficiency
and amenities at the border. While Belizeans tourism stakeholders have
long expressed their unhappiness with the fee it was left to residents
of Melchor, Guatemala to express their outrage by blocking the border
this morning.

Melchor Resident
“This lady is coming from Belize and they charge her twenty dollars
just for stamping her local permit. No receipt. This is not right. It
is a steal to the people of Guatemala. What we want is for this to stop.
When the people from Belize come here we don’t charge them anything. We
think this is wrong.”

The new fee applies only to foreign tourists over twelve years old
and will not be charged to those using the free zone or people who only
visit Belize for the day.