Foreign Affairs Minister explains the incident that led to the death of Guatemalan national

Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington

A special session of the House of Representatives was held this morning in Belmopan. It was called for the presentations of four bills, but it was other hot button issues that dominated the session. With pressure building up, the Foreign Minister Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington addressed the House on an erroneous report by the OAS in respect of the venue of the recent killing of a Guatemalan national that has stirred a firestorm locally. Since the OAS misspoke, there has been a demonstration and the burning of an OAS mock flag at the organization’s office in Belize City and the government has been accused of being soft on the OAS. Firstly, Elrington gave a detailed account of what led to the shooting by the B.D.F. on the Guatemalan who was logging illegally in the Machaquila area. 

Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“The interim report of what occurred tells us that three B.D.F. personnel were returning to camp from a routine patrol in the Machaquila area, Toledo District, country of Belize when they heard the sound of a chainsaw operating in the area.  The officers went to investigate the source of the sound and in doing so they saw someone cleaning a trail from the direction of where the sound was heard.  One member of the B.D.F. patrol was posted as a sentry in the area of the trail, while the other two continued in the direction from which the sound was coming.  They climbed a nearby hill and on reaching the top of the hill they saw two persons of Hispanic descent, one of them was in possession of a chainsaw and the other was in possession of a machete.  One of the B.D.F. soldiers shouted to the two persons and also fired a shot in the air to signal their presence in the area; however, the person with the chainsaw did not comply with the warning given the noise of the chainsaw.  The B.D.F. proceeded to conduct a search of the two persons and found a small quantity of marijuana, cigarette, measuring tape, two chainsaws and chainsaw tools.  During this time the sentry that stayed behind was heard requesting support, announcing in his Maya Mopan language that he was being threatened by an armed person.  One of the B.D.F., who was with the two detained, returned to provide support.  During his return he was close enough to witness the shooting by the B.D.F. sentry officer of a person who was pointing a firearm at the sentry.  The approaching officer, seeing the felled person, proceeded to disarm the person of a machete and a shot gun and retrieving it, he unloaded a live four-ten cartridge that was inside the weapon.  The vital signs of the person were inspected at which time he was confirmed as appearing dead.  The B.D.F. patrol then, with the two detainees whose names were confirmed to be Jose Antonio Sosa, sixty years old of Clarisol area, Guatemala and Hugo Montroy Ramos, thirty-three years old of Pena Blanca area, Guatemala, were escorted to the B.D.F. campsite where the matter was reported to Fairweather Camp.”