P.U.P. Toledo concerned about Belize border security

The area representatives of the Toledo District did not hike to Santa Cruz to join the Clear the Border Project by Belize Territorial Volunteers. According to Oscar Requeña and Mike Espat, while Belizeans need to assert their nationalism there is also an issue of security involved along the Belize borders. 

Mike Espat, Toledo East Representative

“I think it was a wrong move. Because you have a military government in Guatemala, this is not something that I think we should have tried to ignite any kind of animosity between them at this time. Because they will react; for every positive move you have a negative move.”

Oscar Requeña, Toledo West Representative

“I think it is very important that as Belizeans that we assert ourselves. We have to clearly understand because I have seen over the years that Guatemala has really been encroaching into our land and if you would recall that in the National Assembly I have raised issues relating to illegal hunting and illegal logging and so on. Some people may ask the question how comes you were not out there, and they have to understand that as elected representatives we have to be responsible to our people and at the same time we have to be very careful that the Belize Guatemala issue is a very sensitive issue. The whole concern as it relates to national security comes out but I am a firm believer that we have to assert ourselves and let Guatemala understand that we do have a border as oppose to some people who are saying we don’t have a border.”