B.D.F. Reports Frequent Confrontations with Guatemalans

Along the western and southern borders for some time now, B.D.F. soldiers are deployed to deter encroachments, illegal logging and xaté harvesting, as well as gold panning and the cultivation of marijuana, primarily at the hands of Guatemalans. Since the execution of Danny Conorquie, Brigadier General David Jones of the B.D.F. says the force is focusing on the Chiquibul, the Bladen and Columbia Forest Reserves, where Belize faces the biggest threat to its sovereignty. Jones explained that there have been numerous aggressive incursions by Guatemalans into Belize and many have gone unreported, but the soldiers have learnt the protocols to defend themselves and keep the peace.

Brig. Gen. David Jones, Commander, B.D.F.

David Jones

“Our soldiers have been threatened along the borders with Guatemala for decades; this isn’t something new for us. But we are always alert, we are always prepared for it so if it does happen, we know how to react and deal with it. These people are willing to defend what they believe with their lives and there have been instances that have been reported, but there have been instances where you would have about sixty Guatemalans with machetes and shotguns who would approach a B.D.F. patrol who probably would have captured one or two persons to take them in for police custody and they would aggress the patrol stating that if they don’t release them, we would have to kill all of them or  they would kill the members of the patrol. And sometimes it would be six to eight guys on that patrol walking out and sixty to seventy guys aggressing them. And the soldiers made the decision to hand over these people because if they don’t, we would end up killing sixty people along the border. That will spark a huge international incident. Those are some of the things that we encounter, but these Guatemalans are naturally aggressive. If Guatemalans or any foreign nationals are putting the lives of our soldiers at risk and putting the lives of any Belizean civilians at risk while working on those observation posts, the soldier is trained different from a police officer. If our lives are in danger or if any Belizean citizens’ lives are in danger, the difference with us is that we shoot to kill. We will not disarm anyone, we will not try to shoot you in the hand, in the leg; we will shoot to kill. That is the training of a soldier; that doesn’t change. In regards to rubber bullets and stunt guns…that is what you would use in riot control scenarios inside urban areas, probably Belize City amongst citizens. But when you are out on operations and you are out there operating with hostile civilians or hostile forces, I would not allow my soldiers to be taking any rubber bullets out there because those guys would not be shooting with rubber bullets. So we would have live ammunition and we would shoot with intention to kill.”

In terms of confidence building measures between Belize and Guatemala, a pledge has been made between the military of both countries to sensitize Guatemalan communities along the border. According to Brigadier General Jones, as a result of a joint commission meeting with Guatemalan officials, patrols will be held for the first time between both militaries to deter encroachments by Guatemalans.