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.
“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.
Wonderful. I wish I could join the ranks of my beloved Force again. I conducted several patrol along the border and it is no joke to deal with these illiterate, arrogant ang ignorant creatures. They have no sense of reasoning. Big up to my comrades along the border and sleep with your own eyes, be alert all the time. God be with all our soldiers out there at the border.
Brigadier, never release a detainee back to these people. I understand that we don’t want to kill a group of sixty civilians, but there is no way on God’s green planet that our soldiers can stand down on the orders of foreign criminals violating our sovereign border, if it means “killing em all”, then so be it. By allowing them to intimidate our soldiers, we just embolden them, and who knows what they will try next. Obviously they have already figured out that they can kill our police and get away with it.
Shoot to kill?? I’d like to see that more often. Obviously we have been proven to be cowards. Please Mr Jones, practice what you preach
MY BELIZEAN FRIENDS, THINK!!!!!!! YOU GUYS ALLOW THIER CHILDREN TO CROSS OVER TO COME TO SCHOOL.. SO THEREFORE, THE REST OF THEM CAN CROSS OVER TO DO ANYTHING INCLUDING THE PARENTS. NOW, HOW MANY BELIZEANS CROSS OVER TO GUATEMALA TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY? PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
jahkid, From the West, Belizean, are you for real ? you are actually proposing we kill 60 guatemalans civilieans ?? do you want the flag of guatemala in our parks and schools ? because that is what will happen if we go against them one of the few things the crazy Sedi is correct is that military speaking the guats are way powerful than us we need to be smart…
Come on expatinbz, I didn’t mean to kill civilians, but if you read the Commandant message, he said soldiers are trained to deal with the different situations. Most of those guatemalans coming with no fear of our nation’s Force are ex-GAF and ex-Guerillas, so our soldiers are not dealing with ordinary civilians, get it right, If our soldiers were not trained to deal with these people you would hear daily of deaths along the border because daily people come across. The BDF is a small but professional Force. In the past we have even met Guatemalan soldiers lost in our jungles along the border. The case is dealth with professionally. @Belizean, I can’t understand your ignorance.