Border communities celebrate common bonds
For many of us, the Belize-Guatemala talks under the auspices of the Organization of American States are a rather abstract concept, but today, some very concrete and visible strides were made towards resolving our differences through an activity at the border. The all day event brought together the people of Benque Viejo Del Carmen and Melchor de Mencos. Janelle Chanona reports.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Hundreds came by bus…others by private car… all eager to participate in a special cultural exchange programme coordinated by the Organization of American States.
Over the course of the day, more than two thousand primary and secondary students from schools in the border towns of Melchor de Mencos and Benque Viejo del Carmen would take centre stage to profile various ethnicities.
With the territorial differendum still being argued in the boardroom, according to the Director of the O.A.S.’s border office, Luis Miguel Trinidad, these kinds of activities plant seeds of peace.
Luis Miguel Trinidad, Director, O.A.S. Border Office
“The spirit of these kinds of events, particular that of the children is the main protagonist in the promotion of peace. The two governments may indicate the way forward in agreements, but the day-to-day activities in these two communities are what actually implement those decisions and we are here to support that.”
Manuel Arturo Tellez, Guatemalan Ambassador to Belize
“We are at a good juncture in negotiations. There are good intentions, good will to move ahead to solve the territorial dispute and to get closer to each other through these types of activities, especially the ones in which children participate. These memories will stay with the children for a long time and when they grow up, the values instilled and the relationship we are building between the two countries will be strengthened.”
Janelle Chanona
“While exact numbers are hard to come by, it is estimated that hundreds of people cross this border every day and most aren’t looking to make a political statement. For the Guatemalans, they are simply trying to get to school or work, while the Belizeans access Guatemala’s medical facilities and her stores.”
Tension at the Western border has subsided considerably, largely in response to the presence of the O.A.S. and their work in both Belize and Guatemala. One of the most remarkable achievements has been their work in Nuevo Juda. For some time, more than thirty-one families had established a community with half their homes in Guatemala and the other half in Belize. Today, the entire settlement has been relocated one kilometre west, totally within Guatemalan territory. With technical support from the O.A.S., the villagers invested sweat equity to create greatly improved living conditions, running water, and electricity.
But elsewhere along the border, other settlements are still illegally existing in Belizean territory. According to the O.A.S., one hundred and ten people remain in Santa Rosa in the Toledo District, while an undetermined number of other families continue to reside in Machaquila in the Cayo District.
Said Badi Guerra, Mayor, Benque Viejo del Carmen
“The problem does not lay with us Belizeans, because we have been able to cope and handle the situation as it comes. The problem is across. I’m not undermining or I’m not trying to talk bad about the Guatemalans, but it is the truth. Every time Belize does what is required of us to do, yet Guatemalans don?t do it. So I’m emphasising a lot of working relationships, the problems that we’ve had and all this what we’ve been doing, especially with the children, what we are doing today, to see how we can work and for him to take this message back to Guatemala City.”
It is not the job of the O.A.S. to curb the illegal activity, but simply to serve as an observer and to ensure communication lines stay open.
Luis Miguel Trinidad
“There has been more communication between the authorities. Immigration and customs officers meet in our office where they coordinate deportations, clarification of reports, and also between the police and the military they discuss security measures. This is a great advance because communication is the first step in solving our problems.”
Janelle Chanona
“While there is strong support for the ongoing negotiations, local officials from Melchor de Mencos and Benque Viejo say they hope all this international attention will bring about resolution to issues currently affecting their daily lives; issues such as sexual exploitation of children, prostitution, and crime and violence. Reporting from the Belize-Guatemala border for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.”
Today’s cultural exchange at the border was jointly coordinated by the Governments of Belize, Guatemala and Mexico, and the Organization of American States.
