Julio Alvarado is Laid to Rest in La Rejoya
The body of thirteen year old Julio Alvarado Ruano, who was killed inside the Chiquibul last Tuesday, was laid to rest over the weekend in his home village of La Rejoya. It’s a tragedy that has spurred increased aggression by the Guatemalan military along the adjacency zone and the Sarstoon River. According to B.D.F. Commander David Jones, the minor was encountered by a patrol in a previous instance in the Cebada area of the Chiquibul and was returned to his family at La Rejoya, but last Wednesday he was back in the area and lost his life. Noticiero Guate-Vision covered the funeral services at the family home where heavy military guard was also on hand. In this report, the family speaks for the first time on the tragic incident.
[Translated]
Marvin Juarez, Reporting
Rejection and pain for the crime against a minor, thirteen year old Julio Alvarado by Belizean troops this past Tuesday. Family and friends demand justice. A camera crew of Noticiero Guate-Vision went to the family residence where the minor was laid to rest.
Carlos Alvarado, Father of Deceased
“I ask that they look into the case. And this body here cost me a lot and he isn’t a dog that they can kill like that. They have to pay for it.”
Elda Ruano, Mother of Deceased
“I ask for justice for the persons that did this; that they are not that bad because they too are human beings. That they don’t behave like this because they too have families.”
Authorities from PDH and the authorities from La Rejoya recollected what happened along the adjacency zone where the incidents occur by Belizean troops.
General Williams Mansilla, Ministry of National Defense
“What we have done, the initial activities that the president ordered, was to reinforce efforts along the adjacency zone. There will be increased presence of soldiers.”
Jaime Regalado, Deputy of Peten
“We have the Guatemalan Ambassador in Belize, the residents of La Rejoya and the deputy Jose Ubico here with us, and he is a member of the Defense Commission, to identify the area and to see the problem with those who live in this zone. We learnt that the imaginary line that should exist is not clearly demarcated and they don’t know where it is.”
For this reason, residents living within this jurisdiction indicate that the abuse from Belizean troops have been occurring for years and they ask for Guatemalan authorities to intervene before the situation gets worse.
Juan De Los Santos, Resident, Melchor De Mencos
“If they come into Guatemala, we look at them and we can’t be one step ahead of that line that isn’t a line because there isn’t a line. It’s an imaginary border. They had a device to determine where is Guatemalan territory. But we cannot be close to because they would chase us away.”
Meanwhile, the Guatemalan army will maintain its presence in the conflicted zone to protect the families in the border communities. Reporting for Noticero Guate-Vision, I am Marvin Juarez.
