Belizeans Speak on Recent Guatemalan Threat

The fatal shooting of a Guatemalan minor inside the Chiquibul has stirred a lot of emotions among Belizeans. There was unease across the country as Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales made his inflammatory statements followed by reports that thousands of Guatemalan troops were being deployed to the Sarstoon and along the adjacency zone in the west. So a News Five crew took to the streets to poll Belizean on the situation.

Student

“It is such a really hot topic issue especially at the junior college right now. I’ve talked to a couple of my different friends and we find it actually really unsettling. I mean I think the biggest concern now is that we see the movement of the troops all the way to the Sarstoon and they’ve made their moves. And we feel as it’s a tactic, more of like a taunt to get a reaction to validate the points that Jimmy Morales has made. That kinda what I see a lot of the young people finding on the street as well.”

Resident #1

“How I feel about weh di go on with Belize and Guatemala; this government is lame and weak. Mister Barrow, Sedi Elrington needs to go.  The President of Guatemala talk about we. I noh know weh then ya people from, but dehn look like Guatemalan. If we mi that bad, dehn never mi wah deh out yah the sit down like how the president di talk about we di kill kids and we di kill this. Every time the Guatemalans kill somebody fi we, Sedi Elrington run go compensate them. We noh get no compensation from Guatemala. The President of Guatemala got problem ihself. I would like to know when the Guatemalan President come ina this country, what did he and Dean Barrow talk about. I dah want know what dah the thirteen proposals that they sign dah Placencia. This is what concerns me. I am very upset.”

Reporter

“How do you feel about the current situation between Belize and Guatemala?”

Resident #2

“I think we should take the same stance that they take. If they are preparing for a fight, we should take it serious.”

Resident #3

“Disappointed over and over again. I noh blame Mister Elrington nor I noh blame Mister Dean Barrow. Why? Because at the end of the day, dehn dah Belizeans and we dah Belizeans at the end of the day. We all have to come together united to deal with all of this. What disappoints me is it took Guatemala to say okay we wah send three thousand troops to the border and that dah when Belizeans just jump out like everybody just lose dehn mind. I dah like all of this mi di happen wah long time ago and nobody never mi di talk. I dah like all of this goes way beyond just posting up F* You Guatemala, F* this, F* that. I mean if that dah the only sentiments that we can share as Belizeans, Guatemala done have we already. We have to say as young people, we have to read more, research more and we have to talk more because numbers dah weh play wah big game. Everybody has to play their part.”