Wil Maheia Says Trip to Sarstoon Still on Despite Last-ditch Legal Obstacle

On the Phone: Wil Maheia

Those immediately affected by the law, and in whose honor the law was drafted are the Belize Territorial Volunteers. The group had planned an expedition to the Sarstoon on Saturday. Public entreaties by Prime Minister Dean Barrow failed to sway BTV head Wil Maheia, so on Thursday the PM dispatched military and foreign affairs leaders to squash any notion of an expedition. That didn’t work either. So will the hurriedly drafted law prohibiting entry to the Sarstoon by Belizeans do the trick? Late this evening we reached Wil Maheia via phone as he was strategizing with the B.T.V. executive in P.G. He says that the trip is on, even if the government has seen it fit to attempt to rein in Belizean civilians using the law.

Via Phone: Wil Maheia, Head, Belize Territorial Volunteers

“I’ve looked at it and we are very disappointed that a law like that had to be passed, although we hope that the law applies across the board, not only for Belizeans. The most important thing for us is to ensure that Guatemalans as well do not cross into the Belize side of the Sarstoon, and that will be key for us.”

Just before news time Maheia told us that as many as one hundred persons have confirmed that they will be joining the B.T.V. on its journey to the prohibited Sarstoon on Saturday.