B.T.V. Accuses Foreign Minister of Not Doing His Job on Incursion Threat
Wilfred Elrington
Three weeks ago it was reported that the village of Otoxha has been dealing with a takeover of acres of territory by Guatemalan farmers seeking greater pastures. The farmers left a mile-plus-long trail from Guatemala into Belize for easier access to their ‘conquered’ territory. The matter has officially been reported to the Belize Defence Force’s local barracks at Fairweather Camp, but on Friday Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington was not aware of this specific incident. Maheia issued a response on Monday, telling News Five that the minister has not been doing his job and that the problem is at its worst since the last days of the British in Belize.
Reporter
“I think you said in terms of the encroachments down South, you hadn’t heard anything?”
Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs [File: May 26th, 2017]
“I haven’t heard on it but I wouldn’t be surprised; you know how it is. And that encroachment would continue unless we could bring this matter to an end – and even then we would probably still have some problems. But hopefully we would be able to better manage it once we get a decision from the I.C.J., hopefully.”
Wil Maheia
Wil Maheia, Belize Territorial Volunteers
“We could confirm that the B.D.F. did go out to Otoxha but we hadn’t heard a report from the B.D.F. For the Foreign Minister to say that he doesn’t know anything about the Otoxha incursions is ridiculous; he is not doing his job. As a Foreign Minister he should know about these incursions; so when he’s going to make some ridiculous statement that he doesn’t know if there is incursion in Otoxha, I consider that to be some bogus statement on his part.”
Reporter
“He also said that he is not surprised, that this sort of thing is happening and will continue to happen until the claim is settled.”
Wil Maheia
“He can’t be surprised – this sort of thing did not happen while the British were here, so he can’t be surprised; because the point is that they are not patrolling the borders, so he can’t be surprised. If you are not cleaning your yard, if you are not taking care of your yard people will go into your yard. This is our yard – we are not taking care of our borders and that’s the reason why it is happening. When the British were here we never had these kinds of incursions.”
