3 illegal settlements totally evacuated

It’s an issue that consumed the undivided attention of Belize’s best diplomatic minds for almost two months and distracted both countries from the more important issue of dealing with the Guatemalan claim. Finally, however, the problem of three illegal Guatemalan settlements on Belizean soil appears to be solved. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Security report that by sundown on Saturday the last of the settlers at Machaquila, Rio Blanco and Valentin Camp had accepted compensation from the Guatemalan government and moved west across the border. Shortly afterward members of the Belize Defence Force moved in to dismantle over fifty thatch-roofed buildings of assorted size and substance. While late last week there were said to be a dozen or so families vowing not to move from the area, in the end they were convinced that it was better to take the money from Guatemala rather than be evicted empty handed by the BDF. While the issue of the three settlements appears to be resolved, a more recently established Guatemalan community in Belize has yet to be dealt with. CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, David Gibson, tells News 5 that the Guatemalan government has been invited to undertake a joint verification of the illegal settlement near Edwards Central in the Columbia River Forest Reserve. That encampment lies two point nine kilometers inside Belize. If the Guatemalans decline to join in the process, the settlers will be removed by Belizean authorities under the existing protocols signed in Miami.