A Search Inside Belize for Missing 8-Year-Old Guatemalan Girl
A team of residents from Benque Viejo Del Carmen and Succotz carried out a search and rescue effort inside the Belize-Guatemala border. The search started this morning after local news outlets in Melchor shared that an eight-year-old girl went missing late Tuesday evening. They reported that the child’s clothing and bicycle were found in some bushes and Guatemalan residents made online appeals for Belizeans living along the border to search for the child. Well, that story ended tragically for Sharon Jasmine Figueroa Arriaza when she was found dead somewhere inside Guatemalan territory earlier this afternoon. Before the body was found, Said Badi Guerra and a group of Belizeans were on the ground searching for the child. He told us why he felt it was important to join the cause.
On the Phone: Said ‘Badi’ Guerra, Search & Rescue Team
“The people in Melchor have been searching all around for the child, even at night, so in solidarity with them because of the good relations that we have Benque-Melchor, in solidarity with them we decided to do a search and rescue in Benque. It is led by Mr. Miguel Guerra and his group of neighbours. So, it started like that and we all joined in and we have a lot of people coming out right now, all along the river and by the border.”
Andrea Polanco
“Is there any suspicion that the girl is in Belize – is she lost? What are the circumstances?”
On the Phone: Said ‘Badi’ Guerra
“Nobody knows the whereabouts. She just disappeared and so the people they on the Guatemalan side have arranged a group of searchers on the river on their side and we are doing it on our side. In the past that is what we used to do when the forest fires or something we join together on our side and we do it on our side. Still we do it – we never know what might happen; today for them and tomorrow might be us.”
Guerra told us that there are reports of a total of three missing children in Melchor. The team had intended to search up to Arenal along the border. The girl was found dead a few hours after we spoke with Guerra.
