B.D.F. Says B.T.V. Has No Permission to Access Sarstoon F.O.B.
The Government of Belize has allocated funds for the reconstruction of a forward operating base at the mouth of the Sarstoon River. The F.O.B. that was constructed back in 2015 has not been occupied because the land has been washed away due to erosion. On Tuesday, the Belize Territorial Volunteers issued a release saying that the area has been abandoned and there is no Belizean military presence. B.T.V. is now saying that it will take up space in the area this Saturday, but will they run the risk of being arrested? News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It’s been about a year since the forward operating base at the mouth of the Sarstoon has not been occupied by Belize’s military.
Azariel Loria
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F.
“We had it occupied until last year. At the beginning it was a joint venture with police and the coast guard, but then the police left, followed by the coast guard because they were citing the security hazards that involved living in that forward observation base. We stayed there until we sought the assistance of Mister Thimbrel from infrastructure development and also some civil engineers like the imminent Cadet Henderson who went there and declared that the building is unsafe.”
The structure has been deemed unliveable due to the hazards caused by erosion and the B.D.F. had set up shop in Barranco. The Belize Territorial Volunteers says that the area has been abandoned; the Guatemalan Armed Forces have beefed up their presence, exercising authority in the area.
Wil Maheia
Wil Maheia, Belize Territorial Volunteer
“We’ve made several trips there and there is no presence there while the Guatemalan Armed Forces has increased their presence on the Sarstoon. They’ve made their base bigger, they’ve made their pier bigger and what have we done? We have abandoned it. The Guatemalans continue to be aggressive. They have actually start stopping the B.D.F. now. They tried to stop us when we went the last time and now, we have confirmed reports that they are trying to stop the B.D.F. as well. So we as Belizeans have to show the Guatemalans, we have to show the world that we have a presence on the Sarstoon; that the Sarstoon belongs to us. I must commend the B.D.F. because when they were there, you can see the results of their presence, the economic activities had increase. More fish for the fishermen which means the economy is improving. There’s more wildlife in the area which is good for tourism. So there’s social, economic and environmental benefits that come as a result of the military being there.”
But B.D.F. Commander Brigadier General Azariel Loria says that soldiers maintain a presence in the area.
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria
“We have a standing operating procedure that we are going to patrol it from first light to night; to last light we call it. At certain times, depending on the astronomical conditions, and especially now, we cannot be able to go because of the tidal waves. But whenever we have good weather we go. Whenever we have our boats that are giving trouble, we cannot go, but the directive that has been given to the battalion commander down in the south is to patrol it every day. And we have been doing that. Over the past two weeks, we have had major operations going on in the area of Cadenas; that is to the next side of the Sarstoon, bordering Guatemala. We are removing a palm plantation that has been there and we are patrolling and that same boat is providing assistance. So we are patrolling the entire river that belongs to Belize.”
Brigadier General Loria speaks to the sensitivity of the situation in the area and fears that the proposed action by the BTV will create unnecessary conflict.
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria
“As recent as a month and a half ago, when in one of the excursions conducted by the territorial volunteers, we noticed a change in the attitude of the Guatemalan navy that is on the other side of the river and they started trying to deny us access from entering into the river, the bar mouth itself. Nevertheless, we told them that based on the 1859 treaty, we are patrolling what belongs to Belize and no more which is the deepest navigable channel of the Sarstoon. They kept tailing us but about a month and a half ago was the last time that they did that. It is no longer, they are no longer doing it and in so, we would have reverted back to kinda controlling the situation. The Guatemalans start with those type of aggressiveness when someone goes there and agitate it, rock the boat per say.”
Maheia says that they are set for Saturday, but will their plans be stopped dead in its tracks?
Wil Maheia
“If they are not going to be there, then we need to fill that gap. We need to start to go there, we need to establish our presence there so that the Guatemalans respect Belize and Belize’s border. Why would it be a concern? We are inside Belize, we are unarmed. We are going there as peaceful citizens to establish our presence on the Sarstoon; that is the point. We cannot allow Guatemala to continue to take over the entire river, trying to harass not only civilians, but also our military.”
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria
“We are going to place signs to keep out trespassers and intruders because that building belongs to the Ministry of National Defense and Border Security and we have not given permission for anyone else to occupy.”
Duane Moody
“So what happens on Saturday?”
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria
“Well we are making provisions for it. I have provided direction to the battalion commander down in the south and he is doing the plans accordingly.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
