Since sounding an alarm several weeks ago that Guatemalan farmers have been encroaching on land surrounding Otoxha Village in the Toledo District, the Belize Defense Force has been deployed to the area. But tonight, there is information that illegal activities continue to take place within the Columbia Forest Reserve at the hands of Guatemalan poachers. […]
South Cebada is one of the most remote areas of the Chiquibul National Park. While it is deep inside the protected area and difficult to reach, it is also located about one point five kilometers from the border with Guatemala. That makes it an open ground for illegal activity perpetuated by nearby communities who depend […]
As you heard, manning the Chiquibul National Park poses a huge challenge to the relevant agencies, including Friends for Conservation and Development. FCD rangers on June sixth spotted a group of five illegal farmers and were able to apprehend two: Guatemalan national Edras Garcia and Honduran national Elder Diaz four kilometres within Belizean territory. Following […]
There has been an increase in military presence near the outskirts of Otoxha Village, in an area adjacent to the Guatemalan border. The need for B.D.F. patrols to be deployed into the fringes of that southern community follows a report from villagers that there has been clearing taking place in the nearby forest in Belizean […]
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust, PACT, along with a team of five ranking government officials, including Minister of National Security John Saldivar, journeyed to the depths of the Chiquibul National Park today to inaugurate a conservation post at a remote frontier location known as South Cebada. The area is fringed along the Belize/Guatemala border by […]
The start of construction of a perimeter fence by the Belize Defence Force at the western border triggered an uproar by taxi drivers from Guatemala who claimed they were being put out of the area. The B.D.F. maintained that the fence was being built to provide security and to ease traffic congestion. Today, we re-visited […]
There have been increasing reports of incursions into Belizean territory by Guatemalan farmers, loggers and poachers along both the western and southern borders. In the case of the west, Friends for Conservation and Development have attributed the occurrence to the influence of rogue leaders seeking to take advantage of the overwhelming yes vote by Guatemalans […]
The villagers say they are concerned about not being able to defend themselves from possible attacks, although they have made it clear that the Guatemalans are not welcome to farm in the area. PGTV’s Wil Maheia, who is also leader of the Belize Territorial Volunteers, is offering his assistance. Village chairman Olario Ical says they […]
The Ministry of National Security has deployed Belize Defence Force soldiers to areas in southern Belize to investigate reports of Guatemalans cutting down forest areas for illegal farming. According to a release issued by the ministry, villagers in Otoxha reported that they came across several areas within Belize that appeared to have been cleared by […]
Minister of National Security, John Saldivar, traveled to the western border on Wednesday to view firsthand security improvements that are taking place at the Benque/Melchor crossing point. The infrastructure work is being undertaken by the B.D.F.’s light engineers. The team is repairing, upgrading and strengthening security facilities at that location and is being done in […]
Tensions flared up at the western border over the weekend when authorities sought to clear the area to allow for the discharge of construction material. Government has decided to upgrade the perimeter fence to improve the flow of traffic and other activity. Now, Guatemalan taxi drivers are known to operate freely in the adjacency zone, […]
Amid the chaos that ensued at the border on Sunday, the Guatemalan media also reported that students from neighboring Melchor who commute to Benque Viejo daily to attend school, would be refused entry at the border. According to Ambassador Guerra, that was furthest from the truth. He says the rumor was immediately cleared up during […]
Today, April thirtieth, is the anniversary of the signing of the 1859 Anglo-Guatemalan Treaty which was intended to establish borders between the Belize Settlement, run by Britain, and Guatemala. Among other things the countries agreed to build a road from Guatemala through Belizean territory to the coast, but it never happened and Guatemala later repudiated […]
The complement of the Belize Police Department will be deployed into the streets of Belize City, as well as other municipalities across the country tonight, in anticipation of the opening of polls on Wednesday morning. With pre-election activities taking place, the department has ramped up law enforcement efforts to safeguard the citizenry. This morning, Assistant […]
In foreign affairs news, there are sketchy details about an apparent incursion by Guatemalan soldiers into Belizean territory. The question tonight is what authority they had to act. In this case, the pretext was to arrest an alleged robber. Information to News Five is that a Guatemalan money changer was robbed of a large sum […]
The Belize Defence Force and the Belize Coast Guard received more than eight hundred and fifty-thousand dollars in drug fighting equipment and training packages. The US Embassy handed over the donation gifted by the US Southern Command’s ‘Counter Narcotics Program Office.’ While the U.S. and Central America have cooperated on defense and security, there have […]
On Friday the Minister of Defence John Saldivar addressed an unexpected visit to Belize from members of the Guatemalan Armed Forces who were said to be asking about an earlier engagement between Belizean police and a Guatemalan reporter. While there are few such encounters at the western border, it is much closer quarters in the […]
At Price Barracks in Ladyville this afternoon, it was out with the old and, especially, in with the new. The national army is now forty years old and has had seven Belizeans in charge. Today, an eighth accepted his new responsibilities under the watchful eye of Governor General Sir Colville Young. He will lead a […]
Surveillance footage captured last week showed an alarming occurrence at the western border between Belize and Guatemala. Taken from inside the Customs office, a trio of Guatemalan soldiers dressed in what appear to be the military fatigues of the elite Kaibil unit are shown walking over from past the O.A.S. office to the Customs/Immigration building. […]
Following last week’s encounter between a team of Belizean youth basketballers and members of the Guatemalan Armed Forces, in which the latter tried but failed to stop them circling Sarstoon Island, it appears the Guatemalan army is up to its old tricks again. The GAF have made a habit of following any Belizean craft or […]
Operation ACT, acronym for Addressing Crime Together, was launched on October twenty-seventh as a direct law enforcement response to the escalation of violent crimes in Belize City. With the establishment of twenty-four hour police presence in three hotspots on the south side, the frequency of gang-related incidents, including murder, has been curbed noticeably. Police have […]
It’s been a while since the Belize Police Department has issued certificates of recognition for high school students who do the right thing. But while that program may be on an indefinite hiatus, the department is making sure to recognize its own for their achievements over the past twelve months. This afternoon at the Queen […]
This Yuletide season, Belizeans are taking to the streets en masse to complete their seasonal shopping ahead of Christmas Day. While you will be out in the hustle and bustle of last-minute preparations, the Belize Police Department will be working overtime to secure your neighborhoods. But there’s also a request being made for residents to […]
The Sea Cadets – they are the young new faces on whom the Coast Guard hopes to make an impression. After years of planning, the Coast Guard is taking fifty students under its wings. The recruits will participate in different activities organized by the Coast Guard and will receive mentorship with the help of Restore […]
Weeks after it came to light that there was alleged hanky panky in the B.D.F. Lieutenant Colonel Charlton Roches is being investigated by a team of fellow Belize Defense Force officers for his involvement in a private company that was established to conduct training exercises with the German army. Belize Jungle Experience Limited is an […]
