That confusion about the actual claim seems to give rise to some confusion about the seriousness and significance of Guatemala’s active ownership of the Sarstoon – ownership bolstered by military presence. The incident on Saturday when armed Guatemalan military came into Belizean waters to inform our B.D.F. soldiers that they could no longer go into […]
A late evening press conference convened by Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington, upon his return from a meeting at the O.A.S. in Washington, has just concluded. The brief was held to update the media on a round of discussions between Belize and Guatemala in respect of the ongoing territorial dispute. We’ll have more on […]
While police have two minors, ages fifteen and sixteen, in custody for the murder of Hemsley, a fourteen-year-old boy has been charged for Tuesday’s murder of Mario Trotman. This morning, the minor was arraigned in the Belize City Family Court and read a single charge of murder. Police believe that he was the one who […]
Three minors have been detained as the gunmen in two of the recent homicides in the city; it’s a reality that is frightening because it is believed that minors are being recruited by gangs to commit these heinous crimes. But Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, whose jurisdiction these murders were committed, is not taking […]
Hundreds of Belize City residents participated in a BLACK March this morning. The procession is the second of its kind and seeks to create awareness on the effects of crime and violence in the city. News Five’s Duane Moody joined in as the wave of black and white flooded the city streets and made its […]
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou departed Belize around eleven o’clock this morning, following an overnight visit during which he met with various government officials, including heads of state from St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. His journey to the Jewel, only the second since assuming office in 2008, was the final stop on a farewell […]
Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington is back in the country, following high-level meetings at the O.A.S. headquarters in Washington D.C. He was accompanied by Ambassadors Assad Shoman, Alexis Rosado and Pat Andrews. Based on very evident concern expressed by G.O.B. about an incident on Saturday in the Sarstoon, it was expected that that issue […]
The conference held by Foreign Minister Elrington was delayed because the Belizean delegation spent much of the afternoon briefing Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Opposition Leader John Briceño. But we can tell you that the Belize Territorial Volunteers was in the spotlight for much of it. Every area of government has maintained that the cause […]
Outgoing Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou touched down in Belize shortly before eleven o’clock this morning, following the arrivals of the prime ministers of St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. The occasion of his visit is to bid farewell to the Jewel, one of Taiwan’s strongest allies in the international community. The Phillip Goldson International […]
Following the National Security Meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow credited the defusing of the situation at the Sarstoon on Sunday to Brigadier-General David Jones – more specifically, the relationship Jones has with the highest-ranking military officer in Guatemala. It is through communication between those two men on Saturday that the Guatemalan military was […]
The Belize Defense Force is shortly due to make its weekly shift-change run to Cadenas via the Sarstoon, or is it? Has that strongly worded note from the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry issued after Saturday’s incident changed things? In the note, Guatemala insists that the Sarstoon is theirs, and they will continue to assert sovereignty as […]
Just a few years ago, Belizeans were able to use the Sarstoon and there was no question that half of that meandering river was ours. Today, Guatemalans say the entire river is theirs and obviously they are prepared to assert that claim using military force against not only civilians but also the military. To the […]
In tri-lateral meetings conducted at OAS headquarters in Washington DC on Tuesday, the Opposition was represented by former Foreign Minister Assad Shoman. Even in its release issued over the weekend, we noted that government made a point of mentioning that the Prime Minister had briefed Opposition leader John Briceño personally on the situation at the […]
One government official who is known not to mince words is Minister of Education Patrick Faber. He weighed in on the Sarstoon incident, telling the media today that Belizeans should be concerned and patriotism by civilians ought to be applauded. But there are more successful ways to solve the issues with Guatemala in the south. […]
In light of the recent flare up at the Sarstoon River, we took to the streets of Belize City to get public opinion on the incident, as well as the manner in which it is being handled by government. The responses we got were a mixed bag and tonight we’ll share with you feedback we […]
Tonight, an impasse between Belize and Guatemala remains in place following an incident involving members of the Belize Defense Force and the Guatemalan Navy near the mouth of the Sarstoon River, at the site of a forward operating base on the Belizean side of the estuary. After the GAF confronted the B.D.F., Belize sent a […]
Now in Washington today, a meeting between Belizean and Guatemalan foreign ministers Wilfred Elrington and Carlos Raul Morales was held at the seat of the Organization of American States. That meeting had been planned ahead of the armed confrontation between B.D.F. personnel and the Guatemalan Navy. There are not too many details available on the […]
In the aftermath of the standoff in the Sarstoon between the B.D.F. and the Guatemalan Armed Forces, much has been said about the tense relationship between both militaries. The National Security Council met on Monday to discuss details of the incident, as well as the way forward. But what about the progress of the construction […]
It is not the first time that hostility has been displayed towards the Belizean military by the Guatemala navy. In fact, alarm bells were sounded since last year that the Guatemalan Armed Force was behaving confrontational. A report from the Belize Defense Force back in 2015, records instances where the navy became aggressive toward the […]
On Monday, the P.U.P. condemned the aggression of the Guatemalan navy. Today, another political party added its condemnation. Vision Inspired by the People denounced Guatemala’s military aggression toward Belizean soldiers and citizens. A V.I.P. release states that Guatemala’s government is pursuing a path of military intimidation in violation of its obligations as a member of […]
Today, the murder trial of Osmar Sabido, accused of stabbing his common-law-wife Christie Carrasco to death, continued in the Supreme Court in Orange Walk before Justice Herbert Lord. Sabido has been on remand since February, 2011, when he was detained outside the home the couple shared. This afternoon Sabido took the stand for the first […]
Attorney Oscar Salgado, representing Osmar Sabido, stated in an interview at the start of the trial that his client would make a case for self-defence. That is consistent with Sabido’s testimony given today in which he claimed he was attacked by Carrasco who tried to stab him. One witness for the prosecution, Deon Faber, took […]
There is currently unease in the halls of government following an incident in the Sarstoon on Saturday. While reports started circulating that night, the first official verification came via G.O.B. release twenty-four hours after, on Sunday evening. That release acknowledged that tension in the Sarstoon was at an all time high, and used language like […]
In that release issued Sunday, the Government also stated that it would send a strongly worded protest note to Guatemala to condemn the very aggressive action by its military in the Sarstoon, as well as the encroachment into Belizean waters near the Forward Operating Base on the banks of the Sarstoon. That has actually been […]
While Belize has operated on the premise that at least half of the Sarstoon is sovereign territory, the Guatemalans claim that the Sarstoon, and much more than the Sarstoon is theirs. Neither side is willing to abandon its position. But recent events show that Guatemala is quite prepared to step forward aggressively, and PM Barrow […]
