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Joining the trip to the western border on Thursday was firebrand activist and former COLA President Geovanni Brackett. Brackett saw the developing Guatemalan community that has been inching its way into Belizean territory. He says that Espat’s land problem is a national issue that needs the urgent attention of the Government of Belize. Geovanni […]
Written on November 15, 2019 | Posted in
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Nefretery Nancy Marin is the leader of the recently formed Belize People’s Front. Marin was also present during Thursday’s trip to the Barrio el Juda along Belize’s side of the border with Guatemala. Marin says that the illegal Guatemalan encroachment on Espat’s land is not a problem he can address on his own. She says […]
Written on November 15, 2019 | Posted in
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In the west, a sizeable group of Guatemalan families have set up homes on land belonging to local businessman Jorge Espat. The problem has been building up for some time and today we had firsthand experience of the encroachment at Barrio el Juda where the squatters have settled so comfortably that they even have water […]
Written on November 14, 2019 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Guatemalan Community Growing along Western Border in Belize
Encroachments by Guatemalans are well-known within the Chiquibul. But now, embolden Guatemalan nationals are setting up permanent structures closer to the western border and well within Belizean territory. For years, Belizean businessman, Jorge Espat has been battling with Guatemalans settling in his land. Espat says that as of late, the situation has not only persisted, […]
Written on November 12, 2019 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Guatemalans Squat in Barrio de Juda, Cayo
Espat wrote to the C.E.O. in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pat Andrews on the issue of Guatemalan squatting on his land. Espat tells Andrews that he has waited four months for this issue to be resolved and does not see the end of it. While the land is privately owned, Espat recognized the implications […]
Written on November 12, 2019 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Ministry of National Security Says Guatemalan Squatters Have Ceased Illegal Construction
You may recall that exactly one month ago we told you about a group of squatters along the Belize/Guatemala border. About ten years ago, close to thirty families were relocated to the border and they have made their way on Belizean territory. We were told that at least two houses have been built on a […]
EXPO Taiwan 2019 kicked off today at the showroom at the Caribbean Tyres. More than ten businesses from Taiwan are exhibiting their products for three days, starting today. The event opened with an official ceremony this evening followed by the expo showcasing tech, exercise, jewelry and other products. Both Belize and Taiwan are hopeful that […]
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs headed by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Julie Chung concluded a discussion on Venezuela today. The state of affairs in that South American country remains troubling, as the United States does not recognize the government of President Nicolas Maduro. The Maduro is supported by Cuba on whom the United States […]
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Julie Chung, concluded a visit to Belize today after meeting with various government and private sector representatives, as well as Taiwanese Ambassador Remus Li-Kou Chen. Belize and Taiwan are celebrating thirty years of economic and development cooperation, so the U.S. diplomat gave assurances that […]
Amid the trade dispute between the United States and China, the world’s two largest national economies, is an enduring relationship with Belize and Taiwan. Chung, in a brief question and answer session with the media this evening, spoke about China’s influence in the region. Julie Chung, U.S. State Department “This is something we value […]
A top heavy delegation is on a visit to Taiwan signalling the strength of relations with that country that has been shaken by the loss of two allies in recent times. The delegation includes. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Patrick Faber, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Manuel Heredia and Minister of Transport […]
Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales addressed the General Debate at the seventy-fourth, General Assembly of the United Nation earlier this month for the last time before demitting office. The outgoing Guatemala President spoke on the relations between Guatemala and Belize. That issue also formed part of the presentation by Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington. Elrington told the […]
Morales devoted much of his speech and time bashing the United Nations-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). Last year, President Jimmy Morales did not approve the renewal of the mandate and expelled the commissioners of the CICIG which has brought down a Guatemalan president and vice president, as well as other high-ranking officials. […]
The U.S. Government, through the CARSI-ESF grant programme, has awarded seven hundred and fifty thousand U.S. dollars to three organizations in Belize. Since 2007, over nine million U.S. dollars have been awarded to civil society groups. Today’s funding is just one part of over forty million U.S. dollars awarded through the CARSI programme to Belize. […]
A 2004 squatters’ problem on the Belize/Guatemala border is re-emerging. There is word that Guatemalan families have begun clearing lands in that area. More than ten years ago, about thirty families from El Barrio Judah in Guatemala were relocated to the border and subsequently, these families inched their way into Belizean territory. Pictures posted by […]
The General Debate at the United Nations started on September twenty-fourth and has now concluded. On Saturday, Foreign Minister, Wilfred Elrington addressed the assembly; at the end of his statement, Elrington spoke of the Guatemalan claim to Belize which by way of a referendum in May is now before the International Court of Justice for […]
Written on October 1, 2019 | Posted in
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The Embassy of Taiwan sent out a statement this evening. It states that a press release circulating on social media is unauthorized and its content fabricated to mislead the public on certain aspects of Belize-Taiwan relations. In the fake social media post, the ambassador purportedly announced on Independence Day that two thousand Taiwanese families were coming […]
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington gave a brief update on developments in respect of Belize proceeding to the International Court of Justice to resolve the territorial dispute with Guatemala. According to Elrington, several law firms are being asked to tender a bid for the contract to represent Belize at the World Court. While the […]
Written on September 19, 2019 | Posted in
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A trip to mainland china by P.U.P. Caribbean Shores Area Representative Kareem Musa, Belize City Deputy Mayor Oscar Arnold, and Councilor Michael “Chips” Noralez in August stirred controversy. Musa told the press that the visit was as a result of an invitation by the Chairman of the Belize Chinese Association Johnston Wu who has refuted […]
Things have been fairly quiet since the historic decision, following a referendum on May eighth, to proceed to the International Court of Justice to settle the longstanding territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala. While the lull was expected, we asked Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington for an update on the process. He says that Belize is […]
Conservative Alejandro Giammattei has been elected as Guatemala’s new president in a run-off on Sunday. He defeated former first lady and social democrat, Sandra Torres. Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Council confirmed that Giammattei had about fifty-eight percent of the votes, compared to about forty-two percent for Torres. With an estimated eight million registered voters in Guatemala, […]
Over the weekend, a trip to the Sarstoon by SATIIM was completed without interruption from the Guatemalan Armed Forces. But it was not the case this morning when a small group of boaters, including BTV founder Wil Maheia, headed up the Sarstoon River to conduct a survey of gill nets being used within the waterways […]
According to Musa, the Chairman of the Belize Chinese Association may have been pressured into distancing himself from his role in facilitating the visit since the matter has become political. His opponent in Caribbean Shores, Lee Mark Chang, has roots in Mainland China. Musa says that the very invitation that was extended to him was […]
On July eleventh SATIIM visited the Sarstoon Temash National Park where they discovered a pile of harvested timber inside the park. Over a week later, on July twenty-third, SATIIM attempted to retrieve the illegally harvested timber. But as we showed you almost two weeks ago, the Guatemalan Armed Forces confronted the Belizeans on that trip. […]
Written on August 6, 2019 | Posted in
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As you heard just now, SATIIM was only able to retrieve about sixty percent of the harvested timber. The remainder was destroyed. While illegal logging is a problem in several parts of the country, in the Sarstoon Temash National Park, the problem is complex to address. The park is in a remote area that is […]
Written on August 6, 2019 | Posted in
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