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But one crime that law enforcement just can’t solve is the illegal squatting in Belizean territory by Guatemalan businessman Leonel Arellanos. As we’ve reported Arrelanos has erected an illegal structure in Belizean territory facing the village of Jalacte. Plans have been developing to move him from late last year – but since then, changes in the leadership of the Guatemalan military have made that impossible. Today the Prime Minister explained that the situation is volatile and Belize must get the support of the Guatemalan government to do it.

Hon. Dean Barrow,
“It is my sense that the Executive understands that this Jalacte problem needs to be solved but there are those on the Commission Belice that are giving trouble. I am not sure where the military comes in. In any case, the reason we are perhaps literally keeping our powder dry is because this Arellanos, or whatever his name is, seems to have the support of the villagers in Santa Cruz. The container would have to be dragged from Belize territory and put across to Santa Cruz. The Guatemalan military is committed to helping us. Arellanos and the villagers have said you try to pass through here with any kind of equipment and we will attack you. They are talking about their own Guatemalan soldiers. And certainly if we try to haul it across to Guatemala, they threaten to attack us. It obviously is an impossible situation unless the Guatemalans agree that they have to muster the political will to assist us in getting this thing back into their territory. I believe that at this juncture, we do have to give the additional time eventhough it appears to be open ended and that is most upsetting but in the practical circumstances I don’t see that we can simply charge in there with all eight hundred and odd of our magnificent army.”

Because of the fluid and volatile nature of things, no definite timeline has been set.