7 News Belize

Guatemalan Killed Inside Chiquibul: Joint National Press Release Issued
posted (March 31, 2014)
Belize and Guatemala are moving ahead with a second round of confidence building measures, but a major wrench was thrown into the works this weekend when Belizean law enforcement killed a Guatemalan civilian. It happened on Saturday in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, a reported 3.4 kilometers or 2 miles within Belize.

According to police, on Saturday afternoon, the BDF were leading a joint patrol along with Forestry officers and police. They were 4 miles north of Rio Blanco and some 2 miles within Belizean territory when they saw a group of armed Guatemalan civilians. The police ordered them to stop, but they report that the men opened fire at the law enforcement personnel who returned fire, fatally injuring 26 year old Tomas Desdicho Ramirez, a resident of the Guatemalan village of San Marcos, in Peten, Police say the other men ran off and the Belizean lawmen recovered a 12 gauge pump action shotgun from the deceased and 6 ounces of marijuana. They also recovered one live 12 gauge and 5 expended cartridges. Again, based on that physical evidence it would suggest outlaw behaviour and provocation of Belize's armed forces - which is consistent with recent history.

But, try telling that to a roomful of Guatemalan technocrats in Guatemala City. Well, that's just what the CEO in the Ministry of National Security George Lovell had to do. Lovell was heading to Guatemala on Saturday afternoon for a joint commission meeting between the two countries when he got the news. He arrived in Guatemala City that night to a cocktail reception already in progress. That's where he delivered the bad news. Other members of the Belize delegation of 12 high level technocrats tell us that there was immediate tension. But, thanks mostly to the face to face setting, that dissipated and both sides agreed to postpone the joint commission meeting and work on a joint position statement for the Guatemalan press. That morphed into a joint statement from the both governments - with inputs from both heads of government - which is a first.

Those who follow the news know that since 2011 there have been four Guatemalan civillians killed by the BDF and at least three others shot. All events are confirmed to have happened in Belizean territory, and all have created serious and prolonged diplomatic tension.

But not this one. Instead this morning, we got a joint statement saying both Governments deeply regret the death, quote, "that occurred in the Chiquibul Reserve, Belize." It adds that quote, "The Prime Minister of Belize and the President of Guatemala have been in telephone contact on the regrettable incident. The Prime Minister assured the President that his government will investigate the facts relating to the incident, and should it be found that there is culpability by persons involved they will be brought to justice in accordance with the law." End quote. The statement then goes on to say, quote, "Both leaders committed to making extra efforts to coordinate actions in order to avoid incidents of this type in the future which may lead to fatalities." End quote.

Guatemalan authorities and the OAS will witness the autopsy and visit the crime scene.

The statement concludes, "The Prime Minister of Belize and the President of Guatemala reiterated their commitment to the maintenance of peace and the promotion of friendly relations between both peoples and rejected any form of use of force to resolve any differences between the two countries." That is pretty strong stuff for an unprecedented joint statement, and in that spirit the joint commission meeting which was to have been held on Sunday in Guatemala City has been re-scheduled.

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7 News Belize