At the top of the news, we showed you the dramatic video footage captured by the tourists who were at Caracol when Danny Conorquie was killed. The conservationists and tour guides who operate in border hotspots, like the archeological reserve areas, say that Conorquie is not the first law man to be shot at, just the first to be killed.
The Cayo Tour Guides Association was very vocal about the lack of tight security at the Caracol Archeological Site, but they stress that this is not the only historic Mayan site that remains under pressure by illegal border activities.
Today, after the protest for Danny at the border, they took the media to the El Pilar Mayan Ruins inside the national park which is under the jurisdiction of NICH.
They say that for years the site has been under pressure by Guatemalan border bandits who target them and their guests when they visit El Pilar. Our team arrived shortly before news time, and will have a full look at the problem they face tomorrow, but here's an excerpt of our discussion with the tour guides:
Patrick Bradley, Cayo Tour Guide
"We are in one of the main temple in El Pilar, the site that have Belize right here. Right beyond the site across the building is Guatemala and we have the same situation when we come to do a tour in Belize without any security, without any kind of access without any help in the area. We are always on our won with the tourists and Guatemala is next door and at any time poachers could come in and have a way with us."
Joe Awe - President, Cayo Tour Guides Association
"We have conceded El Pilar to the banditos, nobody goes to El Pilar because we are very scared of going to El Pilar."
Tomorrow, we'll have a more in-depth look at El Pilar and the pressures it faces. Plus, we'll also show you that not only do Guatemalans come over to Belizean territory to cut down very important forests. Belizeans actually go over to their side and do it as well.
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