7 News Belize

APAMO Demands Border Security
posted (October 1, 2014)

Adding to those concerns are conservationists who say that Conorquie's death only serves to highlight the dangerous circumstances that exist around border management, and today, the NGO community voiced their position. They say first that Foreign Affairs Minister Elrington's reaction was not appropriate, and that Government should now immediate and direct action to deal with the border security issue:

Jose Perez - Executive Director, APAMO

"These activities are always occurring in Chiquibul, they occur in the Colombia forest reserve, they occur in the Bladen nature reserve and our NGO staff are constantly being undersized by these people, we have to do something and we have to do it now. We also call on the government to be assertive in engaging their counterparts in Guatemala. Let's bring these people to justice."

Daniel Ortiz

"We still aren't able to show that was committed by a Guatemalan national."

Jose Perez

"I have said before, we cannot continue to manage the affairs of our country as if we are in a courtroom. I think our diplomats have vast experience and know quite well how to respond to these aggressions. It's our sovereignty and I know there are ways of justing these things without evidence. Consult, we're on the ground, we need to seek direct action, we cannot wait for another life to be lost. What we ask for is that cabinet colleagues of Hon. Lisel Alamilla, give her the support give her the necessary finances and investments into not only environmental legislation enforcement but also jointly with national security. It has to be a joint effort, it cannot just be the conservation rangers, it has to be a joint effort with our national security but it cannot be done without the proper financing. So we ask on cabinet, we ask on government to ensure that enough and adequate finances is allotted to supporting our protect areas and it is vital to our social economic realities of our country."

And while that's the reaction of the NGO to Conorquie's death, today, Cayo Tour Guides told us that there have been mass cancellations of pre-booked tours to the Caracol Archeological Site. One Guide told us that he alone has received over a hundred calls by tourists canceling on him. That has especially been the case since that video from the tourist went viral.

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