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The one minister of Government who did know about the arrangements made for the construction of the Forward Operating Base was John Saldivar, the Minister of National Security.

Saldivar hasn't been granting interviews to the press for months, but he agreed to a press encounter today at the ceremony for the Police recruit intake number 90. The media took the opportunity to ask him why a Guatemalan company building the Hunting Caye Facility didn't raise any red flags, and here's how he responded:

Alindy Marisol Amaya - News Director, KREM News

"In relation to the operating base of the coast guard, in the wake of your comments in the national assembly and those of prime minister Dean Barrow, they have said that, that's not enough, heads should roll because there seems to be the sense that people, or yourself, may have been aware that Guatemalans were in fact constructing it. There is a threat in Guatemalans knowing the ins and outs, the exits of those security facility."

Hon. John Saldivar, Minister of National Security

"I don't believe that anyone in the security aparatus would have allowed for this to happen if they felt our national security was threatened by the fact that the Guatemalan company was doing the construction. We understand the sentiment of our Belizean people and the matter have been reviewed. We have already been in communication with US embassy with respect to some flexibility in their procurement guidelines."

David Ortiz

"What will happen at this time with this Guatemalan contractor for the operating base, will they continue?"

Hon. John Saldivar

"At this point, no decision has been made to discontinue."

Alindy Marisol Amaya

"Sir, did you know about it?"

Hon. John Saldivar

"Yes I did."

Reporter

"It is made known that the prime minister did not know about it. Today we spoke to minister Hulse, he did not know anything about it until it was mentioned at the national assembly. Why did they not know anything about it? And why were you the only person that knew about it? Shouldn't there be a direct line of communication between you guys?"

Hon. John Saldivar

"I imagined at this point we are reviewing our procedures with respect to what people need to know and don't need to know. That needs to be reviewed and it is obvious now the matter is a very sensitive one for the Belizean people, so we will make the necessary changes to our policies."

As we told you, Hunting Caye is one of the country's southern-most islands in the Sapodilla Caye Range.