7 News Belize

Nancy And Don Hector, Damage Diplomacy
posted (October 8, 2014)

As we told you, earlier, Minister of National Security, John Saldivar told the media today that his ministry will look into why the Memo about the security concerns at Caracol were seemingly ignored, which critics say contributed to the unsafe conditions which led to the death of Special Constable Danny Conorquie.

Well, The Belize People's Front says that you should join them in Boycotting Guatemala because the Government on that side is not doing enough to help Belize curb the incursions into Belizean territory:

Daniel Ortiz Reporting

For at least a decade now, Friends for Conservation and Development have been sounding the alarm that Belize loses millions of dollars to Guatemalan poachers. They've been engaging in all different kind of illegal activities in the country's natural reserves along the western boarder. The Belize People's Front says at the state level, the response has been inadiquate.

Neferteri Nancy Marin - Leader, Belize People's Front

"Upon analysing the problem, we find several issues. One, the irresponsible assertion indoctrinated into Guatemalans from birth that Belice es Nuestro; Armed with this fallacy, the government of Guatemala indoctrinates their citizens with. They cross indignantly into Belize territory, confident of what their government has told them since they entered the school system in Guatemala. Guatemala has also ignored the management of their own biological diversity. So that their forests have completely been depleted, their natural resources without being replenished. Now they seek to do the same with our land and they have already made much progress to the destruction of our forests. Belize from her part, to our government has consistently employed turn the other cheek policy. When the Guatemalans enter illegally to our forests, into our country, we turn the other cheek and apologise to the Guatemalans. When they destroy our forest, steal our timber, our Chaya, our gold, they poach our scarlet macaws, we turn the other cheek and we handle them with kit gloves and hand them back over to their government. When they threatening our Belize Defence Force with lethal force and that lethal force is successfully returned, what do we do? We turn the other cheek and apologise to the families and government for killing those poor illegal poachers, who fired at our defence force personnel. Then we go one step further and we actually compensate these families in form of payment of those illegal poachers who were killed by our defence force when they fired against our soldiers. This is a wrong approach."

And so with the murder of Danny Conorquie and the recent armed incursion at valentine camp, the pressure organisation has certain demands from the government which they think will reverse the damage.

Neferteri Nancy Marin

"Regarding the execution of special constable Danny Conorquie, we demand that compensation be given to the family of our fallen brother, killed in the line of duty, wearing the uniform of the tourism police unit. We request that his family be compensated with 400,000 Belize dollars in a lump sum. This will translate to a mere 50% of what this brave young man would have earned given the economic indicators. Our second demand to our government, that the constitution be upheld regarding the issuance of residency to Guatemalans. We demand that this government cease and desist immediately from this practice. Regarding our foreign ministry, we have request for them; That the foreign minister be removed and replaced with a more seasoned diplomat, one who holds the love of country above the love of personal ambition. One who employs accretive diplomacy as it relates to our foreign policy. We urge this administration to complete construction of the outpost, not just in the Caracol area, but a long the entire western boarder. We request that these outposts be built to military standards and not pine lumber and be able to host a platoon at the very least."

But the biggest demand that the Belize People's Front is making of the public is to boycott the Guatemalan's goods and services

Neferteri Nancy Marin

"We're asking all Belizeans, including government to boycott Guatemala as it relates to products and services. We're asking that we do not go over the border to Melchor to buy our groceries, like a lot of people in San Ignacio do. We're asking that is you see products on the shelves in Belize that says made in Guatemala, that you do not purchase it. The reason being, is that only when they feel what Belize contributes to their economy, maybe they will be moved. That's just one of the strategies we think that might work and the Belizean people can do."

Don Hector Silva, Cayo Citizen

"We are buying about 135 Million dollars per year from Guatemala and they are buying from us legally, something between 4 and 5 million. The other point is that presently, some 4 to 500 Guatemalan children, cross over every morning go get their primary and secondary education, including university as against almost 0 Belizeans going over there. Right now in this condition, Guatemala has more to lose than us. If what the proposal is to just show an act of displeasure, we are not at war with Guatemala, we're not declaring, but we are not going to surrender either. We have to take a stand, as what Ms. Marin said. These are what you call actions of protests. Things get better, we go normal again."

And while Don Hector and Nancy had at it with Foreign Minister Elrington, a slightly more authoritative voice has also joined the fray. In his online column, former Foreign Minister and current PUP Campaign manager Godferey Smith wrote that "Guatemalans are, on a daily basis, exercising de facto acts of sovereignty over (the Chiquibul). Smith criticizes Elrington for saying he had a "duty" to maintain good relations with Guatemala, saying The Foreign Minister's position quote, "echoes with accommodationism, (and) also displays manifest incompetence and stupidity." End quote.

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