Next week Monday the Caracol Archaeological Site will re-open 4 weeks and 4 days after it was closed,. By now, you are very aware that the site was closed because Special Constable Danny Conorquie was killed while on duty. He was targeted and executed while he was looking after tourists.
Since then, law enforcement and military personnel have been on a high level of activation in and around the site, especially since there was an armed incursion around Camp Valentin shortly after the murder.
But, Caracol is one of the major tourist destinations in the Cayo District, and addressing the security concerns meant that no tours were going to the maya site. Those security concerns have now been addressed with a permanent BDF presence on the ground, and today, NICH's Director of Archaeology, Dr. John Morris outlined the new security measures that are in place:
Dr. John Morris, Director - Institute of Archeology
"We have increase on the security measures of the site. Primarily we have setup BDF outpost on the archeological reserve that would provide protection for our people who are working there and also for guests who will visit the site. This is in conjunction with the Belize Defence Force, we have a similar arrangement with them at the site of Xunantunich near Benque. This contingent will remain there at the site 24/7. They will do patrols in and around the reserve. We have also increase the number of personnel that the Institute of Archeology keeps at Caracol and in addition to that the number of tourism police has also been increased. We will continue with the escort by BDF for tourist who wants to go to Caracol, this is something that was there in place before, so all tour guides/tour operators, tourists who wants to go to Caracol at 9am the BDF from Douglas De Silva escorts them to Caracol and then at 2pm they escort them back to Douglas De Silva. A part from that of course the BDF and FCD are in the area. I think we have enough people on sire to take care of that. I mean when you include the 10 Institute of Archaeology personnel, the 10 BDF personnel and that of the tourism police - you are talking about 25-30 people on site."
NICH advises that the Belize Defense Force escort services will depart from Douglas D'Silva Forest Station at 9 a.m. and the escorts leave there at 2 p.m. Anyone wishing to go to the site must adhere to the escort hours.
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