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Cabinet Minister Hulse was willing to address the issue of the confrontation between the Belize Coast Guard and the Guatemalan Navy at the Sarstoon Island, at Belize's Southern Border.

It has sparked some controversy by some in the public. There are those who suggest that when the Government got involved and give an order to leave, it gave the appearance of weakness or conceding that the Guatemalan military was correct to forcefully ask Belizeans to leave their own territory.

The media got a chance to question Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who is said to have given the order to diffuse the situation. He made it clear that he had nothing to say on the topic:

Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News

"Sir the foreign minister has said personally handled the Sarstoon situation"

Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister

"We're not talking about that sort of thing, we'll talk about politics. You've heard from the minister, the foreign minister. You heard from the CEO of national security and you heard last from the commander who was on the ground, Mr. Borland. There's nothing more I can add. You got the whole story."

Hulse was more willing to answer questions on the topic, and here's how that conversation went:

Hon. Godwin Hulse - Minister of Labour

"My understanding is that the island that the forward base - it was a recognisance visit to see where we could put a forward base. My understanding is that a forward base will still be placed in the Sarstoon."

Reporter

"Sir my understanding is that there was an extraction ordered by the prime minister and I spoke to one of the person who was there and they were saying they classified it as a failed mission."

Hon. Godwin Hulse

"That's not my understanding at all and I can't comment anymore because I haven't heard that - not even in the cabinet."

Reporter

"Is it a concern because I went to Sarstoon island a couple days after that and the people in Punta Gorda are saying that they are afraid now to go into that area even though it is known as Belizean territory. I'm talking the tour operators, the fishermen."

Hon. Godwin Hulse

"They have to make that expressively known because my understanding is the coast guard continues to patrol the area and I can't comment anymore from what I have been told. I am not responsible for the ministry and I haven't been down there. But that is what I have been told and I go by the reports that we have."

The Coast Guard considers the mission a success because they went to Sarstoon Island on reconnaissance, and they managed to carry out that mission to completion.