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Daniel Ortiz reporting
The 4 Belizean boats moved off. The intention was to give everyone a tour of this now infamous Sarstoon Island that has become a flashpoint for the Belize/Guatemalan Territorial Dispute.

There was no sign that the Guatemalan Navy had changed their sentinel mode, and so the Belizean vessels slowly made their way into the Belizean side of the river.

About 10 minutes in, this leisurely throttle in the river became instantly pressurized when 2 Guatemalan Navy boats made a direct path to the lead vessel, cutting off it off from any further movement. There, the most senior officers of the Navy, who had been watching in the distance for about 3 hours, spoke to the leaders for the first time that day and gave them a stern warning that they had entered Guatemalan territorial Waters.

Keep carefully in mind though, that at this location, the river mouth is very wide. Also, out of an abundance of caution, the expedition was keeping close to the banks of the southern landmass of the Toledo district. With that, the expeditioners concluded that it was the Guatemalans who had entered into Belizean waters.

Undeterred, the Guatemalans declared that the expedition overstepped their bounds and crossed over into Guatemalan territory. That caused a stand-off and the biggest Belizean vessel was not allowed to pass. The back and forth over who was in the wrong took another 5 or so minutes, and it was clear to everyone on the boats, that the Guatemalan Navy was not going to allow anyone to proceed undeterred.

At Wil Maheia's urging, the vessel that Orlando De La Fuente was in, which was being driven by boat man Chukuru, broke away from the Guatemalan blockade. Immediately, one Guatemalan boat moved into position and cut him off. Passengers from both boats began shouting back and forth. At that time, the 130 plus persons who were in other boats nearby, started to plead to the leaders that it was time to turn back.

Orlando De La Fuente - Member, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"Our captain relinquished and he said that we shouldn't try to pass them, because they armed and a big argument ensued. It was chaos and I told the captain to give me the wheel because we were here and we weren't in Guatemalan territorial waters and there was nothing to be scared of and so I took the wheel and then every time I tried to cross, the pull up in front of us and one time they rammed us. Twice the rammed us and this young man, he has the footage. Eventually they saw that I wasn't going to. Because every time they rammed us, their boat would move front, I go behind, they reverse, I go in front of them and eventually they just backed off and they said that they will just escort us."

That's when the battle of wills in this confrontation shifted from the largest vessel to De La Fuente and Guat boat captain which had cut him off. A series of maneuvers took place where De La Fuente slowly moved forward; the more he defied them, the more aggressive the Guatemalan boat driver became, and that caused them to collide several times - playing a dangerous game of bumper boats:

That happened about 4 times, and it was not until Plus TV's camera man, Cirilo Choco, spoke with the Guatemalans and declared in Spanish to them that he was videotaping their aggressive tactics, that these officers backed off and started traveling beside them, sort of like an uneasy tour guide.

The further down the river the expedition went, the thicker the tension became. At this point, the eastern tip of Sarstoon Island came into focus, and there was growing concern that the Guatemalans were being pushed just a bit too far. De La Fuente would hear none of it.

Orlando De La Fuente - Member, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"That never crossed my mind. I went and I was going to go around the Sarstoon Island and there were many in our boat that saying 'turn around, we had already seen enough, we need to listen to the Guatemalans' and I said you knew that we were going around the island and you should have got into a boat at the back, because this little boat is not turning around. I told them that we were not turning around and eventually they settled down, because of a big argument. I really didn't like the big argument and the back and forth with our crew, because I think it doesn't look well when in our boat we are arguing back and forth. So I really ask the crew and the passengers to calm down and I am going to make the decisions."

Victorius Pollard
"Our captain was very courageous, because you got to be courageous to have done what Mr. Landy did."

Orlando De La Fuente
"It's not a courageous act at all. It's not. Even after we left and things calm down and started throttled beside us around the island, I told them, do you realize you are in Belize territorial waters? I said this is the creek. The river runs south of us here on the other side of the island and he kept saying that we are in Guatemalan waters and then eventually he said that they are going to act as guide and as a escort to make sure that it's a safe trip."

In the distance, the OAS representatives who were observing, came into closer contact with the Belizean boats. They were not spared any of the verbal venom from the Belizeans in the expedition. They kept quiet and closely observed as the trip went along, ignoring the taunts of those who believe that they ought to do more to stop the Guatemalans from aggressing the Belizeans.

In the distance, another Guatemalan boat, which was carrying about 6 members of the Guatemalan press, followed the Belizean expedition. They, like us, were there to document the encounter from both sides.

Their cameras turned back to Orlando and the lead boat as they made their slow pace around Sarstoon Island, this time, staying very close to its southern banks so as to remain in Belizean territorial waters. That was a bit more tricky to do because if the boats veered in too much, they would be grounded. If they veered out too much, they risked illegally entering into Guatemalan territorial waters. There was no such indication from the Guatemalan Navy boat, or the OAS, that this happened, and so, with no more aggression, the guided - albeit unusual - tour continued for the entire length of the island's southern side.

As soon as the Eastern tip of the island came back into focus once again, the Guatemalans completely backed off, and the 4 Belizean boats made their way back to the river mouth. Soon, we got an opportunity to see the controversial Guatemalan Military base at the entrance of the Sarstoon River. That's the one where all Belizean boat captains have been told that they most stop in and report their intent to travel up this river.

Sarstoon Island quickly started to fade out of focus, and back at the initial staging area, the leading Guatemalan commanders waved off the Belizeans. That was so friendly and deceptive a gesture, that had we not known that there had been a tense confrontation about an hour ago, we'd think that they were the kind of next door neighbors anyone would want to have.

So, now that the danger had passed, and the patriotism statement had been made, what was the tally of the score on the issue of the territorial claim? After all, the Guatemalans blocked, and the territorial volunteers refused to back down.

Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, while it is a great and powerful statement, there will be those who say you've accomplished everything, but you've really accomplished nothing because when we leave from here, the Guatemalans will still be as aggressive to anyone who enter this channel and has any intentions to go in that location. How do you respond to those people?"

Orlando De La Fuente
"Mr. Ortiz, you've heard right, because that's the tradition. That's the custom here. When Belizeans enter the Sarstoon, they check in with the Guatemalans, even if they are not going to venture into Guatemala. Even if they venture, even if they are going up the Sarstoon to fishing or for whatever purpose and it's up to our government to insist that the Guatemalans stop it. You don't have to check in with Guatemalan authorities if you are going to stay on the Belize side. There is no reason and that practice has to stop. The status quo has changed and it has not changed for Belize's benefit. The status quo has changed and our position has eroded. Sarstoon was never disputed before. Now look at what happened today, when the Guatemalan vessels are coming into our waters and try to prevent us, to cut us off from navigating our own waters in Belize while the Belize military stays back in Belize waters and just watches on orders from the government. So the status has certainly changed today. I think our position keeps eroding and our goal is a change of our foreign policy."

Ok, now that's just part one of our story - we've got interviews with all the personalities who were there - and we'll have that package for you tomorrow. But first to the government's position on the trip. The National Security Council issued its second statement at 5:25 pm yesterday - just as the volunteers were making their way home. Apparently, while the volunteers were on the river, the council was having a teleconference, quote, "for the duration of the Territorial Volunteers Sarstoon Island expedition." End quote.

The statement goes on to say, quote, "nothing can take away from the Council's pleasure that no misadventure overtook the hundred plus Belizean men, women and children that journeyed to the Sarstoon." But it adds, quote, "there is confirmation by the Organization of American States that four of the Belizean boats that approached the Sarstoon island did so by transiting not just the north, but the south channel of the river." That means they were in Guatemalan territory - that is, according to the OAS. But, government says nothing happened because, quote, "the presence of the OAS and the diplomatic safety net that the Government of Belize had secured in collaboration with key allies as part of its contingency measures, succeeded in averting any major fallout from this no doubt inadvertent occurrence." End quote. The PUP issued a statement today where the party wasn't so diplomatic, calling government's release quote, self-serving…to cover their naked and cynical act of abandonment."

It says, quote, "The trip was a political statement-that Belize, all of Belize, from Rio Hondo to Sarstoon, from our Cayes and Atolls to our Western border, is ours to protect and defend, and that this is not a task for only the military and diplomats." It adds, quote, "The…UDP administration via their ministers, the BDF and the National Security Council tried to scold, shame, intimidate, frighten, and prevent Belizeans from making this trip, to no avail….before eventually abandoning them to their fate." End quote. And none too shy about seizing on the Territorial Volunteers thunder for some prime political points, the PUP will have a press conference to talk about it tomorrow.