Since Sunday, the Sarstoon showdown between the Belize Territorial Volunteers and the Guatemalan Navy has dominated the headlines. As we showed you yesterday, the Guatemalans blockaded the 5 boats carrying 160 persons who wanted to tour the entire circumference of Sarstoon island, which remains the flashpoint for the territorial dispute. All accounts from those on the boat, and our video footage clearly show that it was the Guatemalans who approached first, and they were the ones who moved into positions which caused a dangerous game of bumper boats on the water.
But, Belize's Foreign Minister doesn't believe it. That's what Amandala readers saw on page 3 of the mid-week issue. The Foreign Minister scolded Sunday's participants, and simply doesn't believe the footage which shows aggressive engagement by the Guatemalans. In fact, he says, Sunday's encounter between the territorial volunteers and the Guat Navy officials was polite and civil.
In an interview with Amandala's Rowland Parks, Elrington says, quote, "We seem to be the only people who don't seem to understand the danger we are in…under the misguided idea of patriotism and sovereignty."
Elrington also implausibly asserts that the Government of Belize was monitoring the events from beginning to the end of the expedition. Yet, As we've told you, the Coast Guard was in Barranco Village, but they did not go anywhere near the Volunteers when they left the Barranco pier. Keeping on that topic, Rowland Parks challenges him with this question, asking quote, "How can you say that Government was monitoring the situation on the Sarstoon River, and you still need to await a report from the OAS to act on clear violation of Belize sovereignty?" Elrington then responds that he has received no report that there was an incursion. The reporter continues to challenge him on the video footage and news reports, and that's when he makes the statement, "I am saying to you that I do not take the word of the media as gospel. I prefer to take the word of an impartial third party, participant or witness."
As we showed you, Orlando De La Fuente had to force his way pass a persistent Guatemalan Navy boat captain which kept cutting him off, and it was not until a camera man challenged the team on the boat by pointing out to them that he was recording their aggressive tactics that they sort of left the lead Belizean boat alone and began throttling beside it. Well, Elrington commented in the Amandala article saying, quote, "Yesterday, it was the Guatemalans who extended courtesy to the BTV and allowed 3 of their 4 boats to go around the island."
Commenting further, Elrington said, "To want to go and tangle with a country that is so big, you've got to be idiotic."
Not surprisingly, PUP Senator Lisa Shoman is incensed by the comments. At a press conference held by the Opposition today, she told the press that she would be more than willing to brief the Foreign Minister and the Government about what she observed:
Hon. Lisa Shoman, PUP Senator
"I remind the Foreign Minister that Belize is not at war with Guatemala, nor did we seek a casus belli. We went out there to make a political statement which is this: Belize is for Belizeans, we have our territorial integrity and our sovereignty. We were not out there to provoke anyone. There was much criticism that I had written the Guatemalan Ambassador. But I wrote him, to put on paper formally, not only my intention to be there, but to say to him that it was no part of anyone's intention to behave aggressively or to seek a confrontation. I did not ask him permission. I did not ask his approval. I did not expect his approbation nor was I seeking it."
"I am disappointed that the Foreign Minister of Belize is not interested in hearing from Belizeans as to what happened. The Foreign Minister of Belize, if he chooses to take a report from the OAS, has every right to do that. But to insinuate that 200 Belizeans who went there can't tell the truth about what happened. I think is an unfortunate matter. I would have hoped that the Foreign Minister would have reached out to me, because I am fully prepared, so that I could have provided him with a brief, since I am still a member I believe of the bi-partisan commission. I am prepared to do so now. In fact I will be writing to the Foreign Minister and i will make it public. So that he understands what happened yesterday."
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