It was an incursion by the Guatemalan military and Belize has sent a diplomatic protest note to Guatemala. That's what Prime Minister told the media
today in a press conference about the Belize Territorial Volunteers trip to the Sarstoon Island.
The Prime Minister held the press conference at the Biltmore right after a meeting of the National Security Council which was held at the same hotel.
They reviewed the report on Sunday's happenings from the OAS, as well as the video footage from the Belize Media, along with accounts from the Belize
Territorial Volunteers.
The PM sat at the head table flanked by with members of the Security Council to say that the Guatemalan military entered Belizean territory, and that
it cannot go unchallenged:
Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"The OAS reports that even the four small Belizean boats were at first intercepted by the Guatemalans before they were able to proceed towards the
island. And both that temporary interception of the small boats and the permanent interception of the bigger boat took place, as I understand Ms.
Talamas, at the mouth of the Sarstoon River. It is my belief that what the OAS describes as the mouth of the Sarstoon River, is clearly in
Belizean waters, and that the Guatemalan Navy committed an incursion when they intercepted our boats at that spot. The Territorial Volunteers, and the
Belizean media, confirm the fact of this incursion, and General Jones and Admiral Borland-after viewing video footage-fully concur. Now whether our
four Volunteer boats also went into Guatemala during the course of
entering, circling and exiting the area of the island, must remain unanswered for now. The Volunteers say no, and the OAS doesn't say yes."
"Any unwitting Belizean entry into Guatemala by unarmed, civilian boats is of a different order completely from the deliberate violation committed
against us by a presumably well- armed Guatemalan Navy. An extremely strong protest note has therefore been prepared by our Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and was approved just now by NSC for immediate dispatch to the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry with a copy to the OAS."
The protest note has been copied to the Organization of American States.
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