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It's also been over a year since construction screeched to a sudden halt at the other Coast Guard Forward Operating Base on Hunting Caye. That's after the firestorm of controversy that erupted the when the public found out that a Guatemalan company, BINARQ, had been building the base.

The US Government made it clear to the Barrow Administration that if the Belize Government didn't want the Guatemalan company building the base, then they would have to do it themselves. Since then, that project, which is 75% complete, has stalled.

Construction has not lulled for months, and so while we had the opportunity today, we asked the CEO in the Ministry of National Security when it will start up again. He told us that the tender to a Belizean construction company has to go out first:

George Lovell - CEO, Ministry of National Security

"We were waiting to get the drawings and all the designs from the Americans who were the ones who had the initial designs. Those designs were given to us about a month ago for which we have since given them to the ministry of works. Ministry of work and the coast guard have since then did a check on the ground at Hunting Caye to find out what the current status of the building is and what would be required from their estimation for the completion of that facility. As soon as they finish their due diligence and prepare us with a proposed bill of quantities we will put it out for tender. It will go out for tender, it will be out all on the newspapers so it will be no secret and hopefully the best Belizean tender that wins the tender will be given the contract to construct."

It is estimated that the forward operating base will be finished 3 months after the tender goes out. There is no definite deadline set for the tendering process as yet.