So, as we told you at the top of the news, Prime Minister Barrow personally briefed the Leader of the Opposition, John Briceno on the incident who sent Assad Shoman to Washington as his representative for these high-level meetings with Guatemala's delegation and the OAS.
We contacted Briceno for a comment, and he told us that his party would be releasing a statement later in the day. That came this afternoon, and the PUP says that it, quote " strongly condemns the illegal military incursion by the Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF) into Belizean territorial waters...This latest incident is another violation of international law by Guatemala and constitutes a grave risk to peace in the region. The PUP joins the Government and all Belizeans in calling on the Government of Guatemala to immediately cease these provocative and illegal acts, and we demand that the Government of Guatemala ensures that the GAF is instructed to stand down and to respect the long established boundary between Belize and Guatemala in the Sarstoon."
The party applauds the BDF soldiers who stood firm and refused to accede to the demands of the Guat. Military this weekend.
The party then notes the steps taken by the Government for these talks in Washington but it says that more must be done.
The PUP is calling for the re-appointment of a negotiating team on Belize Guatemala relations, and the re-appointment of a National Advisory Commission on the Belize Guatemala Differendum.
The third party, the Belize Progressive Party, pulled no punches. They blamed both the PUP and the UDP in what they view as the mishandling of the Belize Guatemalan Territorial Dispute. They, of course, condemned the actions of the Guatemalan military, but they went on assert, quote, "This incident comes on the heels of another incident February 27th, only two weeks ago when members of the Belize Territorial Volunteers were summarily prevented from traversing the Sarstoon River, which by way of the 1859 Treaty, marks the southernmost boundary of Belize. At that time, the BPP warned that Guatemala was becoming bolder in the Sarstoon. Officials of the Belize Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials however chose to send what they called a "strong protest note" to the Guatemalan authorities, and asked that those matters be left to their "professionals"
In effect, this most recent act of aggression by the Guatemalans in Belizean territory is fundamentally a manifestation of the failed PUDP "4A Policy" of: Appeasement, Acquiescence, Accommodation, and Adherence." End Quote.
But back in August of 2015, after the first confrontation between Guatemalan Naval Units and the Territorial Volunteers, BDF General David Jones, the country's highest military leader, didn't agree with them. Here's what the General had to say about the agitation by the Prominent BPP member, Wil Maheia, who is also the leader of the Volunteers:
FILE: August 19, 2015
Brig. Gen. David Jones - Commander, BDF
"What we've noticed of recent that; the Guatemalan patrols follow our vessels, sometimes for a kilometer up the Sarstoon. But recently they have been going all the way to Cadenas to follow patrol and that isn't normal. Apparently they were informed at the lower level that they were not supposed to go all the way there. But of recent because of the traction of what is happening with the Territorial Volunteers wanting to go to the Sarstoon Island; and wanting to show their patriotism in the area, they have escalated their interest in what's happening in the Sarstoon. I must add that this can change the status quo of the relationship that we have military to military. Because we have been going through that river, unimpeded for decades without incident; and for the first time we've had the interception is after when the Territorial Volunteers is showing their patriotism in the area. That's the first time we've had any interception of this sort that could have resulted in an incident."
A few days later, Wil Maheia led the press, including our Daniel Ortiz on an expedition to see the trailing of the BDF in and out of the Sarstoon by the Guat. Navy. Here's how that looked then:
FILE: August 25, 2015
Daniel Ortiz reporting
About 2 hours later, we got to see for ourselves just how the Guatemalan Navy is now acting toward the Belize Defence Force. At around 9:30, our cameras caught the BDF vessel speeding out of the Sarstoon River with the soldiers who had just been relieved. Hot on their tail was a Guat Navy boat which following at high speed. It was just as General David Jones had described, the Guatemalan Navy had become more aggressive toward them as well, following any military vessel of theirs to and from the Cadenas Conservation Post, for a total of about 4 hours on the river.
Wil Maheia - Leader, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"As a Belizean, to watch my military being escorted by the Guatemalan military, that was a blow to us. I mean for us the Territorial Volunteers, it was a blessing in disguise that the BDF basically tricked us and left early, because the Guatemalan military obviously escorted them up the river. So it gave us an opportunity to put our flags on the Sarstoon Island without interruption from the Guatemalan military. But waiting there and monitoring the illegal fishing that's taking place and then seeing our military being escorted by the Guatemalan military was damaging to me as a Belizean. I felt insulted that we had to have our military being escorted by the Guatemalan military and they escorted them way into Belizean waters."
So, does the Government still blame Wil Maheia and the Territorial Volunteers? Well, the Prime Minister, in that briefing after the National Security Council Meeting, pointed fingers once again at the BTV's activities in the Sarstoon:
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Their people have said that part of the problem is, and this is their version, that on the occasion of those incidents, they are insulted, this, that and the other. I am not going to get into the details. Because I am not taking their sides. All I am telling you is that in my calculation there is cause and effect factor here that can't be ignored."
Reporter
"Are you casting blame on the visits of the Belize Territorial Volunteers..?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Sir, I have said what I have said; in my view there is a direct causal link...nobody suggesting that before these incidents there were not... we referred to them little difficulties - maybe more than little difficulties. We spoke about they're trying to shadow our people from time to time. But what has changed is that I have not in my time known of any official position on the part of Guatemala saying "your BDF people will not be allowed to go up the Sarstoon." That is recent. We are trying to deal with it now. That has happened in my view partly in consequence of what has been taking place up the Sarstoon."
But, we've received a report which suggested that these aggressive tactics started as early as 2006, long before the Territorial Volunteer existed. The leaked document only just came into our possession and we're in the process of reviewing it. A ranking BDF soldier writes to the CEO in the Ministry of National Security, saying, quote, "Records show that the aggressive behavior of the Guatemalan Navy/Military started in 2006."
It's an extensive document, and we'll have more on it for you tomorrow.
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