Tonight, our national consciousness is focused completely on the south of Belize where - for the first time in decades - the Guatemalans are amassing troops and arms at the border. The trigger for this rogue move by the Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales is an event that happened yesterday in the Chiquibul Forest. Our Emanuel Pech also happened to be in the 400 square mile Chiquibul yesterday - and while he wasn't near to where the fatal shooting happened, there's danger everywhere in that forest. And that's because of encroachment by Guatemalans.
Yesterday the FCD took us to the furthest reaches of the Chiquibul reserve to document the level of illegal Guatemalan encroachment in the area. It was a painstaking 12 hour hike- 6 miles in and 6 miles out. Our team left Belize City at 3:00 am yesterday and did not return to Belize City until 2 am this morning. After enduring one of the most back breaking media tours of our news station's history, here's part one of the story they brought back. Emanuel Pech reports.
Guide
"We are going to move from here, it's about 15 kilometers we are going to walk. So expect that it's going to be a lot of walking."
With that brief warning, our team setoff. In what was arguably the longest, most difficult hike this media house has ever been on. The BDF leads the way. As we plunges into the forest, plowing through the dense undergrowth of the Caracol Reserve. While tracking the miles, it was difficult to overlook the serene beauty of the canopies and the lush tropical rainforest that surrounded us. But lurking within this serene expanse of green is a threat. It is a hotspot for Guatemalan incursions and many times the poachers are armed. Hence the need for our heavily armed security guides. But even they proceed with caution.
After almost two hours of hiking we take a quick break, for fueling up: we need the carbs to continue on this long and arduous trail.
After 5 to 10 minutes of resting we get right back into it. As we dig deeper into the forest reserve the threat from Guatemalan encroachers becomes more evident, the danger more palpable.
Forest vandalism like this, is now a common sight. This one reads, menacingly, "We are waiting for you."
After an hour and a half more on the trail we arrive at the first clearing inside of the Chiquibul. This was an old logging camp about 1 kilometer inside Belize.
It was used a long time ago by Guatemalan farmers, before they were ejected through diplomatic means. And today, there is evidence to suggest that it is still being used today.
We continue on the trail…but then, one of the soldiers sees something.
Everyone creeps into position. The taut silence is deafening…as we wait for orders.
It's only horses this time. But this encounter also means is that their owners might not be too far away.
The other part of that story will be aired tomorrow as our team ventures to Cebada in search of more illegal farming - this just hours before the fatal shooting.
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