Yesterday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow made an impassioned plea to the Belize Territorial Volunteers, telling them "don't go to the Sarstoon." The group has a Sarstoon trip scheduled for this Saturday.
Now as viewers are aware, every single time that the territorial volunteers have gone to the Sarstoon, there has either been a confrontation, or a blockade mounted by the Guatemalan Navy based at the river mouth.
The very real concern is that if that happens in the present climate with heightened tensions, there could be a military to military showdown - because now the BDF is posted right there on the river banks.
But, the territorial volunteers are undeterred. They say that this weekend's trip to the Sarstoon is important to commemorate the 157-year anniversary of the 1859 Convention Between Britain and Guatemala. That's the treaty which first mapped out Belize's boundaries.
So, this evening, we spoke to Wil Maheia, the founding member of the Territorial Volunteers, he told us why he is determined to go down the Sarstoon:
Wil Maheia, Leader - BTV
"We have received an invite from the MFA to meet and we will meet. Our trip is on, we are a peaceful group. We've always been a peaceful group. We've made it clear to the nation, to every participant in the group that they should not bring any weapons, no machetes, no knives, not even alcohol. We have a code of conduct to go by. As far as I know the trip is still on. It's going to be a peaceful commemoration to celebrate the fact that Belize border was established on the 30th April and so I think that it's very appropriate that we go and show the nation that yes we love this country, we are a peaceful people. We will not provoke anyone because we will be inside Belize's territory. I don't know how we can provoke anyone when we have no intention to go over into the Guatemalan side. We have made several trips to this area, we know exactly where our border lies and that's what will happen - we will stay within Belize's territory."
Daniel Ortiz
"So, the Prime Minister's plea is along the lines that right now tensions are only just leaving its peak between Belize and Guatemala and that there is the concern that your trip could end up provoking an incident."
Wil Maheia, Leader - BTV
"We are also concerned that the fact that the base was open over a week now and every day since the base was open illegal fishing continues within a half a mile of the base. So I believe if it is safe for the Guatemalans to be illegally conducting activities within Belize's territory then I don't see why there should be harm for the BTV when we go on our expedition."
Daniel Ortiz
"Is there a possibility that you may reconsider and postponed the trip?"
Wil Maheia, Leader - BTV
"Anything is possible, but it's not my decision. We have a team, we have an executive and we have to discuss it and then we moved forward from there. But as of now our executive have not said that the trip is not going."
Maheia tells us that the meeting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the armed force commanders intend to have with him and the executive of the Territorial Volunteers, is scheduled for Thursday. We'll check in with him then to see if they are still determined to visit the Sarstoon on Saturday. The NTUCB has confirmed to Maheia that they will be a part of this weekend's expedition.
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