7 News Belize

Wil Won’t Bend, He’s Going To Sarstoon
posted (April 28, 2016)
Last night, BDF Commander, General David Jones told us that he and other high level members of the Foreign Affairs and National Security Ministry were going to Punta Gorda to try to convince Wil Maheia and the Belize Territorial Volunteers not to go to the Sarstoon this weekend.

That happened this afternoon, and after the meeting, we spoke with Maheia. We asked him if he had been prevailed upon:

Wil Maheia, Leader - BTV
"We were met by the Ministry CEO from Foreign Affairs, also the Brigadier General Jones and the Rear Admiral Mr. Borland. They talk to us, they talk to us about the possibility of us being detained, which we quickly corrected them and say we cannot be detained in our own country. That would be an act of kidnapping if the Guatemalan come over. we had a healthy discussion and they also made us know clearly that at the end of the day they work for a political leader who is the Prime Minister. So if the Prime Minister tell them to go and give us cover, they will. But they cannot do that without the consent of the Prime Minister. So at the end of the day, the ball is in the Prime Minister court. I don't think he will see so many Belizeans going out there standing up for Belize and allowing the Guatemalans to come in here and kidnap us or try to harm us. We have a peaceful trip going, we did hear what they had to say, we told them we would discuss it and get back to them. But as of now, we are heading to the Sarstoon."

Daniel Ortiz
"Were there any points which they made, which you think were prudent, were valid?"

Wil Maheia, Leader - BTV
"I would say that those points - i mean the main important thing that he made it clear to us that the military is there to act and they act under the direction of the Prime Minister. So if the Prime Minister is saying don't act, then they will not act. But at the same time we are Belizeans, we are inside Belize's territory, we are moving peaceful, we have a peace declaration of which I gave them a copy. We have a code of conduct of which I gave them a copy. I also sent that out to the media, so it is a peaceful event we expect to take place at the Sarstoon and we cannot allow the Guatemalans to continue to threaten us inside our own territory. We will not be going into Guatemala's territory. So there is no chance for error. We are going towards the Sarstoon Island and that's it."

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