| Last night we showed you what happened on the Sarstoon, inside Belizean waters near the Forward Operating Base. It was a standoff between the Coast Guard and the GAF Navy—this time the Belize forces matched the Guatemalans and held their ground.
Tonight, the Ministry of National Security is speaking out against what happened yesterday. CEO Francis Usher says that reinforcements were there to send out a strong message:
Francis Usher, CEO, Ministry of National Security
"We have several tiers of responses based on the threat levels. I've stated before that we have reinforcements available on hand and nearby from both the BDF and the Coast Guard. Yesterday, some of the reinforcements just simply came to show their presence. The Coast Guard patrols were on our side of the river, within our territorial waters, simply asserting themselves. So it was just... we have several tiers of responses. Those were just some of our reinforcements that were nearby, going to see what the threat level was, what the current situation was in the... and giving a courtesy visit to our patrol that's at the FOB."
Jaleeza Roberts
"We know that the Commandant for the Belize Coast Guard was also there, and would you be able to talk to us about his presence there?"
Francis Usher, CEO, Ministry of National Security
"Well, I think he's someone that likes to lead from the front, by example, and so it was just a demonstration on his end of being on board one of the vessels. There is the threat level, so I think he wanted to demonstrate that he's not afraid to put his money where his mouth is, so to speak."
"Well, it was a joint patrol yesterday. It was mostly Coast Guard vessels on the river. We always assert ourselves in our territorial waters, but we are cognizant of the fact that the Sarstoon is a flashpoint, that tensions can rise instantly, really, and so we have to manage the situation well. We have to both assert ourselves while ensuring that we are trying to de-escalate any situation. Our intent is not to escalate any situation, but to assert ourselves to ensure that our territorial integrity remains intact."
Jaleeza Roberts
"How did the situation resolve itself?"
Francis Usher, CEO, Ministry of National Security
"Through communication. It was clear that neither side—definitely not from our side—would relent, and through communication, I believe that's what caused tensions to subside."
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