That explanation by C.E.O. Wallace will likely do little to quell anti-Guatemalan sentiment, especially after two very hostile encounters recently with Guatemalan military. Just over two months ago, thirty-seven Belizeans were detained in Belizean waters by Guatemalan soldiers and taken against their will to Livingston. To date, there has been no official update on that situation. And much more recently, Coast Guard officers were ordered off our territory by Guatemalan naval personnel in the Sarstoon. Government has remained silent on any action arising from that incident also. So while G.O.B. remains mum, Belizeans like Territorial Volunteer, Wil Maheia, want no part of the cuddling. He disputes the Guatemalan assertion that they experienced mechanical damages and drifted onto the reef since, as an experienced mariner, he says they could have anchored or been put under tow by the accompanying vessel.
Wil Maheia
Wil Maheia, Head, Belize Territorial Volunteers
“I think our government erred in just letting the vessel go back just like that without signing any agreement or giving them the bill before they left or making arrangements to pay for our reef and again this story that because it is a military vessel it’s immune. I don’t really buy that. I’ve seen it in other countries…I know that one time the US held an Iranian vessel for years before they gave it back so I don’t really buy that story that they had to let it go back. Our government needs to show more love for our country. This Guatemalan gunboat came, crashed into our reef, damaged it. If it was anybody else they would have been treated differently…and knowing how Guatemalans just a few weeks ago tried to rough up our Coast Guard…even more so we should have really sent a message and said you know what we cannot continue to allow you to come into our country and disrespect us like that. We are showing the world that we are the weak link here. Not because we are smaller than Guatemala we are supposed to succumb to them or show weakness. I think that this is a time when we need to stand up and I am calling on Belizeans to call on the government to stand up. Let’s get people out to the border. Let’s clean our border lines. Let’s show some presence there. I’ve been going back to the Sarstoon after the Coast Guard incident and I have not seen Belizean military there. When something like that happens in any other country anywhere in the world they would increase their military presence. What do we do in Belize? We decreased our military presence.”
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