Belmopan. August 16th, 2015. The National Security Council of Belize, which was in teleconference session for the duration of the Territorial Volunteers Sarstoon Island expedition today, expresses its profound satisfaction that the expedition ended without
major incident. The Council concluded its session after Admiral Borland of the Belize Coast Guard confirmed by early afternoon that all participants in the expedition had returned safely to their staging point at Barranco Village.
The welfare of Belizean citizens, no matter what the circumstances, is always of paramount concern to the Council and the Government of Belize. Thus, nothing can take away from the Council's pleasure that no misadventure overtook the hundred plus Belizean men, women and children that journeyed to the Sarstoon. Nevertheless, there is confirmation by the Organization of American States (OAS) that four of the Belizean boats that approached the Sarstoon island did so by transiting not just the north, but the south channel of the river.
Fortunately, the presence of the OAS and the diplomatic safety net that the Government of Belize had secured in collaboration with key allies as part of its contingency measures, succeeded in averting any major fallout from this no doubt inadvertent occurrence. Still, it causes the Council to reiterate the position it took on Friday: assertion and maintenance of sovereignty over the Sarstoon island and our half of the river, is best left to the Belizean military and Belizean diplomats.
The NSC offers its thanks to the OAS for the crucial role it played as this issue unfolded, and to the Ministries of National Security and Foreign Affairs for their continuing critical work in looking after Belize's national interests.
-- Press Release Belize National Security Council