Guatemalan Road Developments Inside Belize

On Wednesday, B.D.F. Commander Azariel Loria spoke briefly about the presence of an illegally built road inside the Chiquibul National Park.  Earlier today, Friends of Conservation and Development issued a release in which it is presumed that the road is being used by Guatemalan ranchers to access water.  This was determined by a flyover of the area last week.  According to FCD, a similar road which stretches for a little over a mile was observed inside the Columbia River Forest Reserve in Toledo District.  Of note is that the FCD does not have co-management jurisdiction in the Columbia River Forest Reserve, despite the fact that both protected areas are adjacent to each other.  The release goes on to say that the nearest Guatemalan community is an area known as El Carrizal.  Illegal timber extraction is known to take place in that area of the forest reserve for many years.  It would seem, however, that the practice is better organized with wooden bridges being built to facilitate the movement of trucks carrying valuable timber, including rosewood.  These illicit activities are reportedly close to the Machaquilha Conservation Post which is less than a mile from the Belize/Guatemala Adjacency Line.