Toledo West Rep Hits Foreign Affairs Ministers Over Incursions

Wilfred Elrington

News Five has been covering reports from Toledo about incursions by Guatemalan farmers in the villages of San Benito Poite and Otoxha. As we told you on Tuesday, the Belize Defence Force has done its investigations but has yet to catch up to the invaders. It must also rely on the Police Department and other relevant government agencies to lay charges against offenders. But tonight the area representative for the two villages, the People’s United Party’s Oscar Requeña, is taking aim at Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington and his statement to us a few weeks ago that he was not aware of the incursions. Requeña said that just the week before; he had raised the issue in the House of Representatives in Belmopan.

On the Phone: Oscar Requeña, Area Rep., Toledo West

“Well Isani I am very much concerned because I believe that Belizeans countrywide certainly look at the news and saw the statement that was made by Minister Sedi Elrington in relation to his knowledge of the incursions in the San Benito and the Otoxha area. He basically said that he was not aware. I did see that on Channel Five in two interviews that he made; one last night and I think it was one either last week or the week before. And I believe that that is totally erroneous on his part and misleading because for the record, on May the twelfth, we had a sitting of the House of Representative and on the motion of adjournment I am on record speaking on the matter, particularly as it relates to the incursions being made in Otoxha and San Benito Poite. So for the minister to say that he is not aware, in my opinion it is totally misleading and not true.”