B.D.F. Brig. Gen. Confirms Guatemalans Bribing Patrol Commanders 

Commander of the Belize Defence Force (B.D.F.) Brigadier General, Azariel Loria, confirmed what News 5 Digital has been investigating and reporting for several weeks. Guatemalan loggers have been bribing members of the B.D.F. On Friday, Loria told News 5 that “as part of our investigation, we more or less know now that the Guatemalans are bribing our patrol commanders.”

In October, an exclusive investigative piece by this news station revealed that B.D.F. soldiers at the Machakilha Conversation Post were being bribed by Guatamalan loggers who illegally cross into Belize and harvest precious wood. These bribes were given to soldiers in exchange for ignoring illegal logging activities by Guatemalan nationals within Belizean territory.

Loria told News 5, “Whenever other security forces are operating in the area, aren’t they bribed?  You see, we are not immune to these things. The BDF, we are not immune.” He emphasised that only a few rogue commanders are suspected of accepting bribes, adding that those found guilty will face disciplinary action.

“There will be the elements, the bad guys there, that they’re going to come and try to extort to bribe. There are some that will take it, others that will not. They say no…I’m being taught in my force about the virtues I’m being taught in my force about the virtues and the values that we espouse and the values that we espouse. All the bribery, alleged bribes—not everybody is getting bribed. It’s only one or two commanders—rogue commanders. I’m telling you that we are going to look at it disciplinarily.”

The bribery takes several forms, including cash and food items like chicken. Reports indicate that soldiers accept these bribes because they don’t have adequate food rations.

“We don’t carry chicken to the bush.  We cannot carry chicken and  because that will spoil. So what is given to us is the compo rations we call it or the meal ready to eat from the Americans and that suffice for us to accomplish our necessities for 7 to 14 days. So when we come back, we’re going to eat our chicken, but we cannot be carrying chicken. to remote areas, per se, Machakilha and Rio Blanco.”

Brig. Gen. Loria explained that standby rations are stored at conservation posts for emergencies, such as hurricanes or flooding, and are rotated every six months to ensure freshness. “He confirmed that the matter is under investigation to determine if expired rations had indeed been distributed.”

“We usually have standby rations that are allocated at the conservation posts. And the standby rations is just in the case of any emergency hurricanes or flooding, and we cannot adequately resupply them with rations. It is only them that we make use of the rations. Every six months to a year we have our standing operational procedures. We have sent it to the battalion commanders. Every six months they’re supposed to rotate the standby rations. We are investigating it. And, depending on the results of the investigation, we will see what next.”

As we’ve reported, the B.D.F. is actively investigating bribery among its soldiers, following an exposé by this station in October. BDF soldiers stationed at the Machakilha Conservation Post, near the Belize-Guatemala border, had been accepting bribes from Guatemalans. The issue of Guatemalan bribes is not new; reports suggest that such exchanges have occurred for years, with one logger stating that he has been paying off soldiers for over five years. Our investigation has revealed that the BDF high command is broadening its inquiry to include not only the Machakilha post but all conservation posts (CPs).

Guatemalans Accused of Bribing and Surrounding BDF Soldiers at Machakilha

Written by Digital Editor, Hipolito Novelo.