Earlier in our newscast, we told you about convicted attorney Oscar Selgado’s court appearance. He is being represented by attorney Arthur Saldivar who lays blame for delays at the courts on the frequent power outages. According to Saldivar, far beyond the heat, the court system relies on recording abilities to proceed with cases, and the interruptions in power supply have been an inconvenience.
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Oscar Selgado
“It’s very disturbing; it’s a matter of great concern. It should be a matter of great concern to every Belizean, especially the timing of these blackouts. During the day here at court, we are seeing where it’s inconveniencing the judiciary and the administration of justice. These matters have to be recorded, so it’s not a situation – it’s not a frivolous thing that is just the heat, but there’s a recording system that must be operational whenever these testimonies are given in mitigation and the submissions are made.”
Tonight, we’ll begin by revisiting the media’s most recent visit to the Sarstoon, the southernmost frontier point in Belize. Reporters were invited to join the Belize Defense Force for the inauguration of the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base. While at the location, they were also taken on a brief tour around Sarstoon Island. We’ll share the Opposition Leader’s position on what transpired elsewhere in our newscast. During the tour of the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base on Thursday, the Belize Defense Force held a briefing where Brigadier General Azariel Loria responded to numerous questions on his soldiers’ activities at the base. One of those questions was, what are troops trained to do in the event they come across persons engaged in illicit activities on Belize’s side of the river? According to the B.D.F. commander, there are protocols in place in the event a situation cannot be remedied by troops on the ground. Here is what he told us.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defense Force
“Whenever we have a situation here at the river mouth that cannot be remedied by the troops on the ground, by the commander here or the commander of the Sarstoon Village, right across, the GAF. We follow the chain of command; the patrol commander informs the operations officer at Fairweather Camp and the message is transmitted to us. We have our channels of communications open with the Guatemalan Armed Forces. We, however, do coordination with our military attaches. Thankfully we our attaches. I think there is a change, a changeover going on with the attachés. But we have our Belize attaché in Guatemala. And he does coordination. The ultimate one, if it really gets out of control is the foreign affairs ministry and they will say what to do. And, that is higher diplomacy, above the other ministries.”
A National Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee has been formed and it is co-chaired by Justice of Appeal Michelle Arana, Justice Martha Alexander, and Justice Candace Nanton. The formation of the working group, formerly the National Mediation Committee, aims to enhance access to justice through affordable settlements of disputes, as it complements the full trials. The advantages of court mediation include swifter resolutions to disputes, savings on the cost of litigation, it also allows litigants the power to settle disputes. The committee is also made up of key stakeholders in education, law, media, management, religion, and medicine.
On Thursday, the Briceño administration formally opened the new Haulover Bridge, a massive concrete structure that was designed and built by Belizean contractors and engineers. While the contract to build the bridge was awarded to M&M’s Engineering, questions are being asked regarding the eligibility of other local contractors where bridge construction is concerned. Here’s how the Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, Julius Espat, responded to those questions.
Julius Espat
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development
“I’ll tell you who can bid on a bridge right now, right now, at that level. You have all the road contractors, Cisco Construction, Imer can bid right now without even thinking about it, they can pass the prequalification process. So that’s two. You have Banman, I think, Roadway can bid. You have Teichroeb, that I believe can bid. You have one of the gentlemen from Spanish Lookout that can bid. A&N can bid and now Roque can bid. So you have six, I think you might have a seventh one. And so everybody has an equal opportunity to be able to win a bid. Roque has an advantage to a certain extent because he is the brainchild of the design. So all the other contractors, when they build bridges, have to by the pre-stressed beams from him, they have to hire his engineers, they have to hire his barges. He has done a wonderful job to put himself in a position to be able to do this, but the other contractors can and so at the end of the day you look at the technical aspect of it and all of them will pass. And then you look at the financial and most of them will pass, and then from there you look at the price and whoever comes in the lowest, and not always it’s the lowest that wins, is awarded. This is the first time Roque [Matus] has received a job of this magnitude on his own. All the other bridges, all the ones he did on Caracol, he did under Cisco and under A&N, and under Banman, if I’m not mistaken. The one in Sarteneja, he did under OECC’s supervision. The one on the Coastal [Plain Highway] he did under the mandate of Imer Hernandez.”
This morning, vehicular traffic was diverted away from the newly built Haulover Bridge, as government officials, including Prime Minister John Briceño and Minister of Infrastructure Development Julius Espat, cut the ribbon on the replacement structure. It’s a project that was conceived by the previous administration but came to fruition under a People’s United Party government. Coming in at a little over thirty million dollars, the new Haulover Bridge is the longest crossing in the country and was built entirely by Belizean engineers. It’s a spectacle of skill and resourcefulness that was overseen by a woman engineer from start to finish. We begin tonight’s newscast with the inauguration of the new Haulover Bridge. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.
Julius Espat
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development
“It’s a wonderful bridge. It is an accomplishment for Belizean engineers and for the Government of Belize.”
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The Haulover Bridge was officially opened today, several months after a soft launch was held to declare the structure passable. It is a monolith that spans roughly five hundred meters and replaces the previous structure that stood as a relic of Belize‘s colonial past.
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
“It’s the longest bridge that we have in Belize and that was because we had to extend the approaches to the bridge because we wanted to avoid consolidation on the approaches.
The new Haulover Bridge is designed to significantly reduce travel time, making transportation more efficient. Over the years, this crossing near the mouth of the Belize River has proven integral to urban and economic development by facilitating the movement of people, goods and services.
Julius Espat
“This new Haulover Bridge, much like its predecessor, holds momentous importance as it symbolizes resilience, strength, ingenuity and embodies the steadfast spirit of our Belizean people. Today is a day of celebration and thanks, a day to celebrate all the hard work that went into the planning design and construction of this bridge and a day to thank all who helped in getting us here.”
Built at a price tag of almost thirty-one million dollars, this well-designed bridge offers a safe crossing point which is particularly important given its location. Its design and construction has pushed the boundaries of engineering in Belize.
Meghan Martinez
Meghan Martinez, M&M Engineering
“When it was found that the old and dilapidated Haulover Bridge had reached its design life and was in desperate need of replacement, the MIDH commissioned us to conduct preliminary studies and presented design options to the Government of Belize. The process of this project has encompassed several years of planning, starting with preliminary design concepts, soil explorations, surveys, peer reviews and final design. When we conducted a traffic survey in 2017, it showed us that there were over thirteen thousand vehicles crossing over the old Haulover Bridge. Today, that number is around seventeen thousand vehicles.”
Under the previous administration, projections for the cost of a new bridge were estimated at around fifty million dollars. What has been built is a superstructure that comes in well under that budget.
Evondale Moody
“This bridge cost us thirty point nine million. We got a loan from the OPEC Fund for twelve million [U.S. dollars] which is twenty-four million Belize [dollars] and so the counterpart was another six [million dollars.] We were able to build the bridge for the exact thirty point nine and the breakdown between the financing for loans is seventy percent from OFID, thirty percent from GOB.”
The Haulover Bridge is not just a physical structure that straddles the estuary of the Belize River, it enables social and economic progress.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“We gather here at the mouth of the Belize River to celebrate the opening of a remarkable structure that will not only connect Belize City with the north of our country, but also bridge communities and opportunities. This new bridge spanning the Belize River here at the mouth of the Haulover Creek stands as a symbol of progress, unity and shared aspiration. It is an engineering marvel made in Belize by Belizeans and it reminds us of the power of collaboration, innovation and vision.”
With a new structure in place, what will the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing do with the old Haulover Bridge? It’s a question that was put to Chief Engineer Evondale Moody earlier today. Realizing savings of almost twenty million dollars, permission has been sought to use the remaining funds to relocate parts of the bridge to Cayo District where it will be reassembled to provide access across the Macal River. And what about the prime crown lands that are left in the wake of the relocation? According to Moody, government will have to decide what to do with the highly valuable real estate.
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
“Even with that thirty point nine [million dollars], we were not able to use all of the loan funds, and so those loan funds, we have asked OFID for permission to use that to relocate the old structure. We’ve already implemented an addendum to the contract to M&M Engineering and so now they will start with the dismantling of the structure and two sections of this structure will go to Santa Familia, in the Cayo District. What happened last week is that I did a reconnaissance with Roque Matus of M&M Engineering of a proper location. There are two locations that were identified, one is along Branch Mouth that leads to the Hammock Bridge and then there is another section on the eastern side of the Macal Bridge which is known as the Trapiche Road. That one is more ideal for us to put the structure because where the Hammock Bridge is, is a good location, however the approach to the bridge, the Macal and the Mopan is adjacent to that road and once that floods the road will be inundated by floodwaters so even if we put the bridge there, we elevate it, you still would not be able to access the structure. And so, I have determined and I have informed the ministry that we will place this structure on the eastern side, on Trapiche to lead us to Santa Familia and present a bridge structure for them there.”
Isani Cayetano
“What becomes of these pieces of land now since the access is on the other end and the bridge will be removed?”
Evondale Moody:
“That’s a very good question. I have informed the minister and the CEO that at this point in time that land belongs to the Government of Belize. It’s prime land and that is one of the most expensive land and so that is a decision that will have to be made by the Government of Belize. I don’t know what they are going to do with it, but we have land on both sides, on the south side and on the north side and one of the reasons why we did not build a bigger round about here is because land acquisition here is very, very expensive. We paid three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars] per acre.”
There are four bridges in Belize District that are in urgent need of replacement, including the Swing Bridge and BelCan Bridge in the Old Capital. Those structures are set to be replaced under the George Price Highway Upgrade Project; however, there seems to be some hostility between the Ministry of Finance and the MIDH over who will get the contract to build the new BelCan Bridge. We hear first from Chief Engineer Evondale Moody.
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
“So the four new structures that the MIDH is looking at is BelCan, the Belize City Swing Bridge. The Burton Canal Bridge urgently needs to be changed and also Hector Creek Bridge which is in Hattieville. As the minister mentioned, those four bridges are under the George Price Highway upgrade project, and so we are liaising with JIICA who will provide grant funding for us to replace the Swing Bridge. We are awaiting a decision from the Ministry of Finance on how they want us to move with the BelCan Bridge because it’s an urgent one that also needs to be replaced because of its substructure. And then section three of the project which is from Belize City encompasses two structures which is Burton Canal and also Hector Creek.
Reporter
“Is there a sort of turf battle over the BelCan which is keeping an unsafe bridge in operation for too long?”
Julius Espat
“Turf… I don’t want to use that word, I don’t believe in that word. Our job is to make sure that when the procurement process is done, that we follow the international financial institutions’ guidelines. They are the ones that lend the money and they are the ones that establish who can and who cannot bid. We will not allow, at least if I am at the helm, anybody to bid on a project that does not follow the procurement minimum qualifications that the IFI’s establish and if anybody is mad with that, so be it, because the IFI’s establish that and we have to respect it.”
On Tuesday night, we told you that members of the Belize Territorial Volunteers came across an illegal logging site within the Columbia Forest Reserve. They reportedly came across a road that leads into the reserve from Guatemala. They also came across hundreds of logwoods along that roadway. BTV called on the Belize Defense Force and the Belize Forestry Department to act swiftly and arrest the situation. We asked Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander of the Belize Defense Force about it when we caught up with him today.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defense Force
“The Belize Defense Force as the minister mentioned some time ago during an interview, the BDF is operating in Machil Ha to maintain the territorial integrity the sovereignty of Belize, because of that and the confidence building measures the countries enter, we have the primary responsibility to patrol and ensure we are abiding by the set of regulations. The Colombia Forest Reserve is not like the Chiquibul where there is a group of environmentalist that looks after the forest. In the Colombia Forest there is none. We were trying to encourage others to try to link up to coordinate with eh Forest Department so they could comanage and we could assess. We believe that is the primary responsibility of the forest department. The Colombia Forest Reserve is vast, acres, a lot of jungle, and we have two observation post, the Santa Rosa Observation Post and Machakil Ha. We acknowledge there is a lot of illegal logging going on and that is not for this year. All the years it is the sawm thing during the dry season, that is when the villagers from across because they have villages strategically set up along the border.”
The Belize Defense Force organized a media trip today to the recently renovated Sarstoon Forward Operating Base. Viewers will recall that B.D.F. soldiers had to vacate the base and relocate to Barranco Village due to its deteriorated state. There is once again a permanent B.D.F. presence at the base. And it is needed, because of the illicit activities that occur in the area, such as illegal fishing and human trafficking. News Five’s Paul Lopez was on that trip today. Here is his report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Sarstoon Forward Operating Bases was established in 2016 as a means of deterring illicit activities in the area from the Guatemalan side. It has recently underwent major renovations and today we are taking a tour of this forward operating base.
Major Miguel Tuyub
Major Miguel Tuyub, Belize Defense Force
“This is the current situation and the current renovation as you see here at this location, two structures and an observation booth at the front. It serves as an immediate warning at this site. We have a vessel harbor that can harbor up to two vessels at a time. This site has a helicopter landing site, main purpose for that site is for emergency extractions that happens at this location, also for resupply of soldiers if needs be. The site itself also has an ample area that can serve as physical training while soldiers are deployed.”
The FOB was constructed in 2016 to deter threats and to keep military presence in the immediate vicinity to maintain the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Belize. But the base quickly fell into disrepair and risks to law enforcement officers increased. As a result, BDF personnel were relocated to Barranco. A team, comprised of engineers from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing, the Belize Defense Force, and a private construction company, came together to find a solution.
Ray Ogaldez
Ray Ogaldez, Operations Manager, AK Aggregates and Concrete Supplies
“One of the challenged we really faced was that the material we used to stabilize the erosion was far different than what we used in the south. It was all slush. It was all muck that would take forever to stabilize. We search other ways and we found something suitable enough and we stabilized the island. The construction lasted from November and through Christmas and the New Years and we were early enough to finish in February. So when they did the soft launch in February the island was accessible. We did a test with the helicopter, to see how stable the heli-pad was and fortunately it all worked out well.”
The base is equipped with an observation post that gives soldiers an almost three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of their surroundings. It is situated directly across from Guatemala’s military base along the Sarstoon River. These soldiers also received a newly constructed dormitory that houses ten. A conference room is now on the property as well.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, BDF
“When we started ibn 29016 there were mangroves and it was not that bad. The building in front was not that remodeled. It was rudimentary. Still is in some aspects but it is far better than 2016. The erosion was something we couldn’t control and eventually the sea and the river ended up under the building. But now it is like a big difference. The soldiers are at peace. They can have a good night’s rest not knowing that the building will collapse anymore. I remember one that was injured and lost an eye about six, seven years ago and that was our concern and it is a reflection that had to do with the ministry. The minister visited and was really unhappy and the result is this.”
Sarstoon Village is situated directly across from the FOB, on Guatemala’s side of the river. The base serves as a deterrent to illegal fishing, illegal cultivation in the area, as well as human trafficking. And while Belizeans may want to tour the area, it is not recommended given the tensions in the area.
Major Miguel Tuyub
“Our commanders have orders and protocols to deescalate any encounter that the Guatemalan forces do have. At the end of the day the Guatemalans don’t come this side and we don’t go that side. We have amicable relations at this point time.”
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
“If they want to venture, if Belizeans want to venture into Guatemala, the last point of entry is Punta Gorda town. But if they are visiting the area here it is advisable that they visit the FOB to say, hey I am in the area so that we know that they are in the area and they can use the Sarstoon but just have in mind that we have the GAF on the other side, have in mind that this area not too long ago we destroyed cocoa plantations and these activities are still occurring. It is not safe for people to traversing the Sarstoon and unfortunately, we cannot provide security for each and everyone that visits.”
The Belize Defense Force organized a media trip today to the recently renovated Sarstoon Forward Operating Base. Viewers will recall that B.D.F. soldiers had to vacate the base and relocate to Barranco Village due to its deteriorated state. There is once again a permanent B.D.F. presence at the base. And it is needed, because of the illicit activities that occur in the area, such as illegal fishing and human trafficking. And as we found out firsthand, Guatemala is claiming the entirety of the Sarstoon River. Here is News Five’s Paul Lopez with more on what reporters encountered during their trip around the hotly contested island.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Belize Defense Force organized a media trip to the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base to cover the recently completed renovations at the location. Following the ceremony, Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander of the Belize Defense Force, organized a tour around Sarstoon island. Immediately after launching from the base, members of the Guatemalan Armed Forces deployed two vessels. Their military base is erected directly across from the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base. The Guatemalan vessel made initial contact with a BDF vessel that was trailing behind. The Guatemalan armed forces then approached our vessel.
Guatemalan Armed Forces
Guatemalan Armed Forces
“Good Afternoon, Do you speak spanish? Welcome to Guatemalan waters. What is the purpose of your visit?”
Paul Lopez
“This is Belize’s River. This is our river.”
Guatemalan Armed Forces
“No, this is Guatemala’s River.”
Paul Lopez
“No this is our river.”
Guatemalan Armed Forces
“What is your purpose of visit?”
Belize’s border begins at the center of the southern channel of Sarstoon Island. The BDF vessels and the boat we were in, were all within the limits of Belize’s territory. The Guatemalan Armed Forces’ vessel was also in Belize’s territory, though they claimed it as Guatemala’s and informed the group that we were trespassing. As we journeyed along the southern channel, adjacent to Sarstoon Island, two Guatemalan vessels followed. The tour reached the western end of Sarstoon Island and proceeded towards the Northern channel. Not surprisingly, the Guatemalan Armed Forces continued trailing the vessels further into Belize’s territory. Here, their vessel pulled up to ours once more. One soldier demanded to speak with an official on board.
Guatemalan Armed Forces
“This river is the property of Guatemala.”
Paul Lopez
“This is for Belize. You don’t have permission.”
Guatemalan Armed Forces
“Please respect the protocol. I’m inviting you to leave Guatemala’s river please.”
At this point we were all in the northern channel which runs directly along Belize’s coast. Brigadier General Azariel Lorria intervened.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defense Force
“They say, you have heard it, that the whole river belongs to them. We are telling them no it is not so, it belongs to Belize. They are saying that it is undisputed there is no discussion. But we are at the ICJ at this moment so. It is not frustrating to me because this is not the first time that they are there following us. I have been here on numerous occasions and they always follow us. What we need to do is have a bit of common sense and report it through the channels. It is not for me to decide what to do here. So this, I have directed by commanders to document it, send it to the Ministry of National Defense and Border Security and they will send it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then it will become diplomatic and they will know what to do.”
Guatemalan Armed Forces followed our vessels until we reached the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base. They then stopped, in Belize’s territory, and observed until our vessel left the river. Reporting for News 5, I am Paul Lopez.
