The Green Climate Fund is the world’s largest climate fund developed as a part of the historic Paris Agreement. It aims to mobilize funding to support developing countries to achieve their ambitions towards ensuring low emissions and climate resilience. Belize has received a fifty-million-dollar grant that will be used for the protection of the country’s environment. C.E.O. Osmond Martnez explained the significance.
Dr. Osmond Martinez, Minister of Economic Development
“Recently a fifty million dollars project was approved through the Green Climate Fund, and it’s the first of its kind. And what is important with that project is that is a grant, meaning free money for Belize. And there is no condition that they have asked us to give anything at the contrary. We are fighting for climate finance justice for our country, because Belize have done very well in terms of protection of the environment which means that the protection of the environment helps us in terms of turning carbon dioxide into oxygen and which keeps people alive. Therefore, Belize is a carbon sink country, but for generations, no, or for centuries, Belize has been a carbon sink country. And Belize didn’t receive any dollar or benefit for it. Now, we are saying, listen, through The Green Climate Fund Belize must get big projects, which will benefit the Belizean people.”
On Tuesday, we told you about the illegal road built in the Chiquibul Forest by Guatemalans. That road originated from a town across the border and is believed to have been used for cattle ranching. It’s a serious problem that Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) continues to face as the co-manager of the Chiquibul National Park. FCD’s Executive Director, Rafael Manzanero told News Five that heavy machinery was used to build this road, indicating that ‘big players’ are involved. He says that Belizean law enforcement authorities need to have a permanent presence on the grounds to prevent these types of illegal activities.
Rafael Manzanero
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director, F.C.D.
“It is the first time that we are really documenting a road, you know, in terms of that magnitude. So it is one of our high concern to us. And so, it has already been validated, it is in the park, it is within Belize. It is by Guatemalans. And so now the point is what to do with that so in. I am glad that in some of the recommendations that we put forward are probably going to be pursued and thatis good for us.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Seeing the road, that, that means that heavy machinery was used to construct the road, which means that as we always suspected, we have bigger or wealthier persons behind these things happening in Chiquibul.”
Rafael Manzanero
“Yes, that’s correct. So we see that with heavy machinery, of course, those are more investments and these are not really done by poor people along the adjacency zone, but More than likely, we believe they are by cattle ranchers in terms of trying to find an area where to get water. We need to provide more for the cattle ranching activities in that southern zone of the Rio Blanco. So this is in the extreme south of the Chiquibu National Park.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Is it getting worse?”
Rafael Manzanero
“I think, I mean, if we start to look at in terms of the mobilization of people along the area it is not as extensive as before during the xatero days. But what we see is now a different kind of individuals involved in the territory. So these are more heavy investors, and I will say the cattle ranching activity is still within the 1 to 1. 5 kilometers of the western flank of the Chiquibul National Park and Caracol.”
Hipolito Novelo
“How soon is it expected for that road to be destroyed?”
Rafael Manzanero
“Well, we are going to continue on of course, along with the patrols on the ground, but I tend to think, you know, Hipolito that the destruction of the road, either by using dynamite or explosives, it will basically serve to show the kind of the action being done by Belizean authorities. So that is positive because you bet that I mean, I’ve known in Guatemala, people can go back again and fill it in back again and use it once over. So I tend to think that the 1st action, yes, it’s really to find a way how to destroy that and then to have a presence on the ground to ensure that people are coming back again to refill it or to use it otherwise.”
We also broke the news that Belize Defence Force soldiers destroyed two wooden bridges built by Guatemalans inside the Columbia Forest Reserve. Those bridges were used to facilitate the entry of trucks to extract timber such as rosewood and other precious woods. FCD reported that the illegal activity appeared recent, with amounts of timber stacked up. Manzanero says these activities are found dangerously close to the Machaquilha Conservation Post.
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director, F.C.D.
“It was shocking to the extent of the area being used and occupied. We do know that illegal logging has been ongoing in the Columbia River way from the early 2000s. So, we do know there has been extraction of rosewood and other hardwoods from that area there, but basically looking at the construction of wooden bridges in the area, it really means that it’s not only forces that are coming in to extract the timber and moving it to Guatemala, but basically it’s also really truckloads that are using that kind of territory for the extraction of timber. More than likely it is Rosewood. If there’s any left around that particular zone there and then also Sapodilla that would be used because these are really more primary woods that are being used in Guatemala these days.”
According to Manzanero, two Cabinet ministers participated in a flyover of the Chiquibul Forest. Minister of Defence and Border Security, Florencio Marin Junior, and Minister of Sustainable Development, Orlando Habet, saw firsthand the devastation happening in the Chiquibul. Manzanero hopes that with this information, the government can act more appropriately.
Rafael Manzanero
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director, F.C.D.
“We had the opportunity of taking the Minister of Sustainable Development Honorable Habet and also Honorable Marin from Border Security, we had the opportunity of playing them over the area of Chiquibul and Columbia River. And so they do have the firsthand information in terms of what is happening along that area, which you know, for me, I would just hope then that by themselves seeing it firsthand, they certainly do know the gravity and the magnitude of these problems. And that it really should be, you know, of course, at the governmental level, really to address, you know, these boundary issues. We have noticed that it does take that footwork’s, it does take the patrols, it does take to have a presence in the area. For But it needs to have a presence that is, and the key word is a person that is assertive. That is important because you can have men there, but if you are not really assertive, then you’re still cannot really be able to do the work. So, my feeling is that in the Columbia River, it has to be boosted up with that assertive move. We have documented from early this year that Columbia River really has a lot of other issues beyond the Chiquibul. So we feel that there is now a movement of more people, human footprint. Expansion in the Columbia River Forest Reserve and frankly, by seeing the kind of the bridges, that means that they have really felt a level of comfort. They have felt a level of confidence that they can be able to do an extraction of timber in truckloads from that area there.”
Belize made history by being the first Caribbean nation to officially ratify the ocean biodiversity agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
The global commitment to safeguard 30 percent of the ocean by 2030 hinges greatly on the implementation of the BBNJ agreement, which spans two-thirds of the world’s oceans. This agreement is designed to promote the conservation and sustainable utilization of marine biodiversity, presenting opportunities for deep-sea research, capacity building, and the development and transfer of marine technology, particularly beneficial for small developing countries like Belize.
Belize’s ratification now sets the pace for the Caribbean’s engagement. The nation is actively collaborating with other Caribbean Community member states to raise awareness and build momentum for regional participation. A workshop in the Caribbean is scheduled for April 11 to 12, 2024, to further bolster the region’s efforts towards ratification, with Belize also slated to host a Caribbean BBNJ workshop later in the year.
Belize joins Chile and Palau to have ratified it so far. The BBNJ will “enter into force” when at least 60 countries ratify it. The agreement was opened for signature on September 20, 2023. It will be closed on September 20, 2025
Guatemalans have also built a road into the Chiquibul Forest. That road originates from across the border, and it is highly believed that it was commissioned by wealthy cattle ranchers living in Guatemalan towns. The Belize Defence Force is also aware of the threats this road poses, and plans are being put in place to destroy it. Deputy Commander Colonel Anthony Velasquez says they are keeping a close eye on the area.
Col. Anthony Velasquez, Deputy Commander, B.D.F.
“On the 7th of March, a patrol of Beliz Defense Force soldiers was tasked to go into this area to do a reconnaissance and it was it was discovered that, yes, there’s a road that extends well over a one kilometer into Belizean territory. And it’s a road that was cleared by heavy machinery, so it’s a pretty open road. Since then, the Belize Defense Force has been monitoring the area. We have sent patrols to the area to keep a close eye on the area, to monitor any movements in the area and to detained anyone found in the area. So we have we have a presence there at the moment to monitor this road. Another thing that we did was to get grid references for this road and send it to our Ministry of National Defense and Border Security where they will send it to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs will send it to the Organization of American States here in Belize the office and they will do a verification of the area and of the grid references to verify that it is in Belizean territory. Thereafter, after that verification is complete, we will then have options on whether to, on how we can go about destroying the road or limiting access to the road by anyone in the area.”
Hipolito Novelo
“When you say that there would be the need for verification that is simply a process, a procedural thing, because we know it’s in Chiquibul. We know that part of it is in Belize territory.”
Col. Anthony Velasquez
“Yes, it’s within Belizean territory. However, it’s part of the confidence building measure sent by Belize and Guatemala. Anything one kilometer within our territory, we have to inform the OAS so they can do a verification to ensure that it is in Belizean territory. And thereafter, we will take measures to destroy this road”
The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) says that the government should do more to protect the Chiquibul Forest. In a press release, the BTV said that the government must take “decisive steps to halt this invasion”. That invasion the BTV is referring to is the illegal activities being carried out by Guatemalans inside the Chiquibul Forest. Earlier this week, Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) that a flyover conducted recently revealed a newly constructed road inside the Chiquibul. The FCD says the road is for access to water, thereby facilitating for a more pronounced activity of cattle ranching activity in that southern region of the park by Guatemalans. Leader of the BTV, Wil Maheia told News Five that there must be an increase presence in the Chiquibul for its protection.
Wil Maheia, Leader, Belize Territorial Volunteers
“We find it very, very sad that on international days of environment, Belize is priding itself on protecting our natural resources yet turning its back to all the incursions and degradation that’s happening to our protected areas. We call on the government, we call on the UDP who has been very quiet throughout all this. This just didn’t start yesterday. This started more than 10 years ago and it continues to grow. There’s over 2000 hectares which is larger than the entire Belize city that has been deforested. Now the average Belizean cannot even go on the side of the road and clear land without being arrested. Why can’t the government stop the Guatemalans? Obviously they don’t care because they are not doing anything, right? Three years now since this government got into power. Nothing has been done to really stop the incursions into the forest in my opinion. Yes, I give the government a big applause for building the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base. That has reduced the amount of illegal fishing. If we do the same in the Chiquibul it will reduce the incursions. It will reduce the degradation of our protected areas. This is Belize. This is what we have.”
On Thursday, Belize joined the global community in celebrating International Day of Forest. This year’s theme is Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World. The theme highlights the need for the development of new technological solutions to fight against deforestation. On Thursday, forest officers along with B.D.F. soldiers replanted about a hundred mangroves along the coastline of Cattle Landing Village in the Toledo District. We spoke to Forest Officer, Minerva Gonzalez.
Minerva Gonzalez
Minerva Gonzalez, Forest Officer, Forest Department
“The theme for this year as every year there is a different theme, is forest and innovation. So it speaks to how we use technology in order to maintain our forest, conserve and protect and restore our forest. This here is a technology. While it might not be a computer, having any sort of intervention by man, using different equipment is the use of technology. We are being innovative in trying to restore the forest we have lost.”
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.
The Forward Operating Base at the mouth of the Sarstoon River began to deteriorate soon after its construction in 2016. Eventually, the Belize Defence Force had to limit its occupancy to only daylight hours because its structural integrity had come into question due to erosion. But a reinforced structure was opened recently, and again, B.D.F. soldiers are there to keep Belize’s southernmost boundary intact. And Commander of the B.D.F., Brigadier General Azariel Loria told News Five that the refurbished facility offers a much more spacious and comfortable working environment for the soldiers.
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F
“Finally we have a better building, a better place for our soldiers to work in, with dignity. That’s how we envision that they must be treated, that their work. They are soldiers, we understand, but if we could create an environment so that they could live better, work better. The working conditions are a bit better. I believe that if that is possible, that we should give it to them. The building is completed. It has been refurbished and also as an attachment to that building is a kitchen that will be used as a little mini auditorium for visitors. If there are any visitors, it could be used as a briefing room or a briefing house.”
