Reports of Heightened Cartel Violence in Chetumal Concerning to Belizeans

Over the last few days, we have been reporting an increase in cartel activities in neighboring Chetumal. Two hundred military personnel were deployed to Chetumal earlier in the week following the daylight murder of a businessman and an active-duty police officer on busy streets in the city. There are growing concerns that this spike in violent crimes at the hands of cartel elements will spill over into Belize. Also, Belizeans are avoiding travelling into Chetumal for the usual leisure and business. Oscar Arnold, Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico says the surge in cartel activities within the city is being fueled by a feud between rival gangs. He advised Belizeans to observe some caution if they are traveling across the northern border. Chetumal falls within the Mexican state of Quintana Roo which is a tourist hub. So, will these recent occurrences in Chetumal affect the flow of tourism dollars from Belize? And are there Belizeans who also stand to lose? News Five’s Paul Lopez travelled across the border into Chetumal today to find out firsthand how things have changed over the last week. Here is that report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

A military crackdown in Chetumal, amidst a recent spike in cartel violence, has raised concerns among Belizeans. On Monday, two hundred military personnel arrived in Chetumal in artillery vehicles and a helicopter to assist local authorities in their crime-fighting efforts. Annually, thousands of Belizeans travel into Mexico for leisure and business. Today, we are in the neighboring city to find out how great of a concern these recent developments are to those travelling to Chetumal.

 

Liseth Casimiro, Belizean Travelling to Chetumal

“We hear about the crime right but it is like, if you nuh involved in them kinda thing deh you nuh wah fraid. We have been over there this week and we had no issues, everything is calm and we had no issue with those people. So, i think everything should be fine.”

 

We met Liseth Casimiro at the Corozal/Mexico border heading to Chetumal. She told us that this is her second trip across the border this week, as she exchanged her Belizean dollars for Mexican pesos from a money changer or “peseros”  at the border. One peseros told us that his business is already feeling the negative effects of the reports of increased cartel activities in Chetumal.

 

Voice of: President of Northern Peseros Cooperative

“Of course I think and strongly believe that everyone is concerned about the situation, not only we as money exchangers. And, in reality we are working here and we have seen a drastic change, a drastic decline of Belizeans going over to the Mexican side, especially in the hours of five in the evening. We have seen a decline drastically.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Is that usually the peek hour?”

 

Voice of: President of Northern Peseros Cooperative

“For people going over yes.”

 

Pablo Guerra, Peseros

“I think that maybe it is not too afraid to go to Chetumal right now. The thing is you must take care right now. We hear that maybe they have the cartels in Chetumal and they might come here, but we have to trust in God first. If we go to Chetumal we have to carry God with us.”

 

Another Belizean we spoke with off camera was traveling from Cayo to pick up a relative at the airport in Chetumal. He told us that his decision to venture into Chetumal today was only out of necessity.

 

Voice of: Cayo Resident

“We have concerns about what is going on, but we the go out of need, because we the pick up my sister at the aiport in Chetumal so that is the only reason we the hurry guh deh. From what we understand if you stay during the day and not at night everything should be ok and you stay weh the crowd deh nuh.”

 

Perhaps the upside to the decreased traffic going across the border is the expedited way travel documents are processed both on the Belize and Mexico sides. We then travelled into Chetumal, Mexico. A police checkpoint is situated only a short distance from the border crossing. Our first stop was at Plaza Las America, a popular mall in the city frequented by Belizeans. The next stop was the New Market where Belizean bus operators park their buses. Belizeans gather at this market when commuting to and from Chetumal using public transportation. Here we found out that bus operators have also seen a decline in commuters.

 

Voice of: Bus Operator, Chell’s Bus Service

“We only bring two persons yesterday and one person today and today is suppose to be a busy day and nothing the happen.”

 

Paul Lopez

“And you think it is because of the crime?”

 

Voice of Bus Operator

“I don’t know sir.”

 

Paul Lopez

“And how do you feel being in Chetumal right now?”

 

Voice of Bus Operator

“I nuh feel no way because I come fih work. I nuh the do nobody nothing.”

 

Voice of: Bus Operator, Tillett’s Bus Service

“To be honest with you, you hear on the news that somebody the dead everyday. You hear a lot of sirens and a lot of things out here. Basically business decline a lot because usually dah market you have six busses and the bus operators they afraid to come across because of the same reason.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Do you think there is a great cause for all of this concern right now?

 

Voice of: Bus Operator

“The thing is I have twenty-five years over the border and if you look fih bad dah bad yo wah get. If you come and deal with your business and deal with  what you have to deal with you dont have to worry about nothing. But if you come dah Chet come  party and do all you nuh have to do well obviously you will find your own demise nuh.”

 

To get a local perspective on the situation with the reported cartel activities in Chetumal, we sat down with Rafaela Flota, inside the New Market. She is a resident of the city, and she operates a food business along with her sisters in the market.

 

Rafaela Flota, Chetumal Resident

“Actually I think that the whole city is very worried about this situation and we think that it will affect us with tourism.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Why is this happening right now in Chetumal?”

 

Rafaela Flota

“I think it is a fight with the cartels. I think they are looking for the plasas. a lot of people in Chetumal is very concerned.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What is your advice to Belizeans when they come to Chetumal now? Should they do something to protect themselves?”

 

Rafaela Flota

“I think that with the people that are not in problems, they are safe.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Are there places you shouldn’t go, some places you shouldn’t go when in Chetumal?”

 

Rafaela Flota

“We don’t know about that because the crime is in the streets, it is anywhere and everywhere.”

 

And if you go looking for an increased presence of law enforcement officers in Chetumal City, it won’t take long to spot a police mobile speeding down a main avenue with sirens on. The heightened sense of security became more evident as we drove from one location to another. But amidst the reports of increased cartel activities and the evident surge in police and military presence, there are Belizeans who are not deterred.

Keon Soberanis, Belizean in Chetumal

“It is an every day route for me. I come here to eat. I come here to enjoy myself, to do little shopping for myself. So it is a regular little trip for me everyday. I feel kinda scared sometimes right. I heard the news and haven’t been here for like two weeks. But I came today and it is not like what people are saying right.”

 

Ivan Middleton, Belizean in Chetumal

“Honestly, coming from a humble place I still could actually forward and make my way through because either way I still would make it through.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Now what has been your experience been like over the last few day?”

 

Ivan Middleton

“Well it has been calm. I have not experience much crime and violence. It was calm where we were, we were in Calderitas, a little bit down from Chetumal and where the crime is happening so.”

 

Mister Tillett, Orange Walk Resident

“As I get in on the border I start ask questions and everybody I talked to say that the people who local and come here have no risk right, so I nuh fraid yet.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.