2024-04-26 - Channel 5 Belize

B.D.F. Rules Of Engagement at Sarstoon F.O.B.

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, 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.”

What Happens If Shots Are Fired at B.D.F. On Sarstoon F.O.B.?

And while there is a B.D.F. channel of communication in place to report incidents on Sarstoon Island, what happens when the Guatemalan Armed Forces enter Belizean waters and shots are fired? According to Brigadier General Azariel Loria, the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base functions primarily as an observation base. But where the need arises, B.D.F. soldiers are authorized to take action to arrest any situation and make detentions. He further explained that the Belize Defense Force is always prepared to deploy additional troops to the area for additional security.

Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defense Force

“The intent here, the forward operating base functions as an observation base. The intend here is to observe and try to mitigate the threats as they may come. If you notice on the other side, there is a small amount of Guatemala military as well. That tells you something, they are not here to fight, and we are not here to fight as well. WE are here to maintain sovereignty. Should incase things get out of hand we have our SOP on how to withdraw because with a section in our doctrine we could never fight, but we could see, gather information and withdraw to a safer point and then take it on. That is the intent of this observation post if not we would have built another price barracks post and have a thousand men here. That is not the intent. It is a forward, a remote area. It is a great area of strategic importance. The other one is forty-five kilometers to the west of here that we also man and ensure that we are there. Those that have studied land power, knows the value of it, and hence the reason we are here.”

Opposition Leader Condemns GAF’s Actions on Sarstoon

The Leader of the Opposition has come out swinging at the Briceño administration over Thursday’s encounter with the Guatemalan Armed Forces on Sarstoon River. As we reported, two vessels carrying members of the GAF approached the three Belize Defense Forces vessels that were taking a tour of the island with members of the media. They stated that the vessels were in Guatemala’s territory and demanded that the purpose of our presence be made known. The Guatemalan vessels then followed the tour along the southern channel and into the northern channel of Sarstoon Island. Brigadier General Azariel Loria, the Commander of the Belize Defense Force, was among those present on the trip. Moses “Shyne” Barrow, the Leader of the Opposition, has since issued a statement condemning the actions of the Guatemalan Armed Forces and blaming the Briceño administration for their behavior. Here is what Barrow had to say.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“Incompetent Briceno’s failure to deliver promised Sarstoon Protocol leads to continued Guatemalan incursions. The opposition registers its condemnation of the Guatemalan Armed Forces breach of our territorial integrity by entering Belizean waters to obstruct our military personnel from completing a trip around our Sarstoon island with members of the press and other distinguished invited guest of our Sarstoon Forward Operating Base earlier on April twenty-fifth. While the UDP condemns the members of our armed forces for exercising restraint in order to ensure the safety of civilians on board, we emphatically deplore the governments inability to deliver on the Sarstoon Protocol they promised while campaigning to form government. According to individuals present on the Sarstoon trip, heavily armed Guatemalan soldiers approached the Belizean vessel carrying Brigadier General Azariel Loria and scolded them for being in Guatemala’s territory which is completely incorrect and abhorrent. Independent media reports go on to say that general Loria in front of members of the Belize press Corp. did not respond. We find no fault in the general’s decision, however we blame the government for putting the general in a situation where he is under attack and aggressed by bullish Guatemalan Armed Forces.”

Barrow Tells PM Briceño To Summon Guatemala’s Ambassador to Belize

Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow also called on Prime Minister John Briceño and Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca to summon the Guatemalan ambassador to Belize at once to protest this breach of our borders. He further stated that a diplomatic note must be sent to the Guatemalan president.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“We are a peaceful nation that prefers to live in harmony with our neighbors, including Guatemala. But we will never compromise our territorial integrity. The opposition calls on Prime Minister Briceno and Foreign Minister Fonseca to summon the Guatemalan ambassador to Belize at once to protest this breach of our borders. An urgent diplomatic note must be sent, and engagement must be made with the Guatemalan president, minister of foreign affairs and minister of defense, to underscore the need for the Guatemalan Armed forces to adhere to international law, confidence building measures and other protocols established by the group of friends and the OAS. The Guatemalan Armed Forces entering Belizean territory repeatedly to restrict free movement around the Sarstoon Island is an unacceptable act of aggression that is against international law and established protocols of the group of friends and the confidence building measures which explicitly states that neither nation shall use force or threat to pursue their position with respect to the territorial referendum. The opposition calls on the Briceno administration to protest vehemently the actions of the Guatemalan Armed Forces to the OAS and the group of friends for immediate attention.”

Armed Drug Smugglers Are the Real Threat at Sarstoon F.O.B.

Brigadier General Azariel Loria also noted that the Guatemalan Armed Forces are not their primary concerns. He says greater threats may arise from armed civilians seeking to use the channels as a route to transport illegal drugs.

Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, Belize Defense Force

“The concern would be civilians, that they are armed. Make no mistakes, the guys that grow the cocoa plants here conduct illegal shipments of cocaine made here in Temash, coming from Honduras and sometimes Guatemala, they are armed. If there is a shootout, as you put it, we have our actions on and some of it is to see if it can be contained, if we can make arrests and if we can reinforce. We have the police, we have the BDF, we have our standbys, all of that. That will be activated in itself. That is the way we do things; it is action on as part of our SOP.”

Consejo Village Resident Murdered In His Backyard

The quiet of Consejo Village was shattered on Thursday evening when a resident was gunned down inside his yard. According to police, twenty-nine-year-old Johnny Arana was working in his backyard when a gunman emerged from some nearby bushes and opened fire on him. Arana’s home is situated at the entrance of the community. In fact, the village’s welcome sign is erected directly in front of his home. Consejo Shores, a community of predominantly expats, is located within the vicinity. News Five understands that prior to the shooting incident, a security alert was issued in Consejo Shores’ neighborhood watch group informing residents of suspicious activities in the area. Shortly thereafter, shots rang out and residents of Consejo Shores took necessary actions to secure their properties. One resident told News Five that incidents of this nature never occur in the village. We were also informed that there are several cameras in the area that may have captured the incident. Arana and his family are well known to villagers as they own a business in the community. We sought comments from them, and they declined. A motive is yet to be established. We will continue to follow this story.

Keyren Tzib Skips Sentencing, Judge Orders Her Remand

Thirty-three-year-old Keyren Tzib was found guilty of the attempted murder of former coast guard colleague Kurt Hyde on March thirteenth and was granted bail by High Court Justice Candace Nanton in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars. She was scheduled to return for sentencing today but was a no-show. According to Tzib, she is afflicted with COVID-19; however, she failed to provide medical documents validating her claim. As a result, the conditions of her bail have since been revoked and the judge ordered her immediate arrest and remand to the Belize Central Prison where she will remain incarcerated until May tenth, her new sentencing date. Earlier today, attorney Arthur Saldivar spoke on behalf of his client who was absent from court.

Arthur Saldivar, Attorney-at-law

“Ms. Tzib is still represented by Mr. Bradley and his firm. I have come on to assist, join the team, so to speak, with a view to giving Ms. Tzib as many options or perspectives as possible going forward. Now as you know Ms. Tzib was convicted of attempted murder in court on the thirteenth of March and there were certain conditions imposed on her for bail extended to a convicted person. Given her state, emotionally and psychologically, and given the voluminous conditions, she was unable to fulfill and was found in breach. As a result, bail was revoked today pending sentencing on the tenth of May. We are now in a position where we are preparing submissions for the tenth of May. As you know, this is a very tragic situation. Ms. Tzib was a shining light for the coast guard as one of the first females to join and not only that, but her academic acumen and capacity being as high as it was, she was on a trajectory to do great things at that institution. It is unfortunate that the institution that she chose to serve actually marshaled itself against her, bringing about a very unfortunate incident that they should bear responsibility for happening.”

We have been able to confirm that Tzib has since been detained and remanded to the Belize Central Prison on the orders of the Justice Nanton.

Mother and Son Injured in Fire

This morning, a mother and her child were injured when their home erupted in flames while they were sleeping. The incident occurred around nine-thirty a.m. on Raccoon Street near Central American Boulevard. After hearing a disturbance, several neighbors rushed to assist before alerting authorities. Fortunately, the mother and her son were able to escape, however, they were burned during the process and were not able to recover any of their possessions. News Five’s Britney Gordon was at the scene today to gather more details. Here’s the story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Marsha Dawson, a resident of Raccoon Street for over seventeen years, was carrying out her morning routine when a commotion nearby startled her. At first, she wasn’t sure what the commotion was but upon seeing flames at her neighbors, she and her husband rushed to the scene to assist.

Voice of: Marsha Dawson, Neighbor of Fire Victim

“Well this morning, I get up and I mi di do some washing, and I look through the window, because I mi hear like something like a gunshot, so I look through the window, and but I noh see nothing. So I peep cross to my neighbor’s house, I look and I see smoke come out through the front door. So after that, I hail my husband, I tell he, I said, baby, fire. So by the time we left my room, reached to the front door, we sih fire to come out of the front door. So my husband tell me mek we get a bucket. So he get to a bucket full of water and he run over here. And when we come, the young lady dih cry, said that his son is upstairs. And we come two ah ney get bad burn.”

The house belonged to Michael Gill, more commonly referred to as “Bibby”. Dawson said that he has owned the house for over twenty years and the woman, and her infant son had only been living in the house for a few months. Together with her husband, she did her best to assist the neighbors with limited resources.

Britney Gordon

“Who all was here to help extinguish the flames?”

Voice of: Marsha Dawson

“Me and my husband, we were the first two with a bucket of water?”

Britney Gordon

“And did anyone call the fire department? When did they get here?”

Voice of: Marsha Dawson

“Well, I call the police fih tell ney fih assist me call the fire truck. So they say everything de pan dih way. You know, they neva tek too long. They reach a reasonable time. Carry the young lady, the police, take her in the hospital.”

According to neighbors, the residents received severe burns and are currently still recovering in the hospital. The source of the fire is still unknown.

Reporter

“What kind of injuries did the young lady receive her and the toddler?”

Voice of: Marsha Dawson

“Some bad burns where I see. Her entire body, face. Ih foot, ih hand, ih chest.”

Reporter

“I know she was disoriented, but did she say what may have caused the fire? Where did it start?”

Voice of: Marsha Dawson

“No, she mean as shock cause when I call her, she just stand up. Just say watch me, and they say nothing. Nothing, nothing.”

As the family was unable to recover anything, the community is appealing to the public to assist in any way possible.

Britney Gordon

“Do you know what kind of losses she accumulated here? Was she able to recover anything?”

Voice of: Marsha Dawson

“Lost everything, everything, everything. Nothing’s here.”

As her neighbor lost her phone in the fire, Dawson can be contacted at the number 6145-1679 for donations. Britney Gordon for News Five.

Senior Courts Introduce National Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee

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.

Who Qualifies to Build Bridges in Belize?

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, 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.”