MELCHOR DE MENCOS, El Peten, Guatemala, Sun. Mar. 19, 2017–In less than two weeks, another Belizean has been murdered in Melchor.
On Friday at approximately 9 p.m., San Jose Succotz resident and tour operator, Carlos “Botty” Manzanero, was seated with his wife at a bar known as Champon at the western border when a gunman accosted him. Manzanero was reportedly shot once in the right knee, once in the left hand and five times in the chest. He died seated in his chair.
His attacker had been at the same establishment before the incident, but fled after the shooting. According to eyewitness accounts, there was no prior confrontation between the men.
While we are unable to locate his family, we can confirm that Belizean authorities are now forced to collaborate with Guatemalan authorities into the investigation of three Belizeans killed across the border.
The first was Bullet Tree Falls resident, Amadeo Teck, who was shot dead; the second was San Ignacio resident, Aura Lidia Betancourt, who was fatally knocked down, and now Manzanero has been gunned down.