Photo: (l-r) Captain Nevil Smith of the BTV, Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence, Hon. Oscar Mira, the leader of the BTV, Wil Maheia, Minister of Defence and Border Security, Hon. Florencio Marin, and Captain Cecil Bowden of the BTV.

by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Oct. 4, 2023

A meeting was held between the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) and representatives of the Government of Belize (GoB) on October 4. It was the first of its kind, and the purpose of it, according to the government, was to recognize the BTV’s long-standing commitment to addressing key issues of national significance.

The cordial meeting (which follows the most recent of the BTV’s excursions to the Sarstoon and a confrontation by Guatemalan Armed Forces in the area who reportedly berated them) took place in Punta Gorda Town and brought together the Minister of Defence and Border Security, Hon. Florencio Marin; the Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence, Hon. Oscar Mira; the leader of the BTV, Wil Maheia; and two boat captains of the BTV, Nevil Smith and Cecil Bowden.

“We felt that it was a really good meeting; it was really cordial. We definitely applaud the government for recognizing that we are down there, and that we have been monitoring our natural resources down there,” Maheia told us.

“We have been in existence for such a long time, and it’s the first time we have been called to the table. In comparison to the past administration, they never acted like we existed at all,” Maheia noted.

Central to the meeting’s agenda was dialogue and cooperation between the BTV, the government, and the Belize Defence Force (BDF) to enhance border protection while ensuring safety. They also touched upon the essential subject of improving the living conditions at the Sarstoon Base.

Recently, Guatemala’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mario Busano, made a statement at the UN General Assembly accusing Belizean groups of provoking unrest in the Sarstoon River adjacency zone.

Those in the BTV, however, and many Belizeans throughout the country, have pointed to the overwhelming evidence which shows that their actions have been peaceful and confined to Belizean territory.

Maheia specifically countered Busano’s allegations by stating, “It seems the government is definitely concerned about the BTV’s safety in that area; but every time we go there, we go in a peaceful manner, without any guns or arms, and we remain in Belize’s territory, so all those people who claim that we’re antagonizing the Guatemalans, I believe they need to look at the definition of what is antagonize.”

He also expressed disappointment over comments made by the Minister of Human Development, Hon. Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, which, in his view, portrayed the BTV as confrontational.

“I make reference to Minister Balderamos’ comments this morning on one of the radio stations, who said that we go down there looking for trouble. How can we go looking for trouble in our own country, when we are in our territory and Guatemalans have violated our sovereignty? We are very disappointed at her statement,” he said.

Maheia noted a mixed reaction from government officials towards the BTV. While some were supportive, others condemned their actions, and he expressed a sense of bewilderment at the conflicting responses within the same government.

The meeting concluded with both parties committing to further discussions and to collaborative efforts to protect Belize’s borders.