An expedition by the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) last week revealed that illegal loggers and xatéros continue to venture several miles into Belizean territory to cut mahogany and xaté palm—but what BTV founder Wil Maheia said has surprised them even more was the revelation that the activities have been happening a few miles from the outpost of the Belize Defence Force at Machaquila.

BTV said that they found freshly cut mahogany and evidence of xate harvesting 6 to 7 miles inside Belizean territory. They are urging the Forestry Department to quickly retrieve the lumber from the forest so that they are not smuggled out of the country.

Valentino Tzub said that at Union Camp, close to the border, they saw horse tracks and cut mahogany in the forest – some of them sawn and ready for transportation.

The BTV continues to agitate for the clearing of the borderline between western Belize and Guatemala.

Today, Maheia announced plans to plant coconut trees, donated by Dwight Woodye from Roots Rock Reggae Farm, along the Belize-Guatemala border.

The planting, he said, would take place on March 1 to kick off Women’s Month in Belize.

“We will be planting all these coconut trees along the Belize-Guatemala borderline on the Belize side,” Maheia said, reiterating that, “Yes! Belize does have a border.”