_{Photo: Newly renovated Forward Operating Base at the Sarstoon}

by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Fri. Apr. 26, 2024

The Belize Defence Force (BDF) inaugurated their newly renovated Forward Operating Base (FOB) on the banks of the Sarstoon River yesterday—which set the stage for the resumption of 24-hour monitoring by local soldiers of the volatile area near the southern border between Belize and Guatemala.

The renovation of the BDF base was prompted by severe erosion that left certain portions of the structure partially submerged in water, which posed serious risks to the lives of the soldiers stationed there. The base, first established in 2016, was thus declared to be structurally unsafe, leading to a transfer of the soldiers at the base to an area near Barranco, from which they would venture to the base to do monitoring during certain time periods. Many members of the public were anxiously waiting for the repairs to be completed, and became even more concerned after a number of setbacks/delays in the process.

According to Major Miguel Tuyub, the officer commanding the Sarstoon FOB, the new facilities include an observation booth, a vessel harbor, a helicopter landing site, a conference room, new dormitories, a water catchment system, and enough space for physical training.

“One of the challenges we really faced was that the material we used to stabilize the erosion was far different than what we used in the south. It was all slush. It was all muck that would take forever to stabilize. We searched other ways and we found something suitable enough, and we stabilized the island,” explained Ray Ogaldez, the Operations Manager of AK Aggregates and Concrete Supplies during the ceremony.

The newly renovated FOB took approximately 4 months to complete and sits directly across from the base of the Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF), with just the river separating them.

Disturbingly, following the formalities of the base’s opening, which included tours of the upgraded facilities, the real test of the day came when a patrol consisting of BDF soldiers and media personnel encountered Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF) soldiers.

The Guatemalan soldiers closely followed the Belizean boat around Sarstoon Island, claiming that the Belizeans were navigating in Guatemalan waters—a claim firmly disputed by the BDF.

Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander of the BDF, was present during the encounter and helped in de-escalating the situation.

“It’s not frustrating to me, because this is not the first time that they are there following us, and we have been here on numerous occasions and they always follow us,” Loria explained.

He further added, “It’s not for me to decide on what to do here, so I have directed my deputy commander, as soon as we reach camp, to document it, send it to the Ministry of Defence and National Security, and they in turn will send it to Foreign Affairs, and then it becomes diplomatic. They will find a solution.”

Despite the Guatemalan insistence that the Belizean party was in their waters, no physical altercations occurred.

The GAF’s presence was described as a security measure, but the implication of territorial challenge was clear.