Jul 28, 2021
New Details Emerge on Two-Day Confrontation in the Chiquibul
Four days after two standoffs between a joint team of B.D.F., forestry personnel, Friends for Conservation and Development rangers and Guatemalan soldiers and civilians occurred in the Chiquibul Reserve, and after many requests made to the B.D.F. and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for information, the ministry has issued a press release. The incident occurred last Friday and Saturday in the area of Rio Blanco.
The ministry’s release states in part that, “On July twenty-third and twenty-fourth, 2021, both Guatemalan soldiers and armed Guatemalan civilians entered Belizean territory near the area where the B.D.F. was conducting their operations…The routine operations involved the destruction of fences and plantations of beans and pumpkin seeds that were verified by the Organization of American States to be in Belizean territory. It is reported that on July twenty-third, 2021, there was some crossfire. A Guatemalan helicopter was also seen flying overhead. On both days, members of the Guatemalan Army entered Belizean territory to inquire from the B.D.F. about their operations. Following those cordial verbal exchanges, the G.A. personnel returned to the Guatemalan side of the border.”