Ambassador Arnold says that he does urge brokers and Belizeans to make a report if they do experience any threats but up until now they have not received any formal reports of threats. He adds that the border is open and both sides experience losses whenever cargo is unable to move smoothly.
Oscar Arnold, Bze Ambassador to Mexico
"I understand that some importers have multiple containers that have been held up at the border, there are also some important who their suppliers here in Mexico, wherever they are located, advise them. Listen, I don't want to send these as yet because it might be held up on the road, or it might be held up at the border. So, best, it's a warehouse here until we know what's going on. So to quantify a number, I understand that it was between the vicinity of maybe 26 to about 34 containers that were for loss of a better word were in limbo. And depending on the cargo in those were in the millions of dollars can vary. Going back to the question that you had is how difficult it is. It's very difficult. We are here in Mexico City. We do have an honorary consul who I rely on heavily in Chetumal, who is on the ground. But like I said, the difficulty that we came up against was that there were no official reports of individuals saying there is a threat, there is a threat against me, and I'm going to make a report, let them have the police make a file on it. And so the police are saying, well, ambassador we don't have any reports of those, and we would look into it if we have it. Customs is saying on the Mexican side, we're ready to work. We have our people here. We are actually losing money as well because if cargo doesn't transit then we can make the charges and have people pay the quotas and the fees that they are supposed to pay. I'm sure it's the same thing on our side of the border where our customs, if there's not cargo coming in, then there are no cargo fees that can begin for the government of Belize."
Tomorrow, you can see the other part of our interview where Arnold shares safety tips for Belizeans traveling to Mexico for Easter.
