On Tuesday we reported on cross-border bandits making an armed jacking of a bus in extreme Western Belize. While it may seem to have been an isolated occurrence, we were today visited by one woman from Santa Familia village who says that this kind of thing happens regularly. Emilia Carillo says that armed holdups and overall disregard for law and order prevails in her border village.
Emilia Carillo, Village Resident
“Everybody is getting afraid over there. We have so many people coming from over. This week they hijacked the bus, the people were going with a little bit of money to buy and they took all the money from the people. Sunday they attacked one of my neighbors in Bullet Tree. But that’s not the only thing, every week its going they thief the chiney and so everyone is afraid now to walk, to go by the bus, to go by cars, everyone is afraid. We have to do something about it. Nearly everyday something happens. They attack the Mennonites and you see people coming from Melchor and the police are now watching where the people are coming from. They see a lot aliens and they come in by groups and the people who attack us are from over there. I suggest that the police have to be more careful in looking at people who they think are not Belizeans. They need to try and mind the border better.”
Carillo says that there is only one policeman posted in the village of Santa Familia and based on the most recent hold up of a bus by at least six well armed bandits, that is just not enough.