And speaking today in the Cayo District at the opening of the 10th harvest season for Santander - the Prime Minister discussed efforts to keep the cartel out of the Corozal Free Zone:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"The Minister of Police is also in charge of the free zone. And, um, we have ensured now that the police can do more, um, rounds in the area, ensuring that everything is running properly. Um, we...So far, you know, things have seemed to have quieted down."
"And, uh, we're certain that on the other side because the Mexican government has sent down to about ten thousand, um, um, soldiers and the national police, local police, to be able to go after some of these cartels."
"And they've been arrested. So, things have kind of eased up somewhat. But we, from our side, we continue to, to monitor, uh, the free zone. Well, they were never in the free zone, but we continued to monitor, uh, the river and that area to ensure that, um, we can keep the people out."
"My discussion with Secretary Rubio, um, was that it is important that we get the necessary assistance, especially from the United States. We need equipment, uh, we need intelligence, and we need training."
"And the United States have all three of them. And I believe that, that they can help us now. I've been saying it from the time I became prime minister. If we do not act decisively now, 10 years from now, we could probably be looking at a different Belize."
"And we don't want to go down that road. Uh, we do not have the resources. We do not have the wherewithal, um, to be able to fight off the cartels if they come into Belize and then...and they get fully, um, involved in, in Belize."
