One of the ten points calls on government to protect Belize territorial integrity by, "actively and decisively addressing the agricultural incursions on Belize's territory by Guatemalan citizens." One man who knows a lot about that is Lenny Gentle, the Vice President of Friends for Conservation based in San Jose Succotz. Along with the Forestry Department, his group co-manages the Chiquibul National Park - and he told us that since May the Guatemalan incursions have become outrageous.
Larry Gentle, V.P. - Friends for Conservation
"Since the beginning of this year in May, Friends of Conservation Rangers have detected huge slash and burn farming going on in Belize territorially, in the national forest of Belize. Basically our rangers have detected, and with the satellite imageries, the technology we have now, the scientists who are
doing the management plan have shown that over 7,000 acres of land has been slashed and burnt along the Belize-Guatemala border, especially in the Chiquibul National Park where there is 30 miles of border."
Jules Vasquez,
How is this allowed to happen?
Larry Gentle,
"We as co-managers are trying to develop an analyzing situation. We have certainly found out that lack of resources by the Belize Defense Force and lack of support, perhaps from the Forestry Department, there was no management of this site. You are talking about one of the largest national parks in the country.
It's really a sad story. Why? Because from 1991 my friends at FCB, we have been hiking and exploring this beautiful country and since then we have seen that we are losing our cultural value of the cave systems. The Chiquibul has the longest cave system in Central America. We have undiscovered Mayan cities under the ground. They are looting, they are digging the ceremonial centers, they are killing the animals, they are killing scarlet macaws, they are doing a lot of logging, they are planting marijuana - it is like they have this whole jungle for themselves."
