And if and when all those elements are illuminated - then the soldiers will go into a country that the UN has said is facing a "cataclysmic" situation.
It is a perilous place to be a citizen, or a soldier - but 31 soldiers volunteered. We ask the Minister about their thought process:
Jules Vasquez
"It's not an easy decision to make. Explain to me what, from your knowledge, went into the decision making process for these military men?"
Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of Defense and Border Security
"I like that question, Jules, because that's what I think our Belizean people should know, that our soldiers are professional who trained our soldiers and sailors are professionally trained, and they want to practice their craft wherever they can, Obviously, too, they know they have to follow orders and they can't go wherever they want. We, it is the government of Belize that will make such decisions."
"So they they are quite excited and in this particular mission as well. And yes, they are concerned. It doesn't mean they don't have any concerns. But they also know, too, that we will not just deploy them without knowing full well what exactly is our mission, the chain of command, what support they will be getting, etc.. noh."
"I get a lot of text in my phone where there are those volunteering asking if they can go on the first contingent. They're already talking about the second contingent. So I do feel that there is enough interest on behalf of our soldiers and sailors that they do, they would like to see such such a mission come to a conclusion, noh."
Jules Vasquez
"Will they receive any special consideration for insurance or additional hardship, salaries, etc.?"
Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of Defense and Border Security
"Those are part of the checkpoints, Jules. Those are the checkpoints. What medical coverage they'll be getting, what medical support they will be getting, what insurance they'll
be getting, what payment they will be getting. All of these things we need to know and we have to have a very clear cut idea as to how they will be supported should the need for that arise."
"We're not just gonna say we got your back. I think we need to know exactly how they will be supported medically if any issues are to arise whilst a deployment, they would be deployed on the ground."
