And while there's all this friction surrounding Belize's southern and western boundaries with Guatemala, at the Benque border, the Belize-Guatemala situation is actually being relaxed. Last night, for the first time in memory, the Melchor border station in Guatemala was opened for 24 hours. Usually it closes at 9:00 in the night and opens at 6:00 am. But as of yesterday things have changed - and we understand that the directive going forward is to open the border 24/7. That's how Belize's border with Mexico operates but because of our territorial dispute, it's always been different with Guatemala. We understand it is a political directive coming from the governor of Petén. Belize has reciprocated and customs and immigration are now also on the Belize side 24/7. And while it does open the door for greater trade and better relations, more security will be needed on the Belize side - since the border is a hotspot for all kinds of smuggling and trafficking. More than that, it's also going to be one heck of a headache on Friday nights when Benque barhoppers can stay over in "Champung" for as long as they want!

Tags Belize Guatemala Peten Benque