Two nights ago we told you about the incident at the Adjacency Zone where a BDF patrol is accused of burning down the home of a Guatemalan farmer who was allegedly encroaching on Belize territory. He is Felipe Martinez Lara and the campesino's story of dispossession has resonated deeply in Guatemala where it is generating a storm of very sympathetic news coverage. We have seen video of a press conference hosted by the Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs and military personnel discussing the incident at great length and in detail.
But, Belize's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been mum; it has not issued a statement - and, last we heard from the Foreign Minister, he was awaiting a report from the BDF.
And, sources tell us that may just be the issue in this case; the BDF may have taken the lead without the go-ahead from the OAS Adjacency Zone office and the Belize Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The BDF is mandated to follow protocols outlined in the Confidence Building Measures to avoid this kind of incident - where it is being alleged on the other side of the border that the campesino's right to due process and his human rights were violated.
But the Belize Territorial Volunteers don't feel that way at all. They issued a statement saying, quote, " While the OAS continues to sleep at the wheels, the BPP applauds the recent actions of BDF in addressing the blatant and persistent illegal incursions along the Belize border."
