Last week you heard from both the Belize Territorial Volunteers and the Belize Defence Force about the situation at the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base. The volunteers say it's been abandoned, while the Brigadier General says the soldiers have maintained their presence in the river, and are conducting operations.
But BTV leader, Wil Maheia, isn't buying it because he visits the area frequently and is often met by illegal fishers and gill nets. He also says the Guatemalans have been expanding their own base. And that's why they decided they would take over the FOB from the soldiers.
However, Brigadier General Azariel Loria warned him that if the BTV went to the base, soldiers would be there to stop them.
But that didn't stop the volunteers. Courtney Menzies has this story from Saturday at the junction where the Sarstoon river meets the Caribbean Sea - with video provided by PGTV:
The Belize Territorial Volunteers boarded their boat on Saturday and headed out to the BDF's Sarstoon Forward Operating Base. Their goal was to occupy the base - which they claim has been abandoned for about a year, since the soldiers were temporarily relocated.
Unsurprisingly, though, this time, they were met by soldiers who stood on the pier, preventing them from entering the base. There was a standoff of sorts, where both parties began recording each other on their cellphones.
The BTV's passengers tried to get some answers, with attorney Audrey Matura leading the interrogation. However, the BDF stood their ground, and refused to answer a single question - not even so much as introducing themselves.
The only communication between the two entities were signs forbidding trespassers, which BTV leader, Wil Maheia says wasn't there just a few days before.
Wil Maheia, Leader, BTV
"We have made several trips here before and there was no military here, the base did not have anyone, so today we see signs and we see BDF here so that is improvement."
"There was no sign here, these signs just went up this week because a few days ago when we came, there was no signs so these signs probably went up a couple of days."
Reporter:
"The structure looks in tact to me."
Wil Maheia, Leader, BTV
"As you can see, the structure isn't leaning, it has a solid foundation, so there's no reason to abandon it. Yes there is erosion over there but we the volunteers have actually volunteered to build the wall so that the base could be in tact."
But their fight isn't with the soldiers who were only following orders, but rather with the higher ups and the government making those orders.
Audrey Matura, Attorney/Visited Sarstoon FOB
"I feel embarrassed for them because I know they they are only following commands, but the embarrassing part is that I have come here so many times with Wil, this place was abandoned. We could dock there and nobody could tell us anything, they didn't have those signs. So I did expect that there would be a pushback but the fact that the government has to push back is an indication of their failure."
"Let me tell you what this says to me what I'm seeing right now, this is my professional analysis. one, if this was a genuine occupation by the BDF of this place, they would not have only one boat. Two, there would not have only that little gallon of water because it means they would have come to stay long term. Three, they would not have had this only that barrel of fuel because it takes more than that to be up and down. So they didn't come here to do any operation. Four, I don't see that they have any Belizean flag or BDF flag."
And with no flag or no patrols, Maheia says it's not just the Guatemalans that we should be worried about.
Wil Maheia, Leader, BTV
"We have to encourage the government of Belize to do what is right for the Belizean people. This is the Sarstoon river, we need to maintain our presence on this Sarstoon river, and as I was saying earlier, it's not only about maintaining a presence here, but the social, economic and environmental benefits that come, there are more fishes out there today, more shrimp, more turtles, more dolphins as a result of the place being protected over the past few years since we started coming. Then to abandon that will take it right back to where it was before."
"This is why the BTV is relevant, because we have Coast Guard, we have BDF, we have police, but still, there are cracks in there and we come in and fill those cracks and we still find gill nets, we are finding more gill nets than the military right now."
Audrey Matura, Attorney/Visited Sarstoon FOB
"We came, some of us have licensed firearms, we came unarmed so the guns is just to show the might and power of the government against us. But we came in peace and love. You heard what Wil said, that we're willing to help the government."
"Belizeans, you have to get up and ask questions. No matter which party is in power, Belize will be the same Belize for us. Doesn't matter who comes and goes, we the people are constant, our territory is constant, and it's at risk. And we can't even occupy it."
But that isn't the case anymore, since the BTV went back on Sunday to find the base empty - and decided to make it their new home.
Wil Maheia, Leader, BTV
"Today we are at the Forward Operating Base. We told the military if they are not occupying the base and we will take it over. We are taking it over today. The Belize Territorial Volunteers and as you can see the amount of illegal fishing that's taking place in our waters. If they were here, that would not have happened. We need to maintain a presence on the Sarstoon river and in our area."
But their move-in didn't last long because this evening Maheia told us that the BDF soldiers came back and are now occupying the base. However, he added that they will continue to make trips there as long as they have the fuel to do so.
