01/11/2018
The Sad Story of the Sartoon Island. (Contributed)
For many years the Wil Mejia used to tell stories of aggression in the Sarstoon by the Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF), about massive illegal fishing by Guatemalan fishermen and about the blind eye Belize had been turning to the situation. In a brilliant move, they exposed the situation to Belizeans in the best way possible. The BTV invited the Belize Mainstream Media and regular Belizeans on an excursion to the Sarstoon Island. The Media flocked to Barranco and from there to the mouth of the Sarstoon where they sang the National Anthem before embarking to the Sarstoon Island.
This is when the ugly truth reared its head, the GAF gunboats and soldiers insolently came into Belizean waters and uttered the famous words, "Respeten el Protocolo" (Respect the Protocol). Of course there was no protocol, except the one Guatemala had imposed on the Sarstoon and the Sarstoon Island, arrogantly claiming that the river was their internal waters and the Sarstoon Island was theirs. This was the ugly truth that the Belize government had been hiding from the Belizean people. The GAF stood ready to block the Belizean boats, the situation was tense, one of the boats was rammed, the other blocked, and while this was happening, the last boat slipped pass and started circling the Sarstoon Island. This act of bravery and patriotism was in stark contrast to the appeasement by our Government towards Guatemala.
In fact, our Government reached new lows when they actually wrote a law, prohibiting Belizeans from even going to the Sarstoon. This was reprehensible, it was a dark blot in our Belizean psyche, a shameful period in our History which I hope does not come back to bite us in the rear. The government tasked the BDF and Coast Guard to enforce the law. Incredibly, the PM announced that the ban was only for Belizeans and that the Coast Guard would not affect the Guatemalan Fishermen in the area.
(http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/128586)
Fast forward to last week when John Saldivar announced via the Ministry of National Security page that the very same thing that they had long disagreed with, that they had fought and advised against, that they had enacted a law against, would not take place. He announced that, yes, excursions would be taking place frequently to the Sarstoon Island and up the Sarstoon River to the Gracias A Dios Monument Marker. This time the BDF and Coast Guard would protect the people. The question is why now, is anything different? Why couldn't the BDF and Coast Guard have protected the BTV as well? Have the Guatemalans given us "permission"? Is it because of the upcoming ICJ referendum? How hypocritical to say the BTV cant go but now that it is convenient, we could not go?
Regardless of the motive, I thought it was a good idea, Belizeans would be able to safely see this part of Belize that had raised our ire so much. Even if the Minister of National Security was doing it for his own benefit and to appear macho in his upcoming leadership battle, it was still a good idea FOR REGULAR BELIZEANS.
Well no more, the Cabinet met yesterday, and returned to their position of appeasement. They rejected the idea, they rejected trips to the Sarstoon, they rejected the Sarstoon Island. We now return to the status quo... What the cabinet did was proclaim loudly, "Respeten el Protocolo!"
Respect the Guatemalan Protocol... The river is theirs...
I REJECT THAT!
BELIZE FOREVER!