Story from Channel5Belize News:
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Free at last! Four Belizeans home from Guatemala
Friday, March 3, 2000
The following was a live report aired after the news as the four Belizean prisoners in Guatemala returned to Belizean soil.
Ernesto Vasquez
Good evening, I'm Ernesto Vasquez and this is Stewart Krohn. Earlier
this evening if you were with us we were talking about our boys coming
back from Guatemala after being freed. On the line we have Janelle
Chanona, Janelle you're at the airport tell us what's happening right
now will you?
Janelle Chanona
"Good evening gentlemen I'm watching our four Belizean soldiers come off
of the Tropic Air airplane from Flores. They're being greeted by various
military officials and are accompanied by the Ambassadors Eamon
Courtenay and Sal Figueroa. I can only begin to describe the look of
happiness that are on these men's faces. Everybody is just really,
really happy right now. The families have been here in the departure
lounge and they cannot control themselves right now. They've got banners
and posters and everybody is really, really happy to see these men home.
They're making their way now into the departure lounge and hopefully
we'll be able to talk to them briefly before they go and be with their
families for the first time in eight days. So everything is really
looking really good right now, the men are in civilian clothing right
now, this was done for their own safety because they feared that any BDF
attire would attract unnecessary attention (in Guatemala) and would be a
security risk. So they are in civilian clothing. Now they're coming into
the departure lounge."
Janelle Chanona
"Hi how are you feeling right now Mr. Sanchez?"
Police Constable, Macedonio Sanchez "Okay ma'am."
Janelle Chanona "Mr. Tzub how you feeling?"
(Crowd cheering)
Janelle Chanona
"The crowd right now going to see their families, their loved ones.
There are a lot of tears out here right now. Lot of tears...the families
have just enveloped them...everything is..."
"Excuse me Ambassador Figueroa, Janelle Chanona from Channel 5, we're live right now. Can you please tell us how hard it has been or how easy it has been to get these men home."
Ambassador Salvador Figueroa
"I'm not sure, it's hard to say if it's been hard or easy, it's been
long, you know, but we worked it out, we were patient, and we had some
cooperation and here we are."
Janelle Chanona
"What is the status of these men right now? Are they out on bail and are
going to be home for quite some time or what is the position there?"
Salvador Figueroa
"No, as far as we're concerned they're going to be home. Their status is
that the judge has decided that there was sufficient cause to release
them from where they were being held. And that's what we're working on
right now...we're trying to cross this bridge and anything else we'll
cross it later."
Janelle Chanona
"Now tell me, was it the diplomatic end that you think really brought
things together or was it pursuing the legal angle of this whole
situation?"
Salvador Figueroa
"A little of both, a little of both...but in any case what we had was a
good lawyer and we tried to do our part too. So I think it's completely
a team effort."
Janelle Chanona
"Stewart and Ernesto the families are now going to be taken over to the
Williamson hanger where they will change into their BDF attire and will
then address themselves to the media. So we're going to break right now,
they are still with their families and then we're going to meet with
them a little bit later. Do you guys have any questions on that end?"
Stewart Krohn
"Yeah, Janelle quite a few. Exactly who all was in the party that came
on the airplane in addition to Second Lieutenant Herrera, Lance Corporal
Arana, Private Tzub and PC Sanchez, who else was on the plane?"
Janelle Chanona
"Accompanying them were Ambassadors Sal Figueroa and Eamon Courtenay
along with Permanent Secretary Allan Usher...were on the plane with the
men."
Stewart Krohn
"Okay now, what is exactly the plan as far as our viewers are concerned
right now? The men are going to meet with their families and then
they'll be made available to the press?"
Janelle Chanona
"Yes, they'll meet with their families briefly right now and then
they'll go and change into their BDF attire and then they'll meet with
the press formally, they felt they had to meet with the press first, but
they wanted to have a more formal situation properly dressed, they
wanted to make sure that everybody knew that they were still BDF."
Stewart Krohn
"Alright, that's good to hear Janelle..."
Ernesto Vasquez
"Janelle, thank you very much dear we'll await your contact. Well at
least they're home Stewart."
Stewart Krohn
"It is really good to have these fellows home, having met with these
guys Ernesto, these are four gentlemen I think all of us are proud to be
Belizeans when we see these guys...they accepted what they had to endure
with dignity...I think these are great role models for all of us."