Jump to content

Death of Julio René Alvarado

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Julio René Alvarado Ruano (c. 2002 – 20 April 2016) was a fourteen-year-old Guatemalan boy who was killed in the Belize–Guatemala adjacency zone during an armed confrontation between the Belize Defence Force, Belizean park rangers, and Guatemalan farmers.[1][2] The incident raised tensions between Belize and Guatemala, who have an ongoing border dispute since 1821.[3][4] Belizean officials maintain that the Belize Defence Force acted in self-defence.[5] However, the Guatemalan government claims the incident was a deliberate attack carried out by Belize's military.[5] After the incident, the Organisation of American States agreed to investigate the death of Julio Alvarado at the request of both countries.[6]

Circumstances

[edit]

The confrontation in which Julio was killed occurred in the Belize-Guatemala adjacency zone, on the Belizean side, 562 meters from the border, on the 20 April 2016.[7]

According to Belizean authorities, Belize Defence Force personnel and FCD park rangers were resting by a corn field when at 7 pm Julio's father, Carlos Ramirez, and other companions started flashing lights.[7][8] Upon being asked to stop, Ramirez and his associates began shooting at the personnel, prompting the personnel to return fire.[7][8] During the confrontation, Julio's father and brother were injured but escaped to Guatemala.[2][7][8] Julio, however, was fatally shot and died on the scene.[1][2][7][8] After the fact, the BDF soldiers transported Julio's body to a Belizean hospital for an autopsy to be performed.[1][2][9] A park ranger indicated that he used a shotgun while another ranger used a .22 calibre pistol.[7][8] The BDF soldiers used M4 carbines but alleged that their bullets missed.[7][8][10]

Julio's father, Carlos Ramirez, gave a different account of what transpired. According to Ramirez, he, his sons and other associates, all unarmed, were crossing a corn field after planting pumpkin seeds when at 6:15 pm Belizean forces ambushed them and proceeded to shoot.[5][7][8] He stated that as he fled, he saw his son Julio dead on the ground.[7][8] Julio Alvarado is now the tenth Guatemalan to be killed by Belizean forces near the Belize-Guatemala border since 1999.[11]

Prior to the death of Julio Alvarado, tensions were already high due to Guatemala claiming the entire Sarstoon River at the southern border of Belize while Belize maintained that each country was entitled to half of the river.[12][13] Additionally, Guatemalan fishermen and military forces were allegedly encroaching into Belizean waters by the Toledo district of Belize.[14][15][16]

Aftermath

[edit]

The president of Guatemala Jimmy Morales decried the incident as a "cowardly and excessive act that has the total condemnation of the Guatemalan state".[17] In response to the killing of Julio Alvarado, the Guatemalan ambassador to Belize was recalled to Guatemala.[17] Then, the Guatemalan military dispatched 3000 soldiers to the borders with Belize to protect the border area.[11][18] Guatemala's president also blamed the "murder" of Julio Alvarado on Belize's military and called for an investigation by the Organisation of American States so that those responsible could be brought to justice.[2][6] The Government of Belize agreed to the investigation but maintained that the Belizean personnel rightfully defended themselves, though it led to the fatal shooting of Julio Alvarado.[19] Other subsequent reports revealed that Belizean forces had already encountered Julio in Belizean territory prior to the incident and had escorted him to the Guatemalan side.[20]

Guatemala claimed that Julio was killed with a military grade rifle but autopsy reports showed that the bullets came from a .22 calibre pistol and a shotgun.[7][8][10] Julio Alvarado was laid to rest the weekend following his death.[20] Julio was buried in La Rejoya, in the Peten department of Guatemala close to the border with Belize.[20]

Investigation

[edit]

In a press release, the Organisation of American States agreed to investigate the incident at the request of both countries.[6] The investigators allegedly found that the Guatemalan military had removed evidence from the scene.[7][8] However, bullet holes found in nearby tree branches suggested that the Belizean military had been fired at from where Julio was found.[7][8] The investigation report concluded that "the shooting happened when the Belize patrol came under fire under the cover of night and...they fired back in self-defence".[7][8] The report also exonerated the Belizean military as the bullets that killed Julio came from the weapons of the park rangers.[7][8]

The president of Guatemala rejected the reports as inconclusive and called for a second investigation.[21][22] The foreign minister of Guatemala also rejected the reports and hoped that the International human rights Court would investigate the incident.[21][23] On the contrary, the Belizean government supported the OAS report and did not intend to call for a second investigation into the death of Julio Alvarado.[21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Guatemalan Minor Shot by B.D.F. in Chiquibul". News 5. Channel5Belize. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Soldados de Belice matan a niño guatemalteco en confuso incidente". Prensa Libre. Prensa Libre. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  3. ^ "World Court to Settle Guatemala, Belize Boundary Dispute". Latin American Herald Tribune. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. ^ Ramos, Adele (9 December 2012). "ICJ STAT – Guatemala's arguments with respect to the claim over Belizean territory". Amandala. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Belize says Guatemala "amassing" troops in border areas". Associated Press. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "Belize/Guatemala: OAS will Conduct Independent Investigation into the Death of Guatemalan Minor". OAS. OAS Press Department. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Ramos, Adele (27 August 2016). "Guatemalan minor killed in crossfire, but not by BDF: OAS report". Amandala. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "OAS report clears Belizean security forces from the death of Guatemalan minor". The San Pedro Sun. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  9. ^ Perez, Sonia; Jones, Patrick (21 April 2016). "Guatemala condemns teen's killing in Belize border incident". The Big Story. Big Story Associated Press. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Independent Investigation Exonerates BDF". ctv3News. Centaur Communications Corporation Limited. 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Guatemalan troops mass near Belize border after shooting incident". The Guardian. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  12. ^ Ramos, Adele (15 March 2016). "Guatemala claims Sarstoon!!". Amandala. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Belize and Guatemala begin negotiations at OAS over Sarstoon River dispute". CaribbeanNewsNow. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Guatemalan Fishermen and Soldiers In Belizean Waters, Coastguard Steps Up Patrol Measures". News 5. Channel5Belize. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  15. ^ Ramos, Adele (9 April 2016). "Guatemala, belligerent bully, stops SATIIM on Sarstoon!". Amandala. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  16. ^ "Sore Sight On Belize Side Of Sarstoon". 7NewsBelize. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  17. ^ a b Perez, Sonia (21 April 2016). "Guatemala llama a su embajador en Belice tras asesinato de niño chapín por soldados beliceños". El Periodico. Archived from the original on 31 August 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  18. ^ Perez, Sonia; Jones, Patrick (22 April 2016). "Belize says Guatemala "amassing" troops in border areas". The Big Story. Big Story Associated Press. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  19. ^ "OAS says it will investigate Belize-Guatemala border killing". Amandala. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  20. ^ a b c "Julio Alvarado is Laid to Rest in La Rejoya". News5. Channel5Belize. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  21. ^ a b c "Guatemala demands second investigation into shooting death: Belize supports initial report". The San Pedro Sun. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  22. ^ "Guatemala Officially Rejects O.A.S.-backed Report on Julio Alvarado Death". News 5. News5Belize. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  23. ^ "Guatemala rejects OAS report on border dispute shooting". Jamaica Observer. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.riteme.site/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Julio_René_Alvarado&oldid=1249835493"