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The Belize Defence Force is pushing back strongly against claims being circulated by former government minister Elvin Penner following Thursday’s incident at Baldy Beacon, where he allegedly entered a restricted military zone and removed items connected to an ongoing explosive ordnance destruction exercise. As first reported by Love News on May 21, the BDF’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit had been conducting a major destruction operation involving undetonated explosive devices collected from across the country. The exercise was being carried out alongside representatives from the Organization of American States under its Program for the Control of Arms and Ammunition, with additional support from the National Fire Service and Forest Department. Authorities say Penner entered the restricted area during the operation and allegedly removed military items, including charging wire and blocks of white phosphorus, placing them inside his personal vehicle before BDF personnel intervened.
Today, BDF Commander Brigadier General Anthony Velasquez told Love News that Penner was only able to access the area because military personnel had temporarily moved through another section of the exercise zone while carrying out operations. Velasquez says despite warning signs and the longstanding military use of the area, Penner still entered without authorization. The commander added that in his view, the removal of the items amounts to theft.
Anthony Velasquez, Commander, Belize Defence Force: “It’s a huge area, several kilometers, miles wide. So there’s no fence around the area at all. There’s access by some minor roads and by other crossing hills and valleys. So it’s not an area that is fenced off anything like that, right. So people can access the area. However during exercises we put up warning flags and so that people know that we’re conducting exercise in the area. From the point of view of the BDF, Mr. Penner trespassed into our training area and he removed military items from the grounds and that’s our point of view there.”
Reporter: Were those items that Mr. Penner got a hold of, were those meant to also be destroyed or was the BDF going to keep those?
Anthony Velasquez, Commander, Belize Defence Force: “A part of it was supposed to be destroyed, was being destroyed and the other portion were still property of the BDF.”
Reporter: Do you expect that he should also face theft charges.
Anthony Velasquez, Commander, Belize Defence Force: “Well that’s a matter for the police to determine based on the reports that we will give them.”
Penner has since attempted to portray the BDF and the visiting U.S. military personnel as the real wrongdoers, alleging that explosives were being detonated in what he described as a public area. But Brigadier General Velasquez rejected that narrative outright, emphasizing that Baldy Beacon has been utilized for military training and demolition exercises for decades and that all operations were conducted within established safety protocols.
Anthony Velasquez, Commander, Belize Defence Force: “Friday I was there at Baldy Beacon and I met with a representative of the landowners in the area and we had a very very good discussion about moving forward and explaining our position to them and their position to us. To coordinate the OAS PACAM team that visited, it didn’t happen overnight. It took many months to coordinate that visit and the only window that we had was that time that we did it. So the two experts that came from the OAS were here in Belize for a certain time and certain period. So we had to do it then. Okay? That’s the first thing and secondly during the wet season when it’s raining the roads are very very difficult and almost impassable okay.”
Reporter: Even now you mean all the way there because there have been improvements.
Anthony Velasquez, Commander, Belize Defence Force: “Well the road is very difficult even now I was there Friday and it was a very bone-jarring experience to drive out there so during the wet season the roads are very very difficult and almost impossible for a truck and to transport unexploded device in the back of a truck it is kind of dangerous so we had to take it when the roads are good and it coincided with the fact that the PACAM team had to be here in May. Now in terms of the fire, the fire burnt out as of Friday. It did no damage to property at any at all so it was just a wildfire.”
The incident remains under investigation, and officials from the Ministry of Defence have already indicated that police consultation is expected as authorities determine whether criminal charges may be filed
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