By Jem Smith
Two Belizeans are dead and one injured following a bloody massacre at the Tulum National Park in Mexico. The men, all residents of Corozal, came under attack and two were fatally shot on a resort beach in the town located in the Yucatán Peninsula. Details of the incident are still sketchy, and there are conflicting reports about what exactly took place. In a Zoom meeting with Commission of Police Chester Williams, he said that the Belize Police Department was still awaiting official details on the incident. He said that most of the details would be shared through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that there was not very much the Department could do, since the crime took place in Mexico. He did announcethat Belizean law enforcement would be working to prevent any retaliation or cross-border incidents but that would be as much as they would be able to do. Otherwise, this would be a matter for Mexican law enforcement.
Still, two men are dead and one is injured and their families in Belize are heartbroken over what little they know of what took place. Video recordings of the incident which took place in public, and confirmed the worst fears for the families of Christian Folgarait, Gladimir Eduard Chable, and Rayan Aquino. They, like the police, are still without answers as to what happened on that beach but do know that gunmen stormed the area and opened fire. Folgarait and Chable were fatally shot but Aquino survived the attack and is on the road to recovery. Mexican authorities have not shared much details into the incident, including a motive or any arrests. They are, however, looking at witness reports of what transpired as part of their investigations. Aquino, while a victim himself, was taken into custody since the three men all entered the country illegally. After being processed for those offenses, it is expected that his repatriation will be expedited. Arrangements for the handover of Folgarait and Chable’s bodies are underway.
