Belize Says Diplomatic Protests Reflect Seriousness of Border Claims

While tensions in the Sarstoon area have eased in recent months, there have been numerous past incidents that prompted the Government of Belize to issue formal diplomatic protest notes through the Organization of American States. That history was one of the key concerns addressed yesterday during a bilateral meeting between Belize and Guatemala at the OAS Adjacency Zone.  Belize has consistently maintained that members of the Guatemalan Armed Forces have entered Belizean territory, while Guatemala has countered with its own protests, alleging that Belize’s security forces have crossed into Guatemalan waters.  Speaking after the meeting, Minister Fonseca said the exchange of diplomatic notes reflects the seriousness with which Belize treats any actions it believes infringe on its territorial integrity, even as both countries work to prevent escalation.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “As you know we have an ongoing dialogue at the political level between Belize and Guatemala. So it’s an ongoing discussion and in every meeting that we have at the bilateral level or even today, we discuss these issues with a view to finding some mechanism, putting in place some mechanism, some structure that will allow us to ensure that tensions are reduced between our two countries, especially the two militaries and that we are able to peacefully resolve any of these issues when they arise. So for example, one of the issues we discussed today under the auspices of the OAS is how can we improve military to military engagements and communication and coordination between the militaries? Because that is where on the ground we have to ensure that there are no mistakes made and that tensions are reduced on the ground. So those are things that we have always discussed between ourselves and we will continue to dialogue on and discuss because I believe we both agree that it is important that we reduce tensions and ensure that there is always peace and stability between our two countries.”

Fonseca emphasized that while the filing of protest notes has been ongoing for several years, Belize remains committed to resolving differences through dialogue and international law. He noted that both countries acknowledged the importance of maintaining open communication and reducing military tensions, particularly in the Sarstoon area.  Officials from Belize and Guatemala indicated that, pending a final ruling from the International Court of Justice, both sides are cooperating through the OAS to manage the situation and avoid confrontations. The ICJ decision is expected to bring definitive clarity to the territorial, insular, and maritime dispute between the two neighboring states.