Another billboard campaign placed across Belize City has opened a fresh public debate. This time it’s over a Guatemalan billboard campaign carrying the message, “Guatemala Welcomes You with Open Arms.” It adds, “Come for the landscapes, stay for the people, keep coming back.”
It displays mountainous scenery that does not belong to Belize. However, the billboards have drawn sharp reactions online, especially as Belize is at its peak of patriotism ahead of its 45th independence day.
Some Belizeans have questioned why such a message would appear on Belizean soil, with one person writing, “It’s an insult! Hattieville is in Guatemala now.” Another called it “a wrong message, a wrong gesture”.
But not everyone sees a problem. Some users argue the signs are simply targeting Belizeans and travelers who are staying in Belize to travel over to Guatemala as a next destination.
One user described it as a straightforward tourism pitch, “welcoming to Guatemala on the same region tourist go,” while another added “It’s just welcoming the hundreds of Belize who go there for shopping, for medical or education.”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister John Briceño also was of the opinion that the billboard campaign is tourism-related, although he recognised the wording could be misunderstood.
“I think it’s a bit misleading,” Briceño said. “I think it’s more from a touristical aspect. Maybe the billboard owners should ask them to, if they could reword it to remove that kind of fear or phobia.”
Briceño declared that Belize “would never be a part of Guatemala.”
The issue over the billboards lands on a very sensitive situation as both countries face ongoing territorial dispute before the International Court of Justice.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Tracy Panton takes a markedly different position, and called the campaign “a political provocation” and saying it should be treated as such.
Many have asked for the Guatemalan billboards to be removed.
