New footage from the Sarstoon is renewing concerns about Belize’s increasingly tense encounters with Guatemalan forces. Belizean authorities continue to document each incident and pursue a peaceful resolution through the International Court of Justice. But after the alleged ramming of a Belize Defense Force vessel, critics are asking whether diplomatic protest notes are enough. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
The Sarstoon River is back under scrutiny following another tense encounter. Footage showing Belize Coast Guard personnel holding their position near a Guatemalan military vessel surfaced just days after a Guatemalan Armed Forces vessel allegedly rammed and approached a Belize Defense Force patrol near Sarstoon Island. Belize Territorial Volunteers founder Wil Maheia says such encounters are becoming more frequent and aggressive. He praised the Coast Guard for standing its ground, but argued that Belize must respond with more than diplomatic notes.
Wil Maheia
Wil Maheia, Founder, Belize Territorial Volunteers
“The bumping of the boat, the ramming of the Coast Guard boat has never happened before. So of the, of the BDF boat has never happened before, so they are definitely getting more and more brazen. And this is why our government got to show our military forces that we are not just going to send no diplomatic notes that is every time they do that and nothing comes of it, or we’re going to contact the OAS and nothing comes of it.”
Following the encounter, the Belize Territorial Volunteers met Coast Guard personnel at their base and provided lunch as a show of appreciation. Maheia says the officers refused to retreat despite what he described as attempts at intimidation. Foreign Affairs Minister Francis Fonseca acknowledges that Guatemalan forces have shown greater aggression in recent months. But he says Belize remains committed to resolving Guatemala’s territorial claim peacefully through the International Court of Justice.
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“We are determined to pursue a peaceful resolution to the unfounded Guatemalan claim through the International Court of Justice. But yes, the reality is that over the, the past few months in particular, we have seen an increased level of aggression on the part of the Guatemalan armed forces. As I have stated many times, we respond to that as we always do in a very clear, meaningful way. We follow the due process that we have established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And of course, we engage directly with the authorities in Guatemala.”
That process includes documenting each encounter, sending diplomatic protest notes to Guatemala and sharing reports with the Organization of American States and Belize’s legal team before the International Court of Justice. Fonseca says placing every incident on the official record is critical to Belize’s case. National Security Ministry CEO Francis Usher says the Organization of American States can intervene when either country acts against the established confidence-building measures.
Francis Usher
Francis Usher, CEO, Ministry of National Security
“There are various different, levels of mediation that they can do. Remember, the OAS is the independent body that came up with the confidence building measures, and they ensure that all of the confidence building measures are being followed along the way. So where there are actions that are to the detriment of the confidence building measures and the ultimate resolution of this unfounded claim, the OAS steps in and ensures that both countries hold the line.”
Maheia, however, wants the government to go further. He is calling for Belize to revoke fishing licenses issued to Guatemalans operating in the Sarstoon area, claiming that some license holders support Guatemalan military activities. He also wants the Ministry of Blue Economy to reconsider a 2022 regulation allowing certain Guatemalan fishermen living near the border to obtain Belizean licenses. For now, Belize is holding firmly to diplomacy and international law. But as confrontations in the Sarstoon grow more serious, the pressure is mounting for the government to show that its response can protect both Belize’s forces and its territorial interests. Britney Gordon for News Five.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
Watch the full newscast here:
