Belize-Guatemala Relations Remain Stable Amid ICJ Dispute

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Francis Fonseca, is reporting that relations between Belize and Guatemala remain stable and constructive, even as the long-standing territorial dispute continues before the International Court of Justice.  Fonseca provided the update during a recent engagement, noting that both countries have maintained open lines of communication and continue to work cooperatively on areas of mutual interest, including security, trade, and border management.  According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, while the legal process at the ICJ is ongoing, Belize and Guatemala have remained committed to a peaceful and diplomatic approach to resolving their differences.  Fonseca also highlighted the importance of confidence-building measures between the two countries, emphasizing that cooperation at the bilateral level has helped to maintain calm along the border and foster a more stable relationship.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “Belize – Guatemala relations of course are always challenging and that was true over the last year. The heightened tensions at the Sarstoon in particular last September are well known. But there have been a number of maritime incursions and encroachments on the Western border. And these, I think these challenges underscore the imperative of a final and peaceful settlement through the ICJ process. So we’re pursuing that as you all know. We have two cases before the ICJ. The Belize-Guatemala case and then we have a Belize – Honduras case. Last week we talked about the fact that Guatemala was permitted to intervene in the Belize – Honduras case as a non-party. That was, as I said publicly, that was entirely expected. And we believe that that is in the interest of Belize’s case moving forward. We want to have a full determination of these issues. We don’t want when we leave the ICJ that there are still issues unresolved. So that’s where we are. At the political level, relations between Belize and Guatemala are friendly and constructive. We have high level meetings with the objective of addressing the border challenges, building the bilateral relations. You know outcomes have been mixed but it is clear that Guatemala’s political leadership wants to maintain a channel for constructive dialogue.”

The territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala is currently before the International Court of Justice, where a final ruling is expected to definitively settle the claim. In the meantime, both countries continue to engage through diplomatic channels while awaiting the Court’s decision.