Guatemala’s flotilla in Sarstoon marks “unwelcomed escalation,” Belize says

By Zoila Palma:  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has issued its strongest protest following an incident on Thursday, September 10, in which a significant deployment of Guatemalan military and civilian vessels reportedly obstructed Belizean nationals from completing their customary passage around Sarstoon Island.

The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV), escorted by the Belize Defence Force (BDF) and Belize Coast Guard, had departed Punta Gorda for their annual journey around Sarstoon Island, a passage the group has undertaken for nearly two decades.

According to the Foreign Ministry, approximately 18 Guatemalan vessels, including military and civilian craft, were present in Belizean waters near the island.

The Ministry reaffirmed that the Sarstoon River forms part of the international boundary between Belize and Guatemala under the 1859 Boundary Treaty between Great Britain and Guatemala, with the boundary line running along the mid-channel of the river.

The Ministry further stated that Sarstoon Island lies within Belizean sovereign territory and that the treaty guarantees the river’s channels remain equally free and open to vessels of both countries.

The Foreign Ministry condemned Guatemala’s deployment of what it described as a disproportionate flotilla in Belizean waters, saying the presence of the vessels to obstruct the lawful passage of unarmed Belizean nationals constitutes a violation of Belize’s sovereignty.

The Ministry also described the presence of Guatemalan civilians within the military deployment as an “unwelcomed escalation” in an already sensitive border area.

The post Guatemala’s flotilla in Sarstoon marks “unwelcomed escalation,” Belize says appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.