Belize: Guatemalan Military Overflight Would Be “Violation of Sovereignty”
Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is investigating reports of an unauthorised Guatemalan military aircraft in Belizean airspace. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that any such incursion would constitute a violation of the country’s sovereignty. The statement follows a Thursday evening flight that saw a Guatemalan Air Force plane tracked over Lighthouse Reef Atoll and near Caye Caulker before its signal was lost, and a same-day response from Guatemala’s Ministry of National Defence insisting its forces operate within the law.
Flight data reviewed by News 5 shows the aircraft, operating under the callsign FAG706, departed Guatemala City at 6:01 p.m. Thursday. FlightAware records the plane heading out over open water, passing south of Honduras before turning toward Belize. Flightradar24 identifies the aircraft as a Guatemalan Air Force Pilatus PC-12 NG, registration 706, a light utility aircraft used by several regional militaries for surveillance, transport and coastal patrol.
Track logs show the plane made several passes near Lighthouse Reef Atoll before it was last picked up near Caye Caulker at 8:06 p.m., when its transponder signal was lost.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “has received preliminary reports of the unauthorised presence of a Guatemalan military aircraft in Belizean airspace” and is working with the Ministry of National Defence and Border Security “to officially confirm the full details of these reports.” The ministry drew a clear line on what such an incursion would mean, stating plainly that “any incursion of a foreign military aircraft into Belize’s airspace would be a violation of Belize’s sovereignty and will be countered appropriately. “
Guatemala’s Ministry of National Defence issued its own communiqué. The statement does not confirm, deny or address the specifics of Thursday’s flight. Instead, it asserts in general terms that all operations of Guatemala’s armed forces are carried out within the bounds of national and international law, that the institution acts with professionalism, discipline and respect for human rights in fulfilment of its constitutional mandate, and that it coordinates with state institutions in accordance with the law. The ministry closed by reaffirming its commitment to public security and to strengthening citizens’ trust in the armed forces, signing off with its slogan, “Con dignidad, respeto y transparencia, defendemos a la Nación” — “With dignity, respect and transparency, we defend the Nation.”
Lighthouse Reef Atoll lies well within Belizean territory and its surrounding waters, roughly 50 miles east of the mainland, and is one of the country’s most prominent protected marine areas.
Any unauthorised military overflight in the vicinity is likely to draw heightened scrutiny given the long-running and unresolved territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala, currently before the International Court of Justice.