Foreign Minister Fonseca Reiterates Belize’s Position on Sarstoon

Since the start of the month, the Guatemalan Armed Forces have stepped up their presence and their aggression in the Sarstoon area. On September tenth, while Belizeans were proudly celebrating the two hundred and twenty-sixth anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye, Guatemalan soldiers made a bold move. They helped plant a Guatemalan flag on Sarstoon Island, an island that is part of Belizean territory. That act sparked a tense standoff between the Guatemalan military and our Belize Defense Force. Just days later, the Belize Territorial Volunteers, led by Wil Maheia, decided to respond. They traveled to the island to raise the Belizean flag. It wasn’t easy, they faced resistance, but in the end, they got the flag up. Now, here’s where things get even more complicated. After both incidents, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo and his foreign minister released statements that twisted the timeline, suggesting that the BDF were the aggressors. Earlier today, Belize’s Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca set the record straight. He reaffirmed Belize’s position and expressed deep disappointment in Guatemala’s actions, especially given the cordial talks that had been taking place between the two countries.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“Belize’s position has been very, very clear. As you know, we’ve issued a number of releases on these incidents over the past few days. We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, this illegal incursion into our territory, both in the Sarstoon and on the Sarstoon Island. So we have made our position very, very clear. We are committed, as we have said, as the prime minister has said, as I have said it many times, we are absolutely committed to a peaceful, definitive resolution of this claim. That is the mandate given to us by the Belizean people through a referendum held in 2019. The people of Belize want us to pursue a peaceful resolution to this matter. So we’re absolutely mandated and committed to doing that. We are disappointed with the recent statements coming out of Guatemala, the foreign ministry and some of the statements made by President Arevalo at a recent press conference because we don’t believe that it reflects the discussions that we have been having. The dialogue that we have been engaged in have been very positive. So, our hope is that we can continue with the help of the OAS, with the help of Secretary General Ramdin, that we can reengage in a more positive manner, to very clearly demonstrate that that is our commitment on both sides.”