GOB Monitoring Case of Belizean Convicted in Guatemala

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it is now monitoring the case of 28-year-old Belizean national Sebastián Pop, who has been convicted of femicide in Guatemala following a controversial cross-border ordeal that began more than a year ago.

Pop was abducted in February 2024 from the Dolores Village, Toledo District, by a Guatemalan mob of vigilantes and forcibly taken across the border. Since then, he has been held in a Guatemalan prison, facing charges his family insists were never properly explained to them.

Relatives say they have spent the past year seeking help from Belizean authorities, including the police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but claim they were repeatedly ignored.

Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a formal statement acknowledging the case for the first time. The Ministry said the Embassy of Belize in Guatemala had provided documentation to support Pop’s legal process and has now been instructed to explore any remaining legal avenues following his conviction. The Ministry also expressed “extreme concern” about the circumstances of his removal from Belize and pledged to pursue his repatriation through diplomatic channels and international law.

Pop’s family say they have spent more than a year appealing for assistance while their loved one languished in a foreign jail. Now, with his conviction confirmed in Guatemala, they are demanding that Belizean authorities step up to secure his rights and fight for his return.