Territorial disputes are quite common in the world of international politics, but few have managed to last an entire two centuries. That’s the case with the territory contested by Guatemala and Belize. Despite both countries going through major changes over the generations, 4,250 square miles remain in contention. As the second smallest country in Central America, it’s a constant issue for Belize’s government — and that’s doubly true when you consider that the land Guatemala claims constitute over half of Belize’s total landmass. Here’s everything you need to know about how the Belizean-Guatemalan land dispute started, why it continues to matter today, and what the future could potentially hold for it.
The Past: The History of the Dispute
When Guatemala declared its independence from Spain in 1821, the state of affairs in Central America was complicated. Despite attempted by British and French buccaneers to break their hegemony, Spain had nearly total control over any land from Mexico southward — with the exception of Portugal’s colonies in modern day Brazil. But 1821 would see cracks in this formation as Mexico and Guatemala declared their independence from the Spanish crown mere months apart from each other. While a group of English buccaneers turned loggers named the Baymen had set up settlements in what is now Belize, it wouldn’t become officially recognized as the colony of British Honduras until 1862. An 1859 treaty was intended to solidify the United Kingdom’s control over Belize, but it was predicated on building a road between the Baymen town of Punta Gorda and Guatemala.
The road would never get built, and this failure — along with other unfulfilled promises of economic assistance — would become the basis for Guatemala’s claims to Belizean land. These were claims that the Guatemalan government would continue to repeat — but after they failed to follow through on a threat to reject the treaty in 1884, the disagreement largely lay forgotten for decades. In the 1930s, Guatemala’s ruling party would bring the issue back up, and a threat by Guatemala to annex territory in 1948 actually led to the British mobilizing two infantry companies in defense of the land. The middle of the 20th century was a period of enormous political change in Belize. While Kriol people represented a majority of an incredibly diverse population, a small number of white men controlled the economic and political reins of power. As the country’s first political party grew and the shouts for independence from Britain became stronger, independence activists found themselves left in the cold regarding the continuing territorial negotiations between Guatemala and the United Kingdom. The 1970s nearly saw Guatemala and the United Kingdom reach open conflict with one another.
The Present: The Situation Today
Belize gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1981 — and while they were recognized as a sovereign state by Guatemala, little changed in terms of tensions regarding the disputed territory. A group of British forces protected Belize against invasion from Guatemala in the years following independence, but they were disbanded in 1994, and support from the United Kingdom remained minimal. In the early 2000s, both Belizean and Guatemalan troops patrolled the border, and 2000 saw a Belizean patrol kill a Guatemalan at Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. After this brief spate of violence, both sides came to the table in a new round of negotiations that were moderated by the Organization of American States.
While progress in resolving disputes has oscillated, it’s only been four decades since Belize was able to speak independently about its own rights to sovereignty. Our claim to territory is predicated on the logic that gaining independence from the United Kingdom meant that they were no longer beholden to the treaty first made by the British. Decades of political instability have further hampered efforts at finding a peaceful resolution, and the fact that Guatemala is still a primarily agricultural nation with relatively undeveloped infrastructure makes the claims to this land more important than it would otherwise be. The land Guatemala lays claim to includes major swaths of the Cayo District — a region known for both its gorgeous jungles and mountains but also its rich and plentiful farmland. Guatemala’s claims also cover the Stann Creek District, a region most prominently inhabited by the local Garifuna people and containing a strip of Caribbean beachfront critical to Belize’s tourism industry.
The Future: Possible Paths Forward
Belize is widely regarded as a model for conservation efforts in the Caribbean — but as Guatemala’s population is growing, it pushes against the boundaries and is already having an impact on the environment. Chiquibul National Park is a prime example of the risk. Desperate Guatemalan villagers near the border will illegally log within the park’s boundaries, cause fires, and steal artifacts from extant Maya sites. This deforestation is further exacerbated by rumors of gold deposits within the park. With no direct solution and no slowdown in Guatemalan population growth over the horizon, it’s a problem that will likely continue even with a settlement in Belize’s favor.
Fortunately, both sides have recently come to the table to develop a solution together. Guatemala has finally agreed to go in good faith to the International Court of Justice to render a resolution on the issue. The ICQ agreed to the case in 2019, but the global COVID-19 pandemic led to delays in the hearing. Guatemala submitted its brief in 2020, while Belize is due to issue theirs on June 8, 2022. But it’s important to remember that Belize’s very founding took the form of buccaneers who sought out opportunity and were willing to turn their noses up at the territorial rights of nation-states. Belize’s claim to the land is good, and the conservation threat is valid — but individuals will always pick individual needs over international edict. Hopefully, the court can reach a decision that ameliorates the real and pragmatic problems happening at the border rather than simply drawing new territorial lines.
