Territorial Dispute

After a majority of Belizeans authorized the Government of Belize (GOB) to submit the Guatemalan territorial claim to Belize at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by voting ‘Yes’ at the May 8th territorial referendum, two Belizean Agents have been selected to represent the country at this world court. Former Ambassador and Minister of Foreign Affairs Assad Shoman has been assigned as the Agent, while current Ambassador to Guatemala His Excellency Alexis Rosado will be the Co-Agent. Their job will be to coordinate all the legal, diplomatic, and organizational elements in the ICJ case at The Hague in the Netherlands. GOB further amended the Maritime Areas Act of 1992, allowing Belize to claim its full 12 nautical miles in southern Belize.

The nationwide election saw 65% of the 148,500 re-registered electorates participating. The official reports from the Elections and Boundaries Department indicate that at the end of the voting process, 55% of the population voted ‘YES,’ while 44% voted against settling the Guatemalan claim to Belize at the ICJ.

In 2008, at the urgency of the Organization of American States, Belize and Guatemala signed a Special Agreement (compromis) to settle the long-standing territorial dispute between both countries at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In the agreement, Belize committed to settle the matter at the ICJ after the participation of Belizeans in a national referendum set for April 10, 2019. However, the government never consulted Belizeans prior to signing the Agreement, and the definition of the Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute in such document has since then been the subject of much criticism. The Special Agreement has garnered so much attention that attorneys in Belize are preparing to challenge it at the Supreme Court, to question its legality, validity and constitutionality.

Following a Cabinet meeting, the Government of Belize (GOB) has set April 10, 2019, as the date for the referendum to resolve the Guatemalan’s claim to Belize at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Despite a low turnout of voters, on Sunday, April 15th Guatemalans voted ‘Yes,’ agreeing to take their territorial claim on Belize to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The electorates’ participation in the referendum was at 26.33%, representing about 1.9 million of the over seven million eligible voters. Almost 96% of voters support the ICJ idea, while less than 5% voted against it. Belize is expected to hold its own referendum, where Belizeans will determine whether or not to take the territorial issue to the ICJ.

More than seven million Guatemalan citizens are expected to come out to the polls on Sunday, April 15th to cast their vote on whether the centennial territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala should be resolved at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The Government of Guatemala has changed the date of their referendum to settle the Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The unfounded Guatemalan claim to Belize has taken an aggressive approach after the government of that country announced on Thursday, November 2nd that it intends to produce maps depicting Belize as part of their territory.