By William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)
BELIZE CITY, Wed. Sept. 17, 2025
Guatemala’s distorted misrepresentation of two recent encounters between the Belize Defence Force (BDF) and the Guatemalan Navy on the Sarstoon River last Wednesday and Friday, September 10 and 12, which was presented in a release from the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday evening, September 16, has prompted Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to prove our neighbor’s allegations to be untrue and to set the record straight.
The Guatemalan statement alleges, “Belize Defense Forces entered national territory via the Sarstoon River without authorization, in violation of Guatemala’s territorial integrity. …. The provocations by the Belize Defense Forces were contained through dialogue, without resorting to the use of force.”
The Guatemalan government said it “regrets that Belize has resorted to exaggerating the situation in international media—¦an attitude that reflects an intention to destabilize and unnecessarily magnify the incidents.” Their statement calls on the Belizean Government to “refrain from such unnecessary confrontational incursions” and that “Guatemala categorically denies that there exists, or could exist an agreed-upon joint Sarstoon protocol or mechanism.”
The Belize Foreign Affairs Ministry’s release refuted Guatemala’s claims that the BDF acted in any provocative manner, affirming that Belize is proud of the BDF’s “professional, calm, and restrained conduct” as shown in the videos of the incidents which have gone viral on social media. The videos also show the Guatemalan forces’ belligerent manner as they shouted orders that the civilian group, the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV), turn back, when the BTV attempted to visit Sarstoon Island on Saturday, September 13. The BTV group decided to turn back, rather than provoke an international incident.
The MoFA release remained positive: “Belize is committed to continuing to work with Guatemala to strengthen and expand bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our countries.” It noted that “the tensions of the past week underscore the urgency of a mechanism for cooperation in the Sarstoon and maritime spaces. Finalizing such a mechanism would be a clear demonstration of the commitment of the two countries to peace and security in the area.”
The release challenged the Guatemalans’ claim that the BDF had trespassed onto Guatemalan territory. It stated, “The unalterable fact is that the boundary between Belize and Guatemala was established in the 1859 Treaty as the mid-channel of the Sarstoon River. The Sarstoon Island lies squarely in Belize’s sovereign territory. Furthermore, the 1859 Treaty provides that the channels of the river are equally free and open to the vessels of both countries.”
The MoFA release further said: “The Government of Belize looks forward to the vindication of its position in the International Court of Justice, in the adjudication and final settlement of Guatemala’s unfounded claim.”
On Tuesday, September 16, the Caribbean Community also issued a strongly worded statement about the incidents. In that statement it made it clear that “CARICOM calls on Guatemala to ensure that its military forces desist from illegally entering Belizean territory and from aggressive actions which will raise tensions between the countries, escalate into a military conflict, and endanger the safety of persons who use the Sarstoon River.”
The release further stated, “CARICOM recalls the duty of Belize and Guatemala to refrain from any action which may exacerbate the dispute while Guatemala’s Claim is before the International Court of Justice, and reiterates its call for both countries to urgently fulfil their commitment to design an effective mechanism of cooperation for the Sarstoon River and maritime spaces, with the assistance of the Organization of American States (OAS).”
The release noted that the Belizean Government had informed CARICOM that the Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF) had entered Belizean territory on the Sarstoon River on several occasions from September 10-13, and that they had illegally hoisted a Guatemalan flag on Sarstoon Island, which is Belizean territory, and had “attempted to ram a Belizean military vessel, and harassed and obstructed Belizeans from freely and peacefully navigating the Sarstoon River. These incursions and actions flagrantly violated Belize’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The release noted that “Belizean military officers firmly asserted Belize’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and legal position, but acted with restraint and professionalism to prevent these aggressive and provocative actions by GAF officers from escalating.”
