By Belize Live News Staff: Belize has joined 18 other Latin American and Caribbean nations in signing a declaration reaffirming the region as a “Zone of Peace” under the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The statement comes amid heightened military activity in the Caribbean following U.S. deployments near Venezuela.
The CELAC declaration, endorsed by Belize, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, and others, highlights principles such as respect for sovereignty, non-interference, peaceful dispute resolution, and the rejection of nuclear weapons as tools of coercion. It also emphasized the historic Treaty of Tlatelolco, which established Latin America and the Caribbean as the first densely populated nuclear-free zone in the world.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca confirmed Belize’s support, telling reporters, “Belize is in support of this CELAC statement.”
The declaration noted the region’s shared security challenges, including organized crime and drug trafficking, but stressed that solutions must come through international cooperation within the framework of international law—not through the presence of extra-regional military forces.
Meanwhile, Colombian President Gustavo Petro underscored the weight of the statement, saying on X that it represents “the vast majority of CELAC members” calling for peace. However, Guatemala announced it had not signed the communiqué, distancing itself from the consensus.
The backdrop to the declaration is the U.S. deployment of ten F-35 fighter jets and three Navy destroyers in the Caribbean, moves Washington says are aimed at countering drug trafficking. Venezuela responded with its own show of force this week, flying two F-16s over a U.S. warship in disputed waters.
