By Belize Live News Staff: Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo has accused the Belize Defence Force (BDF) of escalating tensions in the Sarstoon, echoing the position of his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a statement delivered Tuesday, Arevalo described the incidents as recurring and tied them to the unresolved territorial differendum between Belize and Guatemala. He noted that while both nations have committed to resolving the dispute through the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the process remains ongoing.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be issuing a statement today. I believe these incidents should be understood within a broader interpretive framework. Unfortunately, these are recurring incidents over time, specifically in the Sarstoon area, and where the security forces of both countries are involved,” Arevalo said. He added that such events occur because the territorial issue has yet to be resolved and emphasized that both nations agreed to settle the matter before the ICJ.
Arevalo said Guatemala must be “clear and firm in defending” its sovereignty while also preventing the issue from escalating into a larger conflict. He maintained that Guatemala was committed to the legal process at the ICJ but claimed incidents in the Sarstoon are provoked by the Belizean side.
The statement contrasts with Belize’s diplomatic approach, as Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca has stressed the need for meaningful engagement between both nations to avoid further confrontation.
