2016 Belize-Guatemala border standoff

Last updated
2016 Belize-Guatemala border standoff
Rio Sarstun- Guatemala.jpg
the Sarstoon River
Location Belize–Guatemala border
Belligerents
Flag of Belize.svg  Belize Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala
Strength
Unknown 3,000
Casualties and losses
1 civilian killed

The 2016 Belize–Guatemala border standoff started when the Belizean Army's soldiers shot dead a 13-year-old Guatemalan along the Sarstoon River, in the southern border between Guatemala and Belize.

Belize Defence Force military of Belize

The Belize Defence Force (BDF) is the military of Belize, and is responsible for protecting the sovereignty of the country. The BDF is under the Ministry of Defence, which is currently headed by Hon. John Saldivar; the BDF itself is commanded by Brigadier General Steven Ortega. In 2012, the Belizean government spent about $17 million on the military, constituting 1.08% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Guatemalan may refer to:

Sarstoon River river in Guatemala and Belize

The Sarstoon River is a river in the Toledo District of Belize. It forms the country's southern boundary with Guatemala.

Contents

Events

The Guatemalan authorities claimed that a teenager called Julio René Alvarado Ruano, his father and his younger brother were attacked on 20 April 2016, as they planted crops near the Sarstoon River in the northern department of Petén. The father and brother were wounded. In a different version of events, Belize says its troops shot in self-defence after coming under fire while on patrol, and added that the body of the teenager was found just inside Belizean territory. [1]

On the other hand the Belizean Government claimed in a statement that according to initial reports, its security forces were investigating illegal land clearing in the Cebada area of the Chiquibul National Park in western Belize when they detained a Guatemalan man suspected of illicit activities. It said the patrol came under fire around nightfall and shot back in self-defence. Before leaving the location just inside Belizean territory, the soldiers found the teenager's body, which was taken to Belize City for an autopsy. [2] The Guatemalan foreign ministry said the autopsy conducted in Belize determined that the teenager had been shot eight times, including four times in the back, by a high-powered, military-grade rifle. [3]

Government of Belize National government

Her Majesty's Government of Belize, also referred to as the Belizean Government is the democratic administrative authority of Belize, a constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. It was formed in 1981 after gaining sovereignty from the United Kingdom. The constitution is the supreme law of Belize.

Belize City City in Belize, Belize

Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, which is a tributary of the Belize River. The Belize River empties into the Caribbean Sea five miles from Belize City on the Philip Goldson Highway on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and industrial hub. Cruise ships drop anchor outside the port and are tendered by local citizens. The city was almost entirely destroyed in 1961 when Hurricane Hattie swept ashore on October 31. It was the capital of British Honduras until the government was moved to the new capital of Belmopan in 1970.

In response to the shooting the Guatemalan Government ordered the deployment of 3,000 troops along its border, including the special forces unit known as the Kaibiles. [4] [5] [6]

Kaibiles

The Kaibiles are a special operations wing of the Armed Forces of Guatemala. They specialize in jungle warfare tactics and counter-insurgency operations.

See also

Belize–Guatemala relations

Belize–Guatemala relations are the bilateral relations between Belize and the Republic of Guatemala. Guatemala established relations with Belize in 1991, ten years after Belizean independence. Belize has an embassy in Guatemala City while Guatemala has an embassy in Belize City. The two countries have had a long-standing dispute over the territory of Belize.

Belize–Guatemala border international border

The Belize–Guatemala border is an almost straight line 266 km long, close to the 89th meridian west, which separates the west of Belize's territory from Guatemala's.

Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute

The Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute is an unresolved binational territorial dispute between the states of Belize and Guatemala, neighbours in Central America. The territory of Belize has been claimed in whole or in part by Guatemala since 1821.

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Melchor de Mencos Place in El Petén, Guatemala

Melchor de Mencos is a municipality in the Petén Department of Guatemala with population 23,813. It is situated on the eastern border with Belize, and is the only major border crossing from Guatemala to Belize. The city was established in April 1960. It is named after Sergeant Major Melchor de Mencos y Varón, who in 1754 journeyed with a tiny contingent of Spanish colonial troops from what is now Antigua, Guatemala to the coast of present-day Belize, there to combat English "pirates" who had settled that region and established a self-governing community. A large signboard-map at the border crossing between Benque Viejo del Carmen and Melchor depicts Belize as Guatemala's eastern province, consistent with Guatemala's ongoing claim.

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Sarstoon Island Belizean island in the Sarstoon River

Sarstoon Island is an island near the mouth of the Sarstoon River along the Belize–Guatemala border. It is part of the Toledo District of Belize. The island is mostly swampland and is uninhabited. It covers approximately 0.68 square kilometres (0.26 sq mi).

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The following lists events that happened during 2016 in Guatemala.

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Julio René AlvaradoRuano was a fourteen-year-old Guatemalan male that was killed in the Belize–Guatemala adjacency zone during an armed confrontation between the Belize Defence Force, Belizean park rangers and Guatemalan farmers. The incident raised tensions between Belize and Guatemala, who have an ongoing border dispute since 1821. Belizean officials maintain that the Belize Defence Force acted in self-defence. However, the Guatemalan government claims the incident was a deliberate attack carried out by Belize's military. After the incident, the Organisation of American States agreed to investigate the death of Julio Alvarado at the request of both countries.

References

  1. "Belize Says Guatemala "Amassing" Troops in Border Areas". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  2. "Belize Says Guatemala "Amassing" Troops in Border Areas". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  3. Press, Associated (2016-04-22). "Guatemalan troops mass near Belize border after shooting incident". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  4. "Belize-Guatemala border tensions rise over shooting - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  5. "Guats deploy Kaibiles to Belize border". Amandala Newspaper. 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  6. "Guatemala condemns teen's killing in Belize border incident". Fox News. 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2016-04-22.