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[INTERNATIONAL] · Belize, Guatemala · 3 sources

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Part of situation: Belize-Guatemala border sovereignty disputes (4 clusters)

Belize protests Guatemalan vessel deployment near Sarstoon Island

Sarstoon Island border dispute Belize-Guatemala boundary maritime sovereignty regional stability

The Belizean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a formal protest following an incident on September 10, 2026, involving Guatemalan military and civilian vessels near Sarstoon Island.

According to the Ministry, approximately 18 Guatemalan vessels obstructed a group of Belizean nationals, known as the Belize Territorial Volunteers, during their annual customary passage around the island. The group was being escorted by the Belize Defence Force and the Belize Coast Guard. Belize maintains that Sarstoon Island is within its sovereign territory and that the Sarstoon River serves as the international boundary under the 1859 Boundary Treaty.

Belize characterized the deployment of the Guatemalan flotilla as a violation of its sovereignty and an unwelcome escalation in a sensitive border region. In response, the Ministry has dispatched a Note Verbale to Guatemala's Ministry of External Affairs and has notified international partners and the Organization of American States (OAS) regarding the incident and its potential implications for regional stability.

Entities

Belize Defence Force · Guatemala · Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize · Organization of American States · Sarstoon Island

Sources

Belizeans Outnumbered but Unmoved on the Sarstoon [www.greaterbelize.com]
Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over recent Sarstoon Incident - Ministry of Foreign Affairs [mfa.gov.bz]
Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Government of Belize Press Office [www.pressoffice.gov.bz]