In May of 2019, Belizeans voted to go to the ICJ for a final settlement of the territorial dispute with Guatemala. And tonight it seems a lot more real after the Guatemalans have filed what is known as their Memorial at the court in the Hague.
That was done today in line with the agreed upon deadlines when Guatemala's ambassador to the Netherlands, Jorge Skinner-Klée, presented the reports form his country's experts on the "territorial, insular and maritime litigation".
That's basically their argument on what they are claiming in terms of continental land, islands and seas, and the legal grounds for such claims.
And, at 500 pages, with 462 Annexes, 8 Maps and 24 Figures - it's not short, but we can't know what's inside yet.
The rules of the ICJ do not allow Belize to disclose Guatemala's pleadings, but a release from Belize's Ministry of Foreign Affairs this evening says, quote, "the Ministry can reveal that Guatemala's Memorial presents no surprises, no new claims that are different from those that have been made at different times in the past, which are well documented." End quote.
That's an important declaration because all along that was some cause for national anxiety: that Guatemala might have an ace up its sleeve, some historical document lost to time that would sink Belize's sovereignty claim. Well, the news tonight is that it apparently does not have that.
But, what are the Guatemalans claiming? Well, that is best contained in a letter from Guatemala's Foreign Minister to Belize's Prime Minister on 18 October 1999 in which Guatemala declared that "the territory between the rivers Sibun and Sarstoon should "revert" to Guatemala," That letter also protested the, quote, "de facto occupation of the islands adjacent to Belize."
So, while that is the best known claim, speaking today in the Guatemalan Press, a Former Ambassador Roberto Palomo who was intimately involved with negotiations in 2008, was only say, quote, "there are things that are going to be rectified". He's likely referring to a mapping error between Garbutt's Falls near Benque Viejo - and the tri-point border marker between Belize Guatemala and Mexico at Aguas Turbias - where the marker that presently stands is believed to have a marginal error to the west - which would means that correcting it could require hemming it in eastwards possibly half a kilometre.
And while the resolution of that matter is left to be seen, what happens next?
Well, Belize has more than 2 years to answer. Belize's Counter-Memorial will be filed on 8 June 2022. A release from the Foreign Ministry says, quote, "The Belize Office of the Agent to the ICJ, in collaboration with the international team of experts, is already at work in preparing Belize's Counter Memorial which will resolutely reject Guatemala's Claim and strongly assert Belize's claim to all its territory, islands and seas in accordance with international law."
Belize's Agent at the ICJ is Dr. Assad Shoman and Co-agent is Ambassador Alexis Rosado.
Minister Eamon Courtenay and Attorney Leslie Mendez also represent the Government in this process. Hon. Patrick Faber, Leader of the Opposition, has named Michael Peyrefitte and Godwin Hulse as representatives of the Opposition.
