And rolling over into the new year will be the Sapodilla Caye dispute with Honduras, which, as we have reported, will be going to the ICJ.
But it's in Belize's best interest to hold on to the cayes, because according to Admiral Bennett, it's a strategic location for their operations.
Elton Bennett, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"Sapodilla Cayes is a geo-strategic location for the country of Belize. Its sets squarely in the middle of the Gulf of Honduras overlooking Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. It really marks the southern maritime border of our country and our waters overlap with Honduras and there is tri-point with Belize, Honduras and Guatemala so strategic that the military base must be at that location. We always had military presence there from the time the British were here in the 70s. They established a base on Hunting Caye. That base was handed over to the Belize Defence Force Maritime Wing and the Belize Coast Guard took that over in 2005. So the government of Belize through its military instrument had always maintaining their presence at that location to demonstrate ownership, to ensure that we can execute territorial integrity operations from that location. So very geo-strategic important location for us."
