Guatemala has made some headway at the International Court of Justice - and, tonight Belize's Foreign Ministry is welcoming it. Today the court granted Guatemala permission to intervene in the case concerning Sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes.
The case started in 2022 when Belize asked the court to confirm its sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes - which Honduras also claims in its constitution.
In 2023, Guatemala - which also claims the Cayes - asked for permission to intervene in the case.
In public hearings last year at the ICJ, Guatemala claimed that it has "a clear interest of a legal nature in the case since... it has a longstanding claim of sovereignty over the Sapodillas.
At the end of those hearings, Belize stated that it had no objection to Guatemala being permitted to intervene in this case - while Honduras resisted.
Today the court announced its findings where it concluded that Guatemala's Application satisfied all substantive and procedural conditions - and would be allowed to intervene. Here's how the president of the court Judge Iwasawa Yuji put it this morning:
Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President of the Court
"The court notes that Belize claims sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes, Cayos Zapotillos on the basis that the United Kingdom and subsequently Belize have continuously, peacefully and openly exercised sovereign authority over the Sapodilla Cayes, Cayos Zapotillos for 200 years."
"The court observes that the precise object of Guatemala's intervention which is to protect its interest of a legal nature over the Sapodilla Cayes, Cayos Zapotillos and to inform the court of the nature and extent of such interest falls within the subject of the main dispute. For these reasons, the court unanimously decides that the Republic of Guatemala is permitted to intervene as a nonparty in the case pursuant to article 62 of the statute, to the extent and for the purposes set out in paragraph 76 of this judgment."
You can find a link to the decision on our web platforms.
