BTV spots Guatemalan military boat near Sarstoon Island amid ongoing tensions

By Breaking Belize News Staff: Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) leader Wil Maheia is reporting another sighting of a Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF) vessel near Sarstoon Island, as tensions continue along Belize’s southern border.

Maheia, who was travelling in the Sarstoon area early Saturday morning, shared video footage with Breaking Belize News showing the river and vessels in the distance. He reported spotting a Guatemalan military boat near Sarstoon Island, an area that has been at the centre of repeated confrontations between Belizean civilians and Guatemalan security forces.

The latest sighting comes exactly one month after a major confrontation on September 10, when the BTV was prevented from completing its traditional journey around Sarstoon Island. According to Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, approximately 18 Guatemalan military and civilian vessels were deployed near the island, prompting Belizean security forces to limit the expedition to the Belize Defence Force’s Forward Operating Base.

The Government of Belize subsequently lodged a formal diplomatic protest, accusing Guatemala of violating Belize’s sovereignty and obstructing the lawful passage of unarmed Belizean nationals. Belize maintains that the international boundary follows the mid-channel of the Sarstoon River under the 1859 Boundary Treaty and that Sarstoon Island falls entirely within Belizean territory.

Tensions were further heightened on September 24 when a Guatemalan military reconnaissance aircraft entered Belizean airspace without authorization. The National Security Council subsequently directed the Government to request an investigation by the Organization of American States, citing repeated incursions by Guatemalan forces into Belize’s southern maritime territory and threats involving the Sarstoon.

Both countries remain engaged in proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is expected to hear oral arguments in February 2027 concerning Guatemala’s longstanding territorial, insular and maritime claim against Belize.

Saturday’s reported sighting underscores the continued sensitivity of the Sarstoon area as Belize and Guatemala await a final resolution to their territorial dispute.

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