Chapter 14
Since its birth in 1950, the goal of the Belize nationalist movement was self-government and independence. Within a few years the spirit of nationalism had taken root. People from all over the country considered themselves to be citizens of one nation. In 1961, after self-government, the British government agreed that Belize could become constitutionally independent within a short time. By that time colonialism was on the retreat throughout the world.
In 1960 the United Nations passed a historic resolution fully supporting independence for colonial territories and peoples. Many countries were emerging from colonialism to independence, some after years of armed struggle. In the Caribbean, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago became independent in 1962. It was time for Belize to become independent also.
The only reason Belize had to wait more than 20 years before achieving independence was because the government of Guatemala insisted on a land claim to Belize. Guatemala threatened to use force against Belize if it became independent without first settling the claim. Because of the need to find support for these issues, Belize was involved on the world stage even before it became independent.
The Guatemalan Claim
When the Latin American countries became independent from Spain in 1821, they established the rule that the boundaries of these new republics would be the same as when the territories were ruled by Spain. Guatemala claimed that Belize had been part of the Spanish territory. However, the British argued that they had been in control of the area before 1821, and so this rule did not apply to Belize.
At the core of Guatemala's claim to Belizean territory is the Anglo-Guatemalan Treaty of 1859. From the British point of view, the agreement simply declared the boundaries of an area Britain already ruled. Those boundaries still exist today. From the Guatemalan point of view, which was developed after the agreement was signed, it was a treaty of cession, by which Guatemala gave up right to the land. For the treaty to take effect, Britain had to help build a road to improve communications between Guatemala and the Atlantic coast. Because this road was never built, Guatemala insisted that the treaty was broken. In 1945, a new Guatemalan constitution declared Belize a part of Guatemala, and the country threatened to invade. Guatemala threatened similar action throughout Belize's recent history, such as in 1972, 1975 and 1977. Each time an increased British military presence prevented the invasions.
Negotiations
Until 1962, the elected representatives of Belize had no say in the negotiations concerning Guatemala's claim to Belizean territory. Since then, the history of these negotiations can be divided into three parts: the secretive period, the break-out period, and the post-independence period.
During the secretive period from 1962 to 1975, negotiations were carried out behind closed doors. Little information was given to the people of Belize or of the world. The Belizeans were observers in the British team.
The U.S. stayed out of the dispute, expressing its desire for the countries to arrive at a settlement through negotiations. But in the 1960's, former Guatemalan President Ydigoras Fuentes claimed that while he was President in 1961, the U.S. had agreed to support Guatemala in return for using Guatemalan territory as a base for the invasion of Cuba.
In 1965, Guatemala, Britain and Belize agreed to ask U.S. President Lyndon Johnson to mediate the dispute. The proposals presented by the mediator Bethuel Webster three years later would have given Guatemala a large amount of control over the affairs of Belize. The Belize government totally rejected them.
In 1975, after 13 years of secret and fruitless negotiations, the government of Guatemala demanded that Belize give up all the land south of the Monkey River as a way of settling the dispute. The Belize government decided it was time to create a new strategy. This break-out period occurred from 1975 to 1981. Belizeans took the issue to the international community and won their support.
It was believed that international support would strengthen Belize's position, force Britain to support Belize's insistence on keeping its territory intact, win the backing of Latin American countries, and gain the support of the U.S.
Most countries did not know enough about the controversy and so supported Guatemala's claim. Because Belize was not independent it had no diplomatic relations with any country. However, Belize's close relations with several CARICOM countries helped its representatives attend Commonwealth meetings and United Nations sessions. Belizeans were able to lobby for support. Of greatest importance was the support Belize received from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Lobbying around the world
The Non-Aligned Movement was formed in 1961 to offer an alternative of peace and co-operation while the world was dividing into two blocs: one on the side of the United States of America and Western Europe, and the other on the side of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and Eastern Europe.
It was very difficult to get the Latin American countries to understand and support Belize's position. In 1975 at the U.N. the only Spanish-speaking Latin American country that supported Belize was Cuba. In 1976, the President of Panama, Omar Torrijos, was persuaded to support our cause. He actively campaigned among other Latin American countries. Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina and Peru joined the support in 1977. In 1979, the Sandinista revolution of Nicaragua overthrew the Somoza dictatorship, Guatemala's most committed ally. The new government declared its full support for Belize.
From 1975 to 1979, the U.S. abstained on all the United Nations resolutions concerning Belize's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Finally, in 1980, it changed its policy of neutrality and voted in favour of the U.N. resolution that called for the independence of Belize. This resolution was adopted in November 1980. It demanded the secure independence of Belize, with all its territory, before the next session of the U.N. in 1981. It called on Britain to continue to defend Belize, and on all countries to come to its assistance. One hundred and thirty-nine countries voted in favour of the resolution, with seven abstentions and none against. Guatemala refused to vote.
That same year, the Organization of American States (OAS) fully endorsed the U.N. resolution. This was an important victory, because until then the OAS had supported Guatemala.
Continued Negotiations
The next problem was achieving independence with territorial integrity and security. It was important to keep Britain's full support since their military presence after independence was vital. Belize also had to satisfy its new important ally, the U.S.A. We had to prove that we were doing everything possible to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute. And we had to convince the government of Guatemala to accept a peaceful solution without expecting us to give up land or give up control over our land.
The hope was to negotiate a solution before becoming independent. Guatemala needed to find a way to drop its claim. In February 1981, Guatemala made serious efforts to reach agreement by dropping its demand for mainland cession which it had insisted on for many years. But agreement could still not be reached because Belize refused to agree to anything that would not give us full sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On March 11, 1981, Britain, Guatemala and Belize signed "The Heads of Agreement". This document stated that there was no final agreement nor even specific proposals, but rather areas for discussion that would form the basis for a final agreement after negotiations. Guatemala agreed to recognize an independent Belize within its existing borders, but only if agreement could be reached on other points in the document. These other points included the "use and enjoyment" of certain cayes, free port facilities, freedom of transit on two roads, facilitation of oil pipelines, co-operation in security, and a non-aggression pact. These were not spelled out specifically. It was left for future negotiators of the three countries to hammer out the details and reach a final agreement acceptable to all sides. The Heads of Agreement was interpreted by some sections of the Belizean population as unacceptable concessions given to Guatemala. The result was wide-spread disquiet, uncertainty and civil action including rioting in Belize City and setting fire to a government office. This agreement lapsed before independence.
Independence
In our international campaign and in negotiations, Belize insisted that the right of the people to independence was a separate issue from the negotiations to end the Guatemalan claim. We insisted that independence must be achieved by 1981 even if negotiations were not successful. If necessary, negotiations would continue after independence.
The negotiation failed, but Belize went on to independence, assisted in our security by the continued British military presence and by our membership in the United Nations.
On September 21, 1981, Belize became an independent nation. In every town and in many villages throughout the country, a midnight flag-raising ceremony was held. The new flag of Belize was raised to the strains of the Belizean anthem.
We have seen how, unlike most countries, Belize entered actively on the world stage while it was still a colony. Indeed, its entry on the world stage was a necessary and crucial part of the struggle for independence. But Belize could not be a full member of the international organizations while we were still a colony. Now that Belize is independent, it has all the rights of a sovereign state in the international arena.
On September 25, 1981, Belize was admitted as a member of the United Nations. On the same day it became a full member of the Non-Aligned Movement, after being a member with "special status" since 1976. On Independence Day Belize was also admitted to membership of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Today, Belize plays its full role as a member of the Organization of American States and other international social, political and economic organizations. As an independent state, Belize has gained the respect of most of the nations of the world, including Guatemala. Although the Guatemalan claim has not yet been completely resolved, Guatemala recognized Belize's independence in 1991, and the two countries have finally established full diplomatic relations.
You can find a much more detailed report on the Belize-Guatemala Territorial Issue here.
Since its birth in 1950, the goal of the Belize nationalist movement was self-government and independence. Within a few years the spirit of nationalism had taken root. People from all over the country considered themselves to be citizens of one nation. In 1961, after self-government, the British government agreed that Belize could become constitutionally independent within a short time. By that time colonialism was on the retreat throughout the world.
In 1960 the United Nations passed a historic resolution fully supporting independence for colonial territories and peoples. Many countries were emerging from colonialism to independence, some after years of armed struggle. In the Caribbean, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago became independent in 1962. It was time for Belize to become independent also.
The only reason Belize had to wait more than 20 years before achieving independence was because the government of Guatemala insisted on a land claim to Belize. Guatemala threatened to use force against Belize if it became independent without first settling the claim. Because of the need to find support for these issues, Belize was involved on the world stage even before it became independent.
The Guatemalan Claim
When the Latin American countries became independent from Spain in 1821, they established the rule that the boundaries of these new republics would be the same as when the territories were ruled by Spain. Guatemala claimed that Belize had been part of the Spanish territory. However, the British argued that they had been in control of the area before 1821, and so this rule did not apply to Belize.
At the core of Guatemala's claim to Belizean territory is the Anglo-Guatemalan Treaty of 1859. From the British point of view, the agreement simply declared the boundaries of an area Britain already ruled. Those boundaries still exist today. From the Guatemalan point of view, which was developed after the agreement was signed, it was a treaty of cession, by which Guatemala gave up right to the land. For the treaty to take effect, Britain had to help build a road to improve communications between Guatemala and the Atlantic coast. Because this road was never built, Guatemala insisted that the treaty was broken. In 1945, a new Guatemalan constitution declared Belize a part of Guatemala, and the country threatened to invade. Guatemala threatened similar action throughout Belize's recent history, such as in 1972, 1975 and 1977. Each time an increased British military presence prevented the invasions.
Negotiations
Until 1962, the elected representatives of Belize had no say in the negotiations concerning Guatemala's claim to Belizean territory. Since then, the history of these negotiations can be divided into three parts: the secretive period, the break-out period, and the post-independence period.
During the secretive period from 1962 to 1975, negotiations were carried out behind closed doors. Little information was given to the people of Belize or of the world. The Belizeans were observers in the British team.
The U.S. stayed out of the dispute, expressing its desire for the countries to arrive at a settlement through negotiations. But in the 1960's, former Guatemalan President Ydigoras Fuentes claimed that while he was President in 1961, the U.S. had agreed to support Guatemala in return for using Guatemalan territory as a base for the invasion of Cuba.
In 1965, Guatemala, Britain and Belize agreed to ask U.S. President Lyndon Johnson to mediate the dispute. The proposals presented by the mediator Bethuel Webster three years later would have given Guatemala a large amount of control over the affairs of Belize. The Belize government totally rejected them.
In 1975, after 13 years of secret and fruitless negotiations, the government of Guatemala demanded that Belize give up all the land south of the Monkey River as a way of settling the dispute. The Belize government decided it was time to create a new strategy. This break-out period occurred from 1975 to 1981. Belizeans took the issue to the international community and won their support.
It was believed that international support would strengthen Belize's position, force Britain to support Belize's insistence on keeping its territory intact, win the backing of Latin American countries, and gain the support of the U.S.
Most countries did not know enough about the controversy and so supported Guatemala's claim. Because Belize was not independent it had no diplomatic relations with any country. However, Belize's close relations with several CARICOM countries helped its representatives attend Commonwealth meetings and United Nations sessions. Belizeans were able to lobby for support. Of greatest importance was the support Belize received from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Lobbying around the world
The Non-Aligned Movement was formed in 1961 to offer an alternative of peace and co-operation while the world was dividing into two blocs: one on the side of the United States of America and Western Europe, and the other on the side of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and Eastern Europe.
It was very difficult to get the Latin American countries to understand and support Belize's position. In 1975 at the U.N. the only Spanish-speaking Latin American country that supported Belize was Cuba. In 1976, the President of Panama, Omar Torrijos, was persuaded to support our cause. He actively campaigned among other Latin American countries. Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina and Peru joined the support in 1977. In 1979, the Sandinista revolution of Nicaragua overthrew the Somoza dictatorship, Guatemala's most committed ally. The new government declared its full support for Belize.
From 1975 to 1979, the U.S. abstained on all the United Nations resolutions concerning Belize's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Finally, in 1980, it changed its policy of neutrality and voted in favour of the U.N. resolution that called for the independence of Belize. This resolution was adopted in November 1980. It demanded the secure independence of Belize, with all its territory, before the next session of the U.N. in 1981. It called on Britain to continue to defend Belize, and on all countries to come to its assistance. One hundred and thirty-nine countries voted in favour of the resolution, with seven abstentions and none against. Guatemala refused to vote.
That same year, the Organization of American States (OAS) fully endorsed the U.N. resolution. This was an important victory, because until then the OAS had supported Guatemala.
Continued Negotiations
The next problem was achieving independence with territorial integrity and security. It was important to keep Britain's full support since their military presence after independence was vital. Belize also had to satisfy its new important ally, the U.S.A. We had to prove that we were doing everything possible to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute. And we had to convince the government of Guatemala to accept a peaceful solution without expecting us to give up land or give up control over our land.
The hope was to negotiate a solution before becoming independent. Guatemala needed to find a way to drop its claim. In February 1981, Guatemala made serious efforts to reach agreement by dropping its demand for mainland cession which it had insisted on for many years. But agreement could still not be reached because Belize refused to agree to anything that would not give us full sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On March 11, 1981, Britain, Guatemala and Belize signed "The Heads of Agreement". This document stated that there was no final agreement nor even specific proposals, but rather areas for discussion that would form the basis for a final agreement after negotiations. Guatemala agreed to recognize an independent Belize within its existing borders, but only if agreement could be reached on other points in the document. These other points included the "use and enjoyment" of certain cayes, free port facilities, freedom of transit on two roads, facilitation of oil pipelines, co-operation in security, and a non-aggression pact. These were not spelled out specifically. It was left for future negotiators of the three countries to hammer out the details and reach a final agreement acceptable to all sides. The Heads of Agreement was interpreted by some sections of the Belizean population as unacceptable concessions given to Guatemala. The result was wide-spread disquiet, uncertainty and civil action including rioting in Belize City and setting fire to a government office. This agreement lapsed before independence.
Independence
In our international campaign and in negotiations, Belize insisted that the right of the people to independence was a separate issue from the negotiations to end the Guatemalan claim. We insisted that independence must be achieved by 1981 even if negotiations were not successful. If necessary, negotiations would continue after independence.
The negotiation failed, but Belize went on to independence, assisted in our security by the continued British military presence and by our membership in the United Nations.
On September 21, 1981, Belize became an independent nation. In every town and in many villages throughout the country, a midnight flag-raising ceremony was held. The new flag of Belize was raised to the strains of the Belizean anthem.
We have seen how, unlike most countries, Belize entered actively on the world stage while it was still a colony. Indeed, its entry on the world stage was a necessary and crucial part of the struggle for independence. But Belize could not be a full member of the international organizations while we were still a colony. Now that Belize is independent, it has all the rights of a sovereign state in the international arena.
On September 25, 1981, Belize was admitted as a member of the United Nations. On the same day it became a full member of the Non-Aligned Movement, after being a member with "special status" since 1976. On Independence Day Belize was also admitted to membership of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Today, Belize plays its full role as a member of the Organization of American States and other international social, political and economic organizations. As an independent state, Belize has gained the respect of most of the nations of the world, including Guatemala. Although the Guatemalan claim has not yet been completely resolved, Guatemala recognized Belize's independence in 1991, and the two countries have finally established full diplomatic relations.
You can find a much more detailed report on the Belize-Guatemala Territorial Issue here.
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