Guatemala Defence Minister invokes sovereignty after Guatemalan military air incursion into Belize

Guatemala’s Defence Minister, Henry Sáenz, addressed the territorial dispute with Belize at a news conference today, following the incident involving a Guatemalan aircraft in Belizean airspace. Sáenz said the Guatemalan Army is taking action to safeguard what he called Guatemala’s national sovereignty. 

“The Guatemalan Army’s responsibility is to guarantee sovereignty in the air, at the sea and on land. We are assuring that for the Sarstoon from the air and from the territory. We have not had any problems with Belize over the past two and a half years. We are awaiting the rulings from the Hague. According to the timeline for the case, the rulings will be issued. We have just learned that the hearings are already being scheduled for next year, but in the first phase, the Sapodilla Caye’s  cases. Thank you.”

His remarks come as Belize seeks an explanation from Guatemala for the flight. Belizean defence officials have given the Government their preliminary findings, while Foreign Affairs CEO Oscar Arnold says Belize is addressing the incident through diplomatic channels. The territorial dispute between the two countries remains before the International Court of Justice