By Zoila Palma: On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a Belize Defence Force (BDF) patrol conducting a routine patrol around Sarstoon Island was aggressively approached by two Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF) vessels that had crossed into Belizean waters, in an evident attempt at intimidation.
“The Government of Belize strongly condemns these acts of aggression and the incursion into Belizean waters. Under the 1859 Treaty, the boundary is the mid-channel of the Sarstoon River, and Sarstoon Island lies within Belize’s sovereign territory,” the Ministry said.
The Guatemalan Army’s official social media account posted their own version of events claiming that their military met a vessel from the BDF in Guatemalan waters.
“During these operations, naval units detected a vessel from the Belize Defence Force moving into Guatemalan inland waters. Naval personnel acted in accordance with established procedures and informed the vessel of the territorial boundaries; the vessel subsequently returned to its point of origin without further incident,” the Guatemalan army noted.
Meanwhile, Belize said that it would lodge a formal protest with the Government of Guatemala and report the incident to the Organization of American States.
The post Guatemalan army claims BDF were in their waters following Sarstoon incident appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a Belize Defence Force (BDF) patrol conducting a routine patrol around Sarstoon Island was aggressively approached by two Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF) vessels that had crossed into Belizean waters, in an evident attempt at intimidation. “The Government of Belize strongly
The post Guatemalan army claims BDF were in their waters following Sarstoon incident appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
