Posted: Sunday, September 14, 2025. 2:26 pm CST.
By Aaron Humes: As Belize prepares to celebrate Independence Day in the same month as its Central American neighbors, the RECONDEV events committee in Belmopan has taken steps to honor national pride by displaying flags of surrounding nations at Sir George Brown Park, per member Brian Mira, brother of area representative and Minister of National Defense and Border Security Oscar Mira.
However, recent tensions surrounding the Sarstoon River have sparked a significant debate about patriotism and economic responsibility.
Mira reported on social media that after this week’s events – the planting of a Guatemalan flag on Sarstoon Island and then confrontations with Belize’s military and members of the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) – Retired General Cedric Borland reached out to the committee, urging them to lower the Guatemalan flag in response to escalating aggression near the disputed Sarstoon territory. In compliance with this call, the flag was taken down on Saturday, but the move has ignited a larger discourse about the effectiveness of symbolic gestures.
Mira points out that Belizeans’ continued spending in Guatemala, especially on non-essential items like beer and entertainment, undermines the intended message of solidarity against aggression.
“Bringing down a flag is just a gesture if we continue to spend our dollars in Guatemala,” he said, inter alia. “This money ends up funding the military that operates against our interests. We are essentially putting our hard-earned money into a system that doesn’t support us.”
Belizean citizens are thus being called upon to reconsider their spending habits, especially in Melchor, Guatemala—a popular shopping destination for many.
The message is stimulating much discussion in social media platforms, with many Belizeans voicing their support for an economic boycott of non-essential goods from Guatemala.
Prime Minister John Briceño has said he will meet with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo during his forthcoming trip to the United Nations to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis while awaiting the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) when oral hearings are called.
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The post Guatemala flag taken down in Belmopan; Belizeans urged to boycott Guatemala due to latest Sarstoon River controversy appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Sunday, September 14, 2025. 2:26 pm CST. By Aaron Humes: As Belize prepares to celebrate Independence Day in the same month as its Central American
The post Guatemala flag taken down in Belmopan; Belizeans urged to boycott Guatemala due to latest Sarstoon River controversy appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
