Guatemalan Gunboat Runs Aground on Belize Barrier Reef

News Five has confirmed that a Guatemalan gunboat illegally entered Belize near Sapodilla Cayes.

Pictures shared by PGTV show the boat in Belizean water.

This is a developing story.

Back in November 2022, Belize officially filed an application with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to secure a final and binding resolution regarding its sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes, including Seal Caye, amid a territorial dispute with Honduras.

The government said that the move is aimed at protecting the country’s territorial integrity and fostering friendly relations with Honduras. “The Government of Belize emphasizes that it has taken this measure to protect the vital interests of Belize in ensuring the full and final settlement of all outstanding territorial disputes to Belizean territory,” the statement read. It further noted that the application was submitted “in support and furtherance of its friendly relations with Honduras.”

Belize says the cayes have been part of its territory since the early 19th century, first as part of the settlement of Belize, later as part of the British Honduras colony, and since 1981 as part of the independent state of Belize.

Belize argues that its sovereignty over the cayes is firmly established under international law, rejecting Honduras’ counterclaim. The government points out that Honduras’ claim, first articulated in its 1982 Constitution, has “no basis in international law.”