Editing Belize (section)

===Guatemalan territorial dispute===

{{Main|Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute}}
Throughout Belize's history, Guatemala has [[Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute|claimed sovereignty]] over all or part of Belizean territory. This claim is occasionally reflected in maps drawn by Guatemala's government, showing Belize as Guatemala's [[Departments of Guatemala|twenty-third department]].<ref name=CIAFactbookTransnational2019 />{{efn|In April 2019, a media outlet showed video of Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales showing students how to draw Guatemala's map to include all of Belize, reflecting his country's claim.<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|url=https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2019/04/10/guatemalan-president-teaches-students-to-draw-guatemalan-map-with-belize-included/|title=Guatemalan President teaches students to draw Guatemalan map with Belize included|publisher=[[Breaking Belize News]]|location=[[San Ignacio, Belize]]|date=10 April 2019|access-date=10 April 2019|archive-date=10 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410190312/https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2019/04/10/guatemalan-president-teaches-students-to-draw-guatemalan-map-with-belize-included/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

The Guatemalan territorial claim involves approximately 53% of Belize's mainland, which includes significant portions of four districts: Belize, Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo.<ref>"SATIIM launches Maya lands registry to celebrate UN Indigenous Peoples day". Breaking Belize News-The Leading Online News Source of Belize. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2018. {{verify source |date=August 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted ([[Special:Diff/870604224]]) by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot in plain-text form. The original cite can be found at [[Special:Permalink/870603615]] cite #37 – please manually restore the original cite as the bot is unable fully due to technical limits (1). [[User:GreenC bot/Job 18]]}}</ref> Roughly 43% of the country's population (≈154,949 Belizeans) reside in this region.<ref>"Historic Legal Victory for Indigenous Peoples in Belize | Rights + Resources". Rights + Resources. Retrieved 24 October 2018. {{verify source |date=August 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted ([[Special:Diff/870604224]]) by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot in plain-text form. The original cite can be found at [[Special:Permalink/870603615]] cite #38 – please manually restore the original cite as the bot is unable fully due to technical limits (1). [[User:GreenC bot/Job 18]]}}</ref>

{{As of|2020}}, the border dispute with Guatemala remains unresolved and contentious.<ref name=CIAFactbookTransnational2019>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Belize|section=Transnational Issues|date=14 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36114383|title=Belize-Guatemala border tensions rise over shooting – BBC News|date=22 April 2016|work=BBC News|access-date=11 September 2016|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417134210/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36114383|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/47/185.html|title=ACP-EU summit 2000|publisher=Hartford-hwp.com|access-date=29 August 2010|archive-date=24 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424031326/http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/47/185.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Guatemala's claim to Belizean territory rests, in part, on Clause VII of the [[Anglo-Guatemalan Treaty of 1859]], which obligated the British to build a road between Belize City and Guatemala. At various times, the issue has required mediation by the United Kingdom, [[Caribbean Community]] heads of government, the [[Organization of American States]] (OAS), Mexico, and the United States. On 15 April 2018, Guatemala's government held a referendum to determine if the country should take its [[Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute|territorial claim on Belize]] to the [[International Court of Justice]] (ICJ) to settle the long-standing issue. Guatemalans voted 95%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/insights/27884/territorial-dispute-between-belize-and-guatemala-who-is-likely-to-prevail|title=Why Belize Is Likely to Prevail in Its Territorial Dispute With Guatemala|website=www.worldpoliticsreview.com|date=23 May 2019|access-date=22 January 2020|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412124347/https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/insights/27884/territorial-dispute-between-belize-and-guatemala-who-is-likely-to-prevail|url-status=live}}</ref> yes on the matter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/ibru/news/boundary_news/?itemno=34541|title=Belize to hold a referendum on Guatemala territorial dispute – Durham University|website=www.dur.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412124347/https://www.dur.ac.uk/ibru/news/boundary_news/?itemno=34541|url-status=live}}</ref> A similar referendum was to be held in Belize on 10 April 2019, but a court ruling led to its postponement.<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|url=https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2019/04/10/icj-referendum-postponed-until-further-notice/|title=ICJ Referendum postponed until further notice|publisher=[[Breaking Belize News]]|location=[[San Ignacio, Belize]]|date=10 April 2019|access-date=10 April 2019|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417141717/https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2019/04/10/icj-referendum-postponed-until-further-notice/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- cites previous 2 sentences --> The referendum was held on 8 May 2019, and 55.4% of voters opted to send the matter to the ICJ.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belize-referendum-guatemala-border-idUSKCN1SF1QT|title=Belizeans vote to ask U.N. court to settle Guatemala border dispute|first=Jose|last=Sanchez|newspaper=Reuters|date=9 May 2019|via=www.reuters.com|access-date=13 May 2021|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417100939/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belize-referendum-guatemala-border-idUSKCN1SF1QT|url-status=live}}</ref>

Both countries submitted requests to the ICJ (in 2018 and 2019, respectively) and the ICJ ordered Guatemala's initial brief be submitted by December 2020 and Belize's response by 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Extension of the time-limits for the filing of the initial pleadings |url=https://www.icj-cij.org/public/files/case-related/177/177-20200424-PRE-01-00-EN.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.icj-cij.org/public/files/case-related/177/177-20200424-PRE-01-00-EN.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |website=International Court of Justice |access-date=10 October 2020 |date=24 April 2020}}</ref> On 7 June 2023, the stage of written submissions ended, with the next step being oral arguments from each country's legal teams.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cowo |first=Janelle |date=2023-06-08 |title=Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute case moving to oral hearings at the ICJ |url=https://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2023/06/08/belize-guatemala-territorial-dispute-case-moving-to-oral-hearings-at-the-icj/ |access-date=2024-03-14 |website=The San Pedro Sun |language=en |archive-date=17 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117193943/https://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2023/06/08/belize-guatemala-territorial-dispute-case-moving-to-oral-hearings-at-the-icj/ |url-status=live }}</ref>