Editing History of Guatemala (section)

==== Wyke-Aycinena treaty ====
[[File:Segundoescudoguate 2014-06-22 09-16.jpg|thumb|Coat of Arms of the Republic of Guatemala from 1858 to 1871. A replica was carved on the front of the Carrera Theater before it was remodeled in 1892.]]

[[File:Wyke–Aycinena Treaty Map.png|thumb|1861 map showing the boundary between British Honduras (now Belize) and Guatemala]]

The Belize region, originally Maya territory in the [[Yucatán Peninsula]], was never occupied by either Spain or Guatemala. Spain conducted some exploratory expeditions in the 16th century that formed the basis for its claim to the area.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=308}} Guatemala inherited this claim but never sent an expedition to the region after gaining independence from Spain, due to the ensuing Central American civil war that lasted until 1860.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=308}}

The British had established a small settlement there by the mid-17th century, primarily as quarters for [[buccaneers]] and later for wood production. Although these settlements were never formally recognized as British colonies, they were somewhat under the jurisdiction of the [[Jamaica Colony|British government in Jamaica]].{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=308}} In the 18th century, Belize became a major smuggling center for Central America, despite British acceptance of Spanish sovereignty over the region through treaties signed in 1783 and 1786. These treaties granted a ceasefire and authorized British subjects to work in the forests of Belize.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=308}}

After 1821, Belize emerged as a key point for Britain's commercial interests in the isthmus. British commercial brokers established themselves and developed prosperous trade routes through the Caribbean harbors of Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=308}}

When Carrera came to power in 1840, he ceased the complaints about Belize and established a Guatemalan consulate in the region to oversee Guatemalan interests.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=308}} Belize's commerce flourished until 1855, when the construction of a transoceanic railway by the Colombians improved trade efficiency between the oceans, leading to a decline in Belize's commercial importance.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=308}} During the [[Caste War of Yucatán]] in the [[Yucatán Peninsula]], Belize and Guatemalan representatives were on high alert. Yucatán refugees fled into both Guatemala and Belize, and Belize's superintendent feared that Carrera, given his strong alliance with Guatemalan natives, might support the native uprisings.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=308}}

In the 1850s, the British worked to resolve territorial disputes with Central American countries. They withdrew from the Mosquito Coast in [[Nicaragua]], initiating talks that culminated in the return of the territory to Nicaragua in 1894. They also returned the Bay Islands to [[Honduras]] and negotiated with the American [[Filibuster (military)|filibuster]] [[William Walker (filibuster)|William Walker]] to prevent his invasion of Honduras.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=309}}<ref name="Norvell">{{cite journal |title=How Tennessee Adventurer William Walker became Dictator of Nicaragua in 1857 |url=http://thenashvillecitycemetery.org/william_walker_article.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043641/http://thenashvillecitycemetery.org/william_walker_article.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=live |first=John E. |last=Norvell |journal=Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy & History |volume=XXV |issue=4 |date=Spring 2012 |pages=149–155 |access-date=May 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Walker, William|volume=28|page=274|first=William Oscar|last=Scroggs}}</ref> They also signed a treaty with Guatemala concerning Belize's borders, which some Guatemalans have since referred to as the worst mistake made by Rafael Carrera.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=309}}

[[Pedro de Aycinena y Piñol]], as Foreign Secretary, made significant efforts to maintain good relations with [[the Crown]]. In 1859, with Walker threatening Central America once more, Carrera's regime had to negotiate with the British over Belize to secure the necessary weapons.{{sfn|Norvell|2012}} On 30 April 1859, the Wyke-Aycinena Treaty was signed between British and Guatemalan representatives.{{sfn|Hernández de León|1959|p=30 abril}} The treaty comprised two main parts:

* The first six articles clearly defined the Guatemala-Belize border, with Guatemala acknowledging British sovereignty over Belize.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=309}}
* The seventh article addressed the construction of a road between Guatemala City and the Caribbean coast. This road was intended to benefit both parties: Belize needed a route to the Pacific coast to enhance its commercial relevance, while Guatemala sought improved communication with its Atlantic coast. However, the road was never built due to disagreements over its location and the subsequent change in government in Guatemala in 1871, which led the liberal government to declare the treaty void.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=310}}

Among those who signed the treaty was [[José Milla y Vidaurre]], who was working with Aycinena in the Foreign Ministry at the time.{{sfn|Hernández de León|1930}} Carrera ratified the treaty on 1 May 1859, and Charles Lennox Wyke, British consul in Guatemala, secured royal approval in Great Britain on 26 September 1859.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=310}} American consul Beverly Clarke, along with some liberal representatives, objected, but the issue was resolved.{{sfn|Woodward|1993|p=310}}

In 1850, Guatemala's population was estimated at 600,000.{{sfn|Baily|1850|p=55}}{{sfn|Foster|2000|pp=152–160}}

Guatemala's "Liberal Revolution" occurred in 1871 under the leadership of [[Justo Rufino Barrios]], who aimed to modernize the country, improve trade, and introduce new crops and manufacturing. During this period, coffee became an important crop for Guatemala.{{sfn|Foster|2000|pp=173–175}} Barrios also had ambitions of reuniting Central America and waged war in an unsuccessful attempt to achieve this goal, ultimately losing his life on the battlefield in El Salvador in 1885.