Senator Eamon Courtenay Weighs in on Belize/Guatemala Hostility

Eamon Courtenay

Senator Courtenay explains that once Guatemala moves its troops to exercise their so called sovereignty, it is a clear case of annexation which if left undone, becomes a permanent situation.

Eamon Courtenay, Opposition Representative

“When a country declares part of a territory of another country is there’s coupled with the actual exercise of sovereignty over that area, you have an annexation which if you leave become a permanent occupation. We have a situation where repeatedly the Guatemalans have said, one: that the entire Sarstoon is theirs, secondly: they have been unlawfully invading and when I say that I mean military presence in the Sarstoon on our side. On Wednesday of this week when the Forward Operating Base was declared open and inaugurated it was very clear that they had their naval vessels in Belizean waters in the Sarstoon. That is not only unlawful but more importantly when the President spoke yesterday and said they will exercise sovereignty and that they are moving troops to do so, it means that they are formally taking that territory and they are using their military force to defend their position. That as far as I am aware is an annexation.”