Belize and Guatemala Spar over Sarstoon River Border
BELIZE · DIPLOMACY
Key Facts
- —What happened Belize says it will send a protest note after Guatemalan boats blocked a civilian trip on the Sarstoon.
- —How big Guatemala claims about 11,000 square kilometers of Belizean territory, including islands and sea areas.
- —What it means The note puts Belize’s position on record while both countries wait for the International Court of Justice.
- —The catch The note has been announced but not confirmed as delivered, and it does not change the border.
- —Who it hits People who live and work along the Sarstoon River face risk from any military incident.
- —What comes next The court has not set a date for its ruling, and the dispute stays open.
Belize and Guatemala are at odds again over the Sarstoon River, a small waterway on their shared border. The two countries are waiting for the International Court of Justice to settle their long dispute.
Belize and Guatemala are arguing again about the Sarstoon River on their shared border. Belize says it will send a protest note to Guatemala after a standoff there on 10 September.
Where the Sarstoon River is
The Sarstoon River runs along the southern edge of Belize. It separates Belize from Guatemala and flows into the Caribbean Sea.
The river is short and narrow. It is also one of the most sensitive points on the border between the two countries.
Sarstoon Island sits near the mouth of the river. Belize administers the island and says it lies inside Belizean territory.
Guatemala rejects that and says the island is Guatemalan. Both countries have watched the area closely for years.
The river sits in Toledo District, in the far south of Belize. It is a long way from the cayes that drive the country’s tourism economy.
What each country claims
Belize says the border follows the middle of the Sarstoon River. This line comes from an 1859 treaty between Britain and Guatemala.
Belize says the waters north of that line are Belizean. It also says boats from both countries can use the river.
Guatemala says the whole river is Guatemalan. Its Foreign Ministry said in 2016 that Guatemala had rejected the 1859 treaty.
In September 2025, Guatemala said Belizean troops had entered its territory through the river. It said those entries put civilians at risk.
Why Belize is sending a note
Belize’s Foreign Minister, Francis Fonseca, said the note records Belize’s absolute objection. He said Belize does not recognize Guatemalan authority over the Sarstoon.
Fonseca said Belize sends a note every time an incident happens. He said the notes show how serious Belize is about its border claims.
Belize says Guatemalan boats blocked a civilian trip on the river on 10 September. The group, the Belize Territorial Volunteers, raises the Belize flag there each year.
Greater Belize Media reported that 14 Guatemalan vessels stopped the group reaching Sarstoon Island. Fonseca said nobody was hurt and nothing escalated.
Guatemala had not replied in public to the announced note by 14 September. Its last detailed statement on the Sarstoon came a year earlier.
What a diplomatic note does
A diplomatic note is a formal written message from one government to another. It puts a country’s position on the record.
The note does not change the border. It does not force the other side to act.
It matters because it creates a written record. If the case goes to court, that record can be used later.
Belize has sent similar notes after past Sarstoon incidents. The two countries still disagree about the river today.
The case at the International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the top court of the United Nations. It sits in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
Belize and Guatemala took the dispute to the court in June 2019. Both governments say they will accept the ruling as final.
Guatemala claims about 11,000 square kilometers of Belizean territory. The claim also covers islands and sea areas.
Voters in Guatemala backed the court route in 2018, and voters in Belize in 2019. Each side then filed written arguments.
The last written filing was due in June 2023, and that stage is closed. The court has not announced a date for hearings.
Where the case stands now
The two foreign ministers met the head of the Organization of American States on 1 September. They discussed how to prepare for the ruling.
The Organization of American States is a regional group that works on democracy and disputes in the Americas.
It has run a mission on the border since 2002. The mission says it has checked more than 500 border incidents.
The court has allowed Guatemala to take part in a separate Belize case against Honduras. That case concerns the Sapodilla Cayes and is not the main dispute.
No ruling has been announced. Incidents on the Sarstoon carry on while the case waits.
Why the Sarstoon keeps flaring up
The Sarstoon has been a flashpoint for many years. Incidents in 2015 and 2016 led Belize to send strong protest notes.
In 2025, tensions rose again over Guatemalan flags placed on Sarstoon Island. Belize lodged a formal protest at the highest level.
The two countries signed a set of confidence-building agreements in Placencia in December 2014. A separate Sarstoon protocol was drafted but never adopted.
The draft said the river’s channels should stay open to both countries, without interference. It also asked both armed forces to avoid threatening acts.
In 2018, Guatemala’s president at the time said his country had not gone ahead with that protocol. Belize still asks for a working arrangement on the river.
What comes next
Belize says it will keep sending notes after each incident. Guatemala says it will keep defending what it calls its territory.
Both countries say they will accept the court’s ruling. Until then, the Sarstoon will stay a point of friction.
The court has not set a date for its decision. Neither government has said when it expects one.
For now, the dispute is handled through notes, talks and patrols. Fonseca says Prime Minister John Briceño also speaks with Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo.
CARICOM, the group of Caribbean countries that includes Belize, urged both sides in 2025 to build a river mechanism. None has been announced.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Sarstoon River?
The Sarstoon River is on the southern border of Belize. It separates Belize from Guatemala and flows into the Caribbean Sea.
What is the Belize and Guatemala dispute about?
Guatemala claims about 11,000 square kilometers of Belizean territory. The dispute dates back to an 1859 treaty and is now before the International Court of Justice.
What is a diplomatic note?
A diplomatic note is a formal written message from one government to another. It records a country’s position but does not change the border.
When will the International Court of Justice rule?
The court has not announced a date. Written arguments closed in 2023, and no hearings have been scheduled.
Sources: Based on reporting by Breaking Belize News, Greater Belize Media, Infobae and La Hora (EFE), plus statements from the Belize Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CARICOM and the International Court of Justice. https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2026/09/12/foreign-affairs-minister-says-belize-to-issue-diplomatic-note-following-sarstoon-blockage/ https://www.greaterbelize.com/fonseca-we-will-continue-to-have-this-issue-until-icj-rules/ https://www.infobae.com/guatemala/2026/09/14/gobierno-de-belice-presentara-una-nota-diplomatica-contra-guatemala-por-acciones-en-el-rio-sarstun/ https://lahora.gt/nacionales/agenciaefe/2026/09/02/guatemala-y-belice-preparan-con-apoyo-de-oea-la-fase-final-de-su-diferendo-territorial-now/ https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/statement-by-the-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-3/ https://www.greaterbelize.com/breaking-guatemala-says-bdf-entered-its-territory-without-authorisation/ https://www.icj-cij.org/case/177 https://caricom.org/caricom-statement-on-border-incursions-on-belize-by-guatemala/
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