Belize - Guatemala border dispute goes to the Hague

Guatemala and Belize signed an agreement overseen by the OAS yesterday (and negotiated earlier this year) that serves as the first step in the reconciliation of an age-old border dispute between the neighboring Central American countries.

Belize, formerly British Honduras until 1974, shares a large border with Guatemala to the west and a much smaller with the Mexico to the north. Because of lingering border questions, Guatemala became the last nation in the world to officially recognize Belize in 1991, though the border issues remain unsolved to date.

For those curious about the otherwise benign dispute, a website devoted to Belize-Guatemala relations -- by the Belize government -- offers an interesting timeline of a dispute that has played a (small) role in nearly 150 years the region's turbulent past (as well as a link titled "international support" and "the Belize position.")

The agreement signed on Monday will cede jurisdiction the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague, Netherlands, which will determine the final border lines between the two countries. While it appears that Guatemala has been loathe to cede jurisdiction of the border decision, most analysis suggests that Belize has the most to lose in territory.

Sean McCormack, of the Dept. of State, also issued a statement congratulating the negotiators from both countries.

Sources: Amandala, Mercopress, Dept. of State