Guatemalan territorial dispute referendum, 2018
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A referendum on the territorial dispute with Belize was held in
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
on Sunday 15 April 2018. Voters were asked whether the Guatemalan government should request the International Court of Justice to resolve the territorial dispute permanently, as part of a commitment signed in December 2008 between
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
and Belize. Guatemalan Vice President,
Jafeth Cabrera Ernesto Jafeth Cabrera Franco (Guatemala City, 28 November 1948) is a Guatemalan politician who served as Vice President of Guatemala from 2016 to 2020. Early life and career Cabrera studied at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, where ...
, stated that Belize would hold their referendum in response in May 2018, but Belize released a statement denying that and stating rather that it would hold the referendum after the re-registration process has occurred to ensure an accurate and fair vote.


Background

In May 2015, Belize allowed
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
to proceed with a referendum asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to definitively rule on the dispute although Belize by its own admission is not ready for such a vote. A previous treaty between the two countries stipulated that any such vote must be held simultaneously. Guatemala was initially expected to hold its referendum on the issue during its second round of presidential elections in October 2015, but such a vote was not on the ballot.Trujillo, Renee
"Presidential Candidate for Guatemala Says Belize Can Still Be Fought For"
, LOVE FM, 9 September 2015 (accessed 28 September 2015)
Belize has yet to announce its vote on the matter.Ramos, Adele
"Belize and Guatemala to amend ICJ compromis"
'' Amandala'', 12 May 2015. (accessed 14 May 2015)
Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales has made statements strongly in support of Guatemala's old territorial claim to Belize: "Something is happening right now, we are about to lose Belize. We have not lost it yet. We still have the possibility of going to the International Court of Justice where we can fight that territory or part of that territory." If the population voted "No," a referendum would be called again in six months, until it wins "Yes" since both countries agree that the only way to solve the dispute is by means of the International Court of Justice. The call for the referendum was made on 23 October 2017.


Administration

On 2 August 2017, the Guatemalan Congress approved the agreement 22-2017, which allows the president to immediately submit to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal the request to convene the referendum. The agreement was approved by 102 votes in favor and 14 against. The European Union provided financial assistance for this to take place. The Government of Guatemala convened a public consultation, and immediately, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal called a referendum on Sunday, 15 April 2018. Around 7.5 million people registered for the referendum. Members of the armed forces (Air Force, Army, and Navy), people in prison, and Guatemalans living abroad were not allowed to vote.


Question

The question of the referendum was this: "Do you agree that any legal claim of Guatemala against Belize relating to land and insular territories and to any maritime areas pertaining to these territories should be submitted to the International Court of Justice for final settlement and that it determines finally the boundaries of the respective territories and areas of the parties?"


Results


See also

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1984 Argentine Beagle conflict dispute resolution referendum A non-binding referendum, non-binding referendum on resolving the Beagle conflict was held in Argentina on 25 November 1984.Dieter Nohlen (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II'', p67 Voters were asked whether they approve ...
*
2019 Belizean territorial dispute referendum A referendum on the territorial dispute with Guatemala was held in Belize on 8 May 2019. Voters were asked whether the territorial dispute with neighbouring Guatemala should be referred to the International Court of Justice. The vote had original ...
*
2023 Venezuelan referendum A consultative referendum was initiated by the government of Nicolás Maduro regarding Venezuela's claim over the Guayana Esequiba, whose territory is disputed with, and controlled by, neighboring Guyana. The referendum took place on 3 Decembe ...


References


External links


Tribunal Supremo Electoral
{{Guatemalan elections
Territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
Referendums in Guatemala Border polls