Belize's British Legacy: Understanding The Present

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, was the United Kingdom's last colony on the American mainland. It achieved independence on 21 September 1981, but it has retained its historical link with the UK through membership in the Commonwealth, with King Charles III as its monarch and head of state. While the UK no longer has troops stationed in Belize, the country's head of state remains a powerful symbol of the enduring ties between the two nations.

The British legacy in Belize

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, was the United Kingdom's last colony on the American mainland. It became a British colony in 1840 and a Crown colony in 1862. Today, Belize is an independent nation that still maintains strong ties with Britain. Here is a look at the British legacy in Belize.

Language

Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. This is a direct result of British colonisation. However, Belize has a diverse society composed of many cultures and languages. Belizean Creole, Spanish, Mayan languages, German dialects, and Garifuna are also widely spoken in the country. Over half the population is multilingual.

Culture and Society

The British legacy is also evident in Belize's culture and society. The country's legal system is modelled on the common law of England. Belize's society is marked by enduring differences in the distribution of wealth, power, and prestige, with political and economic power remaining vested in the local elite.

Education

The educational policy in Belize has been influenced by British colonisation. Education in Belize is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 14 years, and the literacy rate in the country is estimated to be around 79.7%.

Economy

The British influence can also be seen in Belize's economy. The country has a small, mostly private enterprise economy based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising. Belize has a history of logging and mahogany extraction, which were major industries during the colonial period. Today, sugar remains the chief crop, accounting for nearly half of exports.

Military and Defence

The British Army Garrison in Belize is still used for jungle warfare training and has access to over 13,000 square kilometres of jungle terrain. Since independence in 1981, a British garrison has been retained in Belize at the request of the Belizean government.

Belize's independence from the UK

Belize, previously known as British Honduras, was granted independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981.

The road to Belize's independence was a long and arduous one, coloured by peculiar circumstances, including a claim on the territory by Guatemala and firm opposition by the United Democratic Party (UDP), which ironically later became the government of Belize.

In the early 19th century, Belize was a British colony, and in 1862, it became a colony ruled by a governor who was under the governor of Jamaica. In 1871, the Legislative Assembly established at Belize City was abolished, and Belize became a crown colony. In 1884, it got its own governor and became a separate colony.

The first steps towards independence came in 1954 with the introduction of universal adult suffrage and an elected majority in the Legislature. This was followed by the adoption of the Ministerial System in 1961, leading up to self-government in 1964.

However, progress towards independence was hampered by a Guatemalan claim to sovereignty over Belizean territory. In 1975, after 14 years of negotiations, the Guatemalan Government demanded the cession of a large area of Belizean territory as the price for withdrawing its claim.

Despite this setback, the Belizean Government, under the stewardship of Premier George Price, leader of the People's United Party (PUP), decided to wage a campaign for independence on the international front. This intensive diplomatic activity became known as "the internationalization effort" and was spearheaded by two young Belize attorneys, Said Musa and Assad Shoman, who would later play important roles in Belize's modern history.

Immediate support was received from the countries of the Caribbean Community and the British Commonwealth of Nations. In 1975, the first United Nations resolution on Belize was passed by the General Assembly, with 110 votes in favour, 9 against, and 16 abstentions. This large initial support was made possible thanks to the undertaking by the Non-Aligned Movement to commit its total support to Belize.

In the late 1970s, Belize took its case for self-determination to various international forums, including the heads of the Commonwealth of Nations, the conference of ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement, and the United Nations (UN). By November 1980, international support for Belize was virtually unanimous, with a UN resolution calling for independence for Belize without strings attached and with security by the end of 1981.

On 21 September 1981, Belize became an independent state with all its territory, full sovereignty, and British troops stationed there to defend against any possible attack from Guatemala. About 1,500 British troops remained in Belize after independence to deter any potential Guatemalan incursions.

Guatemala refused to recognise the new nation due to its longstanding territorial dispute, claiming that Belize belonged to Guatemala. It was only in 1992 that Guatemala formally recognised Belize as an independent state, and in 1994, British soldiers were withdrawn, with the exception of a small contingent of troops who remained to train the Belizean troops.

The British Honduras

The economy of the British Honduras was dominated by the forestry industry, initially focused on logwood and later on mahogany. The lack of diversification left the colony vulnerable to swings in the market, and the Great Depression of the 1930s caused a near-collapse of the economy. The forestry industry's control of land also hindered the development of agriculture, and colonial tax policies and trade restrictions made commercial agriculture unprofitable.

The path to independence for the British Honduras was complicated by Guatemala's intransigence over its territorial claims, which date back to the 1859 treaty between the United Kingdom and Guatemala. Despite these challenges, Belize achieved independence in 1981 and has retained its historical link with the United Kingdom through membership in the Commonwealth.

Belize's relationship with Guatemala

Belize and Guatemala have had a long-standing dispute over the territory of Belize. Guatemala has, since 1940, demanded that the UK cede Belize to them, threatening invasion several times. This claim goes back to the 17th century when British settlers and their slaves came to Central America to cut logwood. The Spanish Crown considered these settlers intruders and pirates, and Britain initially did nothing to protect them. In 1763, Spain, as part of the Treaty of Paris, gave these settlers the right to cut logwood within a small area that remained subject to Spanish sovereignty. These rights were extended by treaty in 1783 and 1786, when the boundaries of what had become a British settlement were agreed.

In 1859, Britain and Guatemala signed a treaty defining the border with Belize, and in 1862, Belize was formally declared a British crown colony and named British Honduras. However, the 1859 treaty included a provision for Britain to assist in the construction of a road from Guatemala City to the coast. Guatemala has claimed that this provision was a condition for ceding the territory to Britain, and as the road was never built, the treaty was null and void. Britain rejected this interpretation, believing that Guatemala was not in a position to cede the territory as it never possessed sovereignty over British Honduras.

In 1939, Guatemala unilaterally abrogated the treaty, citing Britain's breach of Article 7, and threatened invasion. A British military presence was established, and diplomatic efforts to find a solution were pursued. These proved futile, and Belize became independent in 1981 with the dispute unresolved. Guatemala finally recognised Belize's independence in 1991, but it continued to claim the territory.

In 2008, the two countries agreed to resolve the dispute via the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Guatemala held a referendum in 2018, with 95% voting in favour of taking the dispute to the ICJ. Belize's referendum, initially scheduled for 2019, was delayed due to legal challenges. The result is expected to be close, with many Belizeans believing that they already have secure boundaries recognised in the constitution. However, without an ICJ ruling, the Guatemalan government is likely to continue to allow its citizens to cross the border at will.

In June 2023, the stage of written submissions to the ICJ ended, with the next step being oral arguments from each country's legal teams. The Court is likely to recognise Belize's existing territorial and maritime limits.

The British monarchy in Belize

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, was the United Kingdom's last colony on the American mainland and became an independent country in 1981. However, it still maintains strong ties with Britain and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Belize is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. The current monarch and head of state is King Charles III, who is shared with 14 other Commonwealth realms. While the King is the only member of the royal family with a constitutional role, other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions as representatives of the Belizean state.

The monarchy in Belize functions primarily as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a non-partisan safeguard against the abuse of power. While the King is vested with all executive authority, most powers are exercised by the elected members of parliament, government ministers, and judges. The King's duties are mostly exercised by his representative, the governor-general of Belize, who is appointed by the monarch upon the advice of the prime minister of Belize.

The governor-general is responsible for appointing the prime minister, who heads the Cabinet and advises the monarch or governor-general on executing their executive powers. The governor-general also appoints and dismisses ministers, members of various executive agencies, and other officials. The governor-general is also responsible for summoning and dissolving the National Assembly and issuing passports, which are issued in their name.

The Crown also plays a significant role in the Belize Defence Force and the Belize Police Department, with all members swearing allegiance to the monarch. The Crown is considered the locus of authority, with St Edward's Crown appearing on badges and rank insignia.

While the British monarchy in Belize has come under scrutiny, with some Caribbean nations removing the Queen as their head of state, Belize has not held a referendum on the matter. Prime Minister Johnny Briceño has stated that any decision regarding the monarchy would involve consulting the Belizean public. An independent poll suggested that Belize is in favour of maintaining ties with the British monarchy.

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