Us Jurisdiction Over Belize: What's The Verdict?

Belize is a constitutional parliamentary democracy and a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The United States established diplomatic relations with Belize in 1981 following the country's independence from Britain. The US is Belize's principal trading partner and a major source of investment funds. The US is also home to the largest Belizean community outside Belize, estimated to be 70,000 strong. The two countries have close and cordial relations, and the US is the largest provider of economic assistance to Belize. The US government seeks to strengthen citizen security and improve the Belizean government's capacity to confront criminal organizations. The US also provides military assistance to the Belize Defense Force, including training, humanitarian and medical assistance programs, and programs to construct and renovate schools.

US-Belize relations

The United States established diplomatic relations with Belize in 1981, following the country's independence from the UK. The US and Belize have traditionally maintained close and cordial relations. The US is Belize's principal trading partner and a major source of investment funds. The US is also home to the largest Belizean community outside Belize, estimated to be 70,000 strong.

The US and Belize work together on several issues, including strengthening border security, addressing transnational crime, and managing the flow of irregular migrants to the US through Belize. The US is the largest provider of economic assistance to Belize, contributing $2.5 million in bilateral economic and military aid. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided $110 million worth of development assistance to Belize. Peace Corps volunteers have served in Belize since 1962. The US military has a growing assistance program in Belize, which includes the construction and renovation of schools and youth hostels, medical assistance programs, and drug reduction initiatives.

In terms of security, the US regularly participates in military training and exercises with the Belize Defense Force. The US also assists Belize in fighting illicit narcotics trafficking and strengthening its border security capacity. The two countries have implemented several treaties, including a stolen vehicle treaty, an extradition treaty, and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

Belize and the US are committed to humane migration management and co-hosted the Anniversary Ministerial of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection in June 2023. They are also members of several of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Organization of American States, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization, and International Maritime Organization.

US economic assistance to Belize

The United States is the largest provider of economic assistance to Belize, contributing $2.5 million in bilateral economic and military aid. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided $110 million worth of development assistance to Belize over a 13-year period. Belize continues to benefit from USAID regional programs.

• Promoting economic development and political stability under democratic institutions
• Promoting US commercial interests
• Suppressing narcotics trafficking
• Continuing the marijuana eradication program
• Strengthening border security
• Addressing transnational crime
• Supporting conservation and climate adaptation efforts
• Advancing economic prosperity and pursuing entrepreneurial paths to climate change resilience
• Improving access to justice, supporting human rights, and improving the use of technology in judicial processes
• Enhancing civil society and governance
• Promoting entrepreneurship, media literacy, and social and economic inclusion
• Developing financial literacy and climate change awareness

The US has also provided COVID-19 vaccine doses to Belize, with 232,950 Pfizer doses donated through bilateral agreements.

US military involvement in Belize

The US has a close relationship with Belize, working together on security, prosperity, governance, democracy, human rights, migration management, and climate change. The US also provides military assistance to Belize, including training, humanitarian and medical assistance programs, and school construction and renovation. The US military helped establish the Belize Coast Guard and continues to support its capacity-building.

The Belize Defence Force (BDF) is the country's military and is responsible for protecting Belize's sovereignty. The BDF includes three infantry battalions, three reserve companies, and one support group. The BDF has a history dating back to 1817 with the founding of the Prince Regent Royal Honduras Militia, a volunteer organization. The BDF was officially established in 1978 following the disbandment of the Belize Volunteer Guard and the Police Special Force.

The US works closely with the BDF to fight narcotics, human and illicit trafficking, and transnational organized crime. The US also assists in strengthening border security and improving the government's capacity to confront criminal organizations. US programs provide support in professionalizing the police force, strengthening the justice sector, and enhancing border security capabilities.

In addition to the BDF, the Belize National Coast Guard and the Immigration Department also play crucial roles in maintaining the country's security. The US has provided support to the Coast Guard through the US Embassy-managed Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), which includes projects to enhance civil society and governance.

The US and Belize have a history of collaboration in addressing shared challenges, including the harmful activities of criminal organizations, insecurity, poverty, gang violence, and the impacts of climate change. The US has provided emergency humanitarian aid to Belize during natural disasters, such as Hurricane Lisa in 2022.

Belize's legal system

The Supreme Court of Judicature and Court of Appeal are established by Section 94 (Chapter 7) of the Constitution of Belize. The Supreme Court has unlimited original jurisdiction to hear and determine any civil or criminal proceedings under any law. The Court sits in three judicial districts: the Northern, Southern, and Central districts. This allows for the participation of citizens from across the country as jurors, ensuring that accused persons are tried by their peers, a fundamental principle of the jury trial system. The Supreme Court's criminal jurisdiction involves a Judge sitting with a jury of 12 members for capital offence cases and 9 members for non-capital offence cases.

The Court of Appeal exercises jurisdiction over both the High Court and Magistracy and has the power to hear and determine appeals in civil and criminal matters. The Court of Appeal is made up of a President and three Justices of Appeal, with a panel of three Justices sitting at any one time. In practice, the Court of Appeal usually sits three times a year, depending on the number of cases on its calendar.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, serves as the final court of appeal for Belize, replacing the Privy Council in the UK. The CCJ has two jurisdictions: original and appellate. In its original jurisdiction, the CCJ is an international court with exclusive jurisdiction in interpreting and applying the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. In its appellate jurisdiction, the CCJ hears appeals as the final court in civil and criminal matters.

Belize's economy

Belize has a developing free-market economy. It is a small, private enterprise economy that is based primarily on agriculture, tourism, and services. The country's primary exports are citrus fruits, sugar, and bananas.

By 1960, the combined value of sugar and citrus exports had exceeded that of timber, and the country's economy began to shift to new sectors. Today, sugar is the principal export, alongside citrus fruits, bananas, seafood, and apparel.

Belize has about 8,090 sq. km of arable land, but only a small fraction of this is under cultivation. Most farms are smaller than 100 acres, and many of them are milpas (temporary forest clearings). Traditional shifting cultivation is practised due to the nutrient-poor soils of the lowlands. The remaining farms or plantations are devoted to the raising of export crops.

Belize's agricultural exports include sugarcane, citrus fruits, bananas, maize, papayas, and habanero peppers. The country also has a significant aquaculture industry, particularly shrimp farming.

Belize's manufacturing industry produces food products, fertilisers, and textiles, but it only accounts for about one-eighth of the gross national product (GNP).

The service sector has been the largest share of the GNP since the early 1980s. Tourism is a major source of foreign exchange and has grown rapidly since the 1990s. The country's attractions include the Belize Barrier Reef (the largest coral reef in the Americas), 127 offshore islands, excellent fishing, safe waters for boating, scuba diving, and snorkelling, abundant jungle flora and fauna, and numerous Mayan ruins.

Belize is considered a tax haven, and its economy is highly susceptible to external market changes. The country has a substantial trade deficit, which has been growing due to low export prices for sugar and bananas. Belize's primary trading partners include the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Mexico, Curaçao, Panama, and members of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom).

Belize has a unique cultural heritage and is the only English-speaking country in Central America. It has close sociopolitical and economic ties to the Caribbean and benefits from its proximity to the large markets of the United States and Mexico.

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