Belize's Relationship With The Us: Territory Or Not?

Belize is an independent nation and former British colony located on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Belize has strong ties with the US, which is its principal trading partner and a major source of investment funds. The US is also home to the largest Belizean community outside of Belize itself. While the US and Belize have close relations, Belize is not a US territory.

Belize's independence from the UK

Belize's road to independence from the UK followed a similar trajectory to other British colonies in the Caribbean, but it was also marked by unique circumstances, including a claim on Belize's territory by Guatemala and firm opposition from the United Democratic Party (UDP), which ironically later became the governing party of Belize.

Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, was a British colony from 1862 until it gained independence on 21 September 1981. The journey towards independence was a gradual process that involved several stages of decolonisation. Here is an overview of the key events leading up to Belize's independence:

• Universal Adult Suffrage (1954): Belize took its first steps towards self-governance by granting universal adult suffrage in 1954.
• Formation of the People's United Party (PUP) (1950): The PUP, led by pro-independence activist George Cadle Price, became the dominant political force in the country and pushed for constitutional reforms and self-government.
• Internal Self-Government (1964): In 1964, Belize achieved internal self-government, and George Price became the premier. However, the path to independence was complicated by unrelenting Guatemalan hostility, which claimed sovereignty over Belizean territory.
• Renaming to Belize (1973): As a step towards independence, the official name of the territory was changed from British Honduras to Belize in June 1973.
• International Campaign for Independence (1975-1981): The Belizean government, led by Premier George Price and the PUP, launched a diplomatic campaign to gain international support for its claim to full independence. This effort, known as "the internationalisation effort," secured backing from the Caribbean Community, the British Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Nations.
• UN Resolution for Belizean Independence (1980): In November 1980, the United Nations passed a resolution calling for Belize's independence by the end of 1981, with its territory intact and secure.
• Final Negotiations and Independence (1981): Despite continued negotiations with Guatemala, no agreement was reached. Belize became an independent state on 21 September 1981, with British troops stationed to defend against any possible attack from Guatemala.

Belize's independence was a significant milestone, and the country has since worked to build a unified society, addressing the legacy of centuries of brutal slavery and colonial domination. The country continues to face challenges, including border disputes with Guatemala, but it has also made strides in areas such as biodiversity conservation and democratic governance.

US-Belize relations

Belize is not a US territory. Belize is a country on the northeastern coast of Central America, and it achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981. The US and Belize have traditionally maintained close and cordial relations since the US established diplomatic relations with Belize in 1981.

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 humanely managing the flow of irregular migrants to the US through Belize.

The US provides extensive assistance to Belize, particularly in fighting narcotics, human and other types of illicit trafficking, and transnational organized crime. The US government also seeks to strengthen Belize's citizen security and improve its capacity to confront criminal organizations. US programs assist Belize in professionalizing its police force, strengthening its justice sector, and improving its border security. US good governance programming focuses on fortifying Belizean civil society, improving health security and government service delivery, and building capacity within both civil society and the government civil service.

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. The US military helped establish the Belize Coast Guard and continues to support its capacity-building.

The US, through USAID, works with UN agencies and the Belizean government to promote innovative solutions that strengthen access to justice, support human rights, and improve the use of technology in judicial processes. US Embassy-managed Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) programming supports six innovative projects to enhance Belize's civil society and governance. The Peace Corps has operated public health and education programs in Belize since 1962.

The US and Belize are committed to humane migration management and co-hosted the Anniversary Ministerial of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection in June 2023. Belize also supports the US regional approach under the Strategy to Address the Root Causes of Migration, which aims to improve the underlying conditions pushing Central Americans to migrate.

Bilaterally, the US and Belize belong to 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 aid to Belize

Belize is not a US territory. It is a country on the northeastern coast of Central America, and it achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981. The United States established diplomatic relations with Belize in the same year.

The US has provided various forms of aid to Belize, including:

• Fighting narcotics, human and other types of illicit trafficking, and transnational organized crime.
• Strengthening citizen security and improving the government's capacity to confront criminal organizations.
• Professionalizing the police force, strengthening the justice sector, and improving border security.
• Fortifying civil society, improving health security and government service delivery, and building capacity within civil society and the government civil service.
• Providing military assistance to the Belize Defense Force, including training, humanitarian and medical assistance programs, and constructing and renovating schools.
• Supporting Amnesty Mobile Migrant Hubs, which help migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers access services required to apply for the Migration Amnesty Program.
• Promoting innovative solutions to strengthen access to justice, support human rights, and improve the use of technology in judicial processes.
• Operating public health and education programs through the Peace Corps.
• Promoting entrepreneurship, media literacy, and social and economic inclusion through public affairs programming.
• Working with Belize to advance economic prosperity and pursue entrepreneurial paths to climate change resilience through the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact development process.
• Supporting conservation and climate adaptation efforts, including providing emergency humanitarian aid after Hurricane Lisa in 2022.

Belize's status as a British colony

Belize, previously known as British Honduras, was a British colony from 1840 until it gained independence in 1981.

The first British settlement in Belize was founded in the late 1710s, but the country was not formally termed the "Colony of British Honduras" until 1862. It became a Crown Colony in 1862 or 1871, when the Settlement of Belize in the Bay of Honduras was declared a British colony, and the Crown's representative was elevated to a lieutenant governor, subordinate to the governor of Jamaica.

In 1871, a new constitution was passed, and the Legislative Council became the new legislature. The lieutenant governor and the Legislative Council, consisting of five ex-officio or "official" and four appointed or "unofficial" members, governed British Honduras. This constitutional change confirmed a shift in the locus and form of power in the colony's political economy, moving it from the old settler oligarchy to the boardrooms of British companies and the Colonial Office in London.

In 1884, British Honduras was severed from the administration of Jamaica and gained its own governor. In 1935, legislative franchise was reintroduced with a lower income qualification, and in 1954, universal adult franchise was adopted. In 1964, British Honduras achieved self-government status.

In 1973, the official name of the territory was changed from British Honduras to Belize, and full independence was granted in 1981.

Belize's economy

Belize has a small, developing, free-market economy that is primarily based on agriculture, tourism, and services. The country has a unique cultural heritage and is the only English-speaking nation in Central America. Belize has a population of around 400,000 people and a GDP of $2.5 billion, with a per capita GDP of $6049. As a member of CARICOM, Belize benefits from access to a wider market and various trade agreements.

Agriculture is a key sector of Belize's economy, employing about one-fifth of the population. Sugar, citrus fruits, and bananas are the primary exports, although the country has diversified into non-traditional agricultural products such as papayas and habanero peppers. The country's arable land is limited, with only a small fraction under cultivation.

Belize also has a thriving tourism and ecotourism industry, supported by its diverse ecology, including the largest coral reef in the Americas and an extensive mangrove ecosystem. The industry has grown rapidly since the 1990s, and tourism is now the most important source of foreign exchange.

The country faces challenges such as a growing trade deficit, partly due to low export prices for sugar and bananas, and a scarcity of infrastructure investments. The government has promised rapid action to improve tax collection and address economic stability.

Belize's economic performance is susceptible to external market changes, and while moderate growth has been achieved, it remains vulnerable to fluctuations in world commodity prices and preferential trading agreements. The country's heavy borrowing has also led to debt restructuring in the mid-2000s.

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