by Wellington C. Ramos, former member of The Belize Police Force and The US Army 8TH Infantry Division Mechanized, Germany
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Belize is a country that has been independent since September the 21st 1981, but is still facing military harassments and threats from its southwestern neighbor, Guatemala, from time to time. Many Belizeans believe that Guatemala will never invade Belize because the countries of the world will not tolerate it. However, since Russia invaded Ukraine, people are now looking at invasions from a different perspective.
The countries of the world condemned the invasion of Ukraine in the United Nations but did not propose a plan to remove Russia out of the country of Ukraine, and the war is still taking place. If the Ukrainians did not have a military and the will to fight and defend themselves, Russia would be fully in control of Ukraine today.
Belize should establish a Military Civil Defence System (MCDS), where all their citizens 18 years and older, are trained to use a weapon in the event that their country is invaded by Guatemala or a foreign and hostile country. Belize can also reach out to the thousands of Belizeans who have served in all branches of the United States Armed Services. In addition to this, they should make it mandatory, that all the male citizens between the ages of 18 years and 40 years serve two years in the Uniformed Services, namely: Army, Coast Guard, Police and other branches of service.
Belize needs to establish an Air Force and a Navy in addition to having an Army and a Coast Guard. Invasions occur through land, sea and air, so, in order to deter an invasion, these branches of service must be in place. All male citizens should be asked to complete their service before their 40th birthday.
If they fail to serve by that time, they will be subject to a fine or to do some form of community service. The British and Guatemalan territorial dispute over Belize, is pending a hearing in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). None of us know what will be the outcome of this trial. We also do not know if Guatemala will discontinue their military harassment towards Belize if they lose their case at the ICJ.
Guatemala is a much larger country than Belize and has a huge military and far more people. Belize’s intention has never been and should never be, to fight a war against Guatemala. Yet, we must be prepared to defend our country against any foreign aggression, and to fulfill this commitment we must be prepared to do it.
Since the Belize Defence Force (BDF) was formed in 1976, there has been little development to make it a comparable force to match Guatemala. The BDF is mostly used for border patrols, drug operations, and to assist the Belize Police Department when there are problems in the country. They are more of a paramilitary than a military.
If the Government agrees to establish a Military Civil Defence System (MCDS), the benefits to our country shall be an increase in Belize’s defense capabilities with its citizens and reserve components; our citizens will be able to use a weapon to defend our country if attacked; and most of our citizens will be engaged in positive activities. This system exists in Israel, Switzerland and other countries and it has been proven to work.
Our country would have to commission a group of people to come up with a plan first. We do not know what the Belize National Security Plan is if we are attacked by Guatemala or another foreign country. The government keeps saying that they have a Plan, but whether they have a Plan or not, we do not know what it is. Since the cost of the Military Civil Defence System Plan (MCDSP) will be expensive, the Government of Belize may have to implement it gradually. The BDF has been in existence since 1976, and I consider its growth to be minimal after forty-seven years in operation.
I do not know what is the total strength of the Belize Defensce Force (BDF), but I doubt that they have 4,000 troops compared to Guatemala’s estimated 43,000 troops. Below are the statistics for the two countries’ militaries:
2023Â Belize Military Strength
For 2023, Belize is ranked 139 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 3.7178 (a score of 0.0000 is considered ‘perfect’). This entry was last reviewed on 01/05/2023.
2023 Guatemala’s Military Strength
For 2023, Guatemala is ranked 102 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 2.0419 (a score of 0.0000 is considered ‘perfect’). This entry was last reviewed on 01/09/2023.
The last serious threat Guatemala made to Belize was in 1976 under President and General Kjell Eugenio Laugerud Garcia, a person of Norwegian descent. Even though Guatemala was the country that began to prepare for the invasion, when the British responded by bringing in the Harriers and their forces to Belize, Guatemala filed a complaint with the Organization of American States (OAS).
The OAS sent observers to Belize to determine how many British troops were in Belize and what type of weapons the British brought to defend Belize. There was an agreement reached between the two countries on the recommendation of the OAS, that to avoid escalation of the conflict they were to reduce their forces by the border, and they both did.
This agreement continued even after Belize became independent in 1981, so there has been little growth in the two countries’ armed forces since.
The OAS has been playing a role in their ongoing border clashes and disputes. Guatemala and Belize do not have the economic resources to spend too much money on their military, so they have to proceed with caution. The United States has been assisting both countries with their military training and some supplies. Unlike Belize, Guatemala has a large military reserve unit and can reactivate their draft at any time if they need additional troops.
Belize does not have a draft system, but can benefit tremendously from a Military Civil Defence System Plan (MCDSP), which is an alternative to a more stringent draft system. A Combat Engineering Division (CED), if created, can assist in the building of roads, bridges and other infrastructural projects. Members of the Armed Services can also assist in many other nation-building activities instead of just preparing to fight wars, and that will save the government money.
If you have served in the military, you know that nobody wants to fight any war; but yet, as nations we must be prepared to fight them in defense of our people and nation. Plus, military personnel’s minds are set to believe that you can be here today and gone tomorrow. We live day to day, whether we are in the military or in civilian life. I ask that the Government of Belize give this idea serious consideration in the development of our nation Belize.