Former Belizean parliamentarian Jorge Espat has publicly addressed a concerning incident that occurred near the contentious Belize-Guatemala adjacency zone, dismissing online speculation about the encounter. The politician revealed that during a routine walk on his family’s property near the border on Thursday, unidentified individuals discharged firearms from the Guatemalan side.
Espat clarified that nearby observers alerted Guatemalan authorities, who subsequently arrived at the scene and engaged with his party. Contrary to circulating social media narratives, the former representative emphasized that the interaction was entirely procedural and characterized by professional conduct from the responding officers. “The authorities demonstrated exemplary professionalism and were prepared to offer any necessary assistance,” Espat stated in his social media account of the events.
The politician confirmed he was legally armed with a licensed firearm during the incident, asserting his constitutional right to bear arms while on Belizean territory. Espat further declared his intention to continue exercising his property rights despite attempts at intimidation. “I refuse to be deterred by individuals unlawfully occupying my land,” he affirmed. “As a responsible citizen, I fully understand my rights and would never cross into another nation with unregistered weaponry.
This event occurs within the context of the five-kilometer adjacency zone established under a 2003 bilateral agreement between Belize and Guatemala, designed to mitigate tensions while their longstanding territorial dispute remains unresolved. The buffer region has experienced recurring conflicts over land ownership and illegal settlements in recent years. Documentation from as early as 2019 revealed established Guatemalan settlements on Espat’s property, with some occupants possessing utility documentation in their names. During previous confrontations, squatters have erroneously claimed to be on Guatemalan territory—assertions subsequently invalidated by the Organization of American States, which monitors the border region.
Neither the Belizean government nor Guatemalan authorities had issued official statements regarding the recent incident at the time of reporting.