Negotiation and Mediation (1962–1972)

Abstract

When the People’s United Party (PUP) won another resounding electoral victory in 1961 and made clear its intention to press for independence, the British government acknowledged that the Belizeans must become part of the attempt to resolve the dispute with Guatemala, and for the next decade a series of negotiations took place with the participation of the Belizean government and Opposition. At the insistence of the Guatemalans, the U.S. government undertook a mediation effort that ended in disarray in 1968, with Britain being the only party willing to abide by the mediator’s proposals. The Belizeans then pressed Britain for early independence without a settlement of the dispute but with a defense guarantee, which Britain refused, insisting that the dispute must be resolved by negotiation before independence. The British government sought to arrive at a settlement by offering concessions to Guatemala that were unacceptable to the Belizeans and deemed insufficient by the Guatemalans. This series of talks ended in 1972 when British intelligence determined that Guatemala was set to invade Belize and the British garrison in Belize was reinforced.