2016 Belize–Guatemala border standoff

2016 Belize–Guatemala border standoff Rio Sarstun- Guatemala.jpg 200px The Sarstoon River Belize–Guatemala border Further strain in Belize–Guatemala relations Belize 1981 Guatemala Belize Armed Forces of Guatemala Kaibiles Unknown 3,000 1 civilian killed, 2 others injured The 2016 Belize–Guatemala border standoff began when Belizean soldiers fatally shot a 13-year-old Guatemalan in the Cebada area of the Chiquibul National Park in western Belize with Guatemala. Events Guatemalan authorities claimed that Julio René Alvarado Ruano, his father and his younger brother were shot by Belizean soldiers on 20 April 2016, while they were hunting in the Belize forest near the northern department of Petén. Julio died in hospital shortly afterwards from the severity of his wounds, while his father and brother were wounded but not critically. In a different version of events, Belize says its troops shot in self-defence after coming under fire while on patrol, and added that Julio's body was found just inside Belizean territory.Perez Sonia Jones Patrick E. 23 April 2016 Belize Says Guatemala "Amassing" Troops in Border Areas https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/belize-guatemala-amassing-troops-border-areas-38595188 https://web.archive.org/web/20160423115040/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/belize-guatemala-amassing-troops-border-areas-38595188 23 April 2016 2016-04-22 ABC News The Belizean government claimed in a statement that according to initial reports, its security forces were investigating illegal land clearing in the Cebada area of the Chiquibul National Park in western Belize when they detained a Guatemalan man suspected of illicit activities. It said the patrol came under fire around nightfall and shot back in self-defence. Before leaving the location just inside Belizean territory, the soldiers found the teenager's body, which was taken to Belize City for an autopsy. The Guatemalan foreign ministry said the autopsy conducted in Belize determined that the teenager had been shot eight times, including four times in the back, by a high-powered, military-grade rifle.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/22/guatemalan-troops-mass-belize-border-shooting-incident Guatemalan troops mass near Belize border after shooting incident Associated Press 2016-04-22 The Guardian en-GB 0261-3077 2016-04-22 In response to the shooting, the Guatemalan government ordered the deployment of 3,000 troops along its border, including the special forces unit known as the Kaibiles,Belize-Guatemala border tensions rise over shooting https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36114383 2016-04-22 BBC News en-GBhttp://amandala.com.bz/news/guats-deploy-kaibiles-belize-border/ Guats deploy Kaibiles to Belize border 2016-04-23 Amandala Newspaper 2016-04-23http://www.foxnews.com/world/guatemala-condemns-teens-killing-in-belize-border-incident Guatemala condemns teen's killing in Belize border incident 2016-04-21 Fox News 2016-04-22 and recalled its ambassador to Belize.May 2021 See also Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute Death of Julio René Alvarado References 2 Category:2016 in Guatemala Category:2016 in Belize Category:2016 conflicts Category:Belize–Guatemala relations Category:Belize–Guatemala border Category:Armed standoffs Category:Anti-Guatemalan sentiment