This is as good a time and place as any to post the new info I gathered in Feb 2019

Re: NEW Belizean border crossing into Guatemala at JALACTE .

THE OPENING DATE HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK , unknown when .

The Belizeans have indeed built an excellent new highway and a new customs terminal at their side of the border.
However the Guatemalan political leaders have decided that they wish to dispute the territorial boundary and have refused to do any road building or customs office construction to make the linkage functional so as not to weaken their claim .
It appears to be not just a minor claim over a bit of pasture along the border .It was reported that they are trying to claim vast areas of Belize ,almost half of the area of the country !

This current Guatemalan stance has been taken on purpose to bolster their claims in a revived territorial dispute which had been ostensibly resolved by their tacit submission to the existing border for many years . If they build and operate the new Jalacte transit point now they would be admitting to accepting the border as it is . The rampant overpopulation growth in the Peten and the desire for peasant farmers to chop down ever more jungle - into Belize - has made this a new political item popular among the Maya of the Peten, many of whom are actually immigrants from the GT Highlands .Also the claim is popular among some in big time farming who see it as a chance to grow more cash crops .

The original claims were made during the Guatemalan civil war when repression and murders of Mayan groups were rampant . Old 1970s road maps issued by Esso in GT had rubber stamped notes on them that the border as marked was not recognized by Guatemala .As part of the temporary solution at that time it was agreed by both countries that at some later date they would have the right to to ask that the International Court of Justice hear their claims and issue a ruling to finally settle the dispute .

Guatemala had a referendum in 2015 which concluded with the decision that GT was ready to ask for ICJ intervention. Belize is till not decided but they are scheduled to hold a referendum -election in April 2019 which will determine if they too will agree to ask for the ICJ to issue a statement .

Guatemala does already have military garrisons at points along the border and it might just yet turn into a shooting skirmish or invasion .
Would a Guatemalan takeover, whole or partial , actually make any sense ?Would the Commonwealth send in army support for Belize ?
The Belizean culture is quite different . Even though it might have been originally Mayan territory those Lowland Mayans in BZ are not necessarily keen for any GT takeover , particularly not the contingent who may have fled the horror of the civil war .

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http://advrider.com/index.php?thread....207964/page-5 then scroll down to post #93