U.S. Eyes Latin Unrest, Increases Presence in Tranquil Belize

The old British colony of Belize still looks to London for help, but these days it looks to Washington as well.

Clearly, the Reagan Administration has staked out Belize as an area of U.S. interest. It wants to make sure that Central America’s only predominantly English-speaking country does not become a target of leftist guerrillas.

For now, the danger seems remote. The stately old house on Gabourel Lane, with its shady balconies and dormer windows, is the only U.S. Embassy in Central America without a complement of Marine guards. A friendly Belizian gatekeeper ushers visitors up to the big front porch, where the ambassador himself might come to the door if the receptionist is late for work.

Island of Tranquility

The relaxed, easy-going manner contrasts sharply with the tension and turmoil found elsewhere in Central America. But the United States is not taking this tranquility for granted. Since Belize--formerly British Honduras--acquired full independence in 1981, the U.S. government has sharply increased its official presence here, spreading a protective wing over the fledgling country of more than 150,000 people.

If the Peace Corps is included, there is one official American here for every 1,000 Belizians. In relation to population, the Peace Corps contingent of 101 volunteers and three staff members is one of the largest anywhere.

Americans attached to the embassy number 47, up from seven at the time of independence. At the British Embassy, by comparison, there are fewer than 10 officials.

U.S. aid to Belize is between $17 million and $19 million a year, compared to Britain’s $3 million to $4 million. And Belize needs all the aid it can get. Its economy is in a slump, partly because of low world prices for its main export, sugar. Its national territory, about the size of New Jersey, is thinly populated and underdeveloped.

U.S. Presence Welcomed

Manuel Esquivel, Belize’s new prime minister, openly welcomes the U.S. presence, which his government inherited from its predecessor. Esquivel and his center-right United Democratic Party upset the center-left People’s United Party of George Price, who was then the prime minister, in the parliamentary election of last Dec. 14.

In an interview not long ago, Esquivel said: “The United States is trying to make sure that Belize is going to maintain its democratic system, and trying to ensure that we don’t go the way of El Salvador and Guatemala. And certainly that is what we want to ensure as well, so as far as that is concerned; we seem to be working toward the same goals.”

Belize hugs the Caribbean coast east of Guatemala’s Peten province and south of Mexico’s state of Quintana Roo. The names of Belizian villages reflect their British and Spanish heritage: Double-Head Cabbage, Gallon Jug, Punta Gorda, Dolores, Paraiso.

The capital, Belmopan, is a town of about 3,000, built in the wilderness in the early 1960s. Belize City, with about 40,000 people, is the largest urban area. Some diplomatic missions have been established in Belmopan, but others, including the U.S. Embassy, remain here because of the city’s superior communications and accommodations.

Soft Breezes, Swirling Dust

To be sure, compared to other Central American cities, Belize City itself is a slow-moving port town. It has no traffic lights and no elevators in any of its buildings. Most of its streets are dirt and gravel, and soft Caribbean breezes spread the dust over the city.

Most of the wooden shacks, stuccoed storefronts and clapboard houses could use a coat of paint--a notable exception being the U.S. Embassy, with its sparkling white siding and black trim.

Along Gabourel Lane, an even shinier symbol of the U.S. presence is the large and boxy office building of prefabricated aluminum that houses the Belizian headquarters of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The American presence in Belize is overshadowed only by a British military contingent of about 1,800 that stayed on after independence. The United States has four military men as defense attaches and liaison officers, but no troops.

Military Role Avoided

Washington contributes $75,000 a year for the training of Belize’s 600-member defense force, the smallest military establishment in Central America. The United States has avoided any deeper military involvement here, content to leave that touchy task to the British.

“We are very much in favor of the British troops staying for the foreseeable future,” U.S. Ambassador Malcolm R. Barnebey said in an interview.

Asked about a report that the United States is helping to pay the $30-million annual cost of maintaining the British troops here, Barnebey replied, “We are not subsidizing that program.”

Belize’s overriding security concern has been neighboring Guatemala’s long-standing claim to sovereignty over its territory. Guatemala has diminished its saber-rattling in the past few years, but Belizians want the British force to stay until the territorial dispute is settled. The British have said only that the troops will stay for “an appropriate period.”

Pullout Terms Vague

“It was quite deliberately left vague because nobody wanted to write a deadline,” a British diplomat said.

Still, the British are reluctant to make any longterm military commitment in Central America. “Obviously, we are concerned that we don’t get drawn into any sort of Central American problem,” the diplomat said.

Britain, Guatemala and Belize have held periodic talks on the territorial disputes, and additional talks are scheduled. Belize’s Foreign Minister Dean Barrow was in London recently for preparatory discussions.

“He is trying to get a clearer definition of their intention as far as keeping the troops here,” Prime Minister Esquivel said.

Esquivel said his government wants at least a “private commitment which would give us some assurance that the British troops would remain in fact during negotiations and until we can get a solution or until we can find an alternative arrangement.”

He said the uncertainty of Britain’s troop commitment puts Belize at a disadvantage in talks with Guatemala.

“It is hardly cricket . . . that we should go into negotiations with pressure on us when the Guatemalans are going into negotiations with no pressure on them,” he said. “It just offers aid and comfort to the Guatemalans, that if they just wait long enough things will go their way.”

Esquivel Outlines Position

Outlining his government’s position on negotiations, Esquivel said: “We begin from a point that we will not negotiate their territory. We feel it is important that somewhere early in the negotiations Guatemala indicates a willingness to recognize Belize’s independence. Other than that, we feel that we are beginning on a fresh slate in negotiations.”

Esquivel seemed to hint that his government may be willing to make some concessions if the negotiations prosper, but he went on: “If we are going to start to discuss concessions, certainly we will want to take a very slow pace on that. We are not eager to be talking concessions at this point. We want to see what they have in mind and see how we can work with them on what they have in mind.”

Esquivel said--and foreign diplomats supported him in this--that the Guatemalan armed forces secretly accept the British military presence in Belize.

“They love it,” the prime minister said. “No Guatemalan official is going to come out and announce that they welcome British troops in Belize, but I think they are terrified at the alternative.”

Security Vacuum Feared

He said the departure of British troops would leave a security vacuum that Guatemalan guerrillas might try to take advantage of.

“There is some thought given to the fact that they (guerrillas) may want to use Belize as a refuge,” he said. “If they are using Belize as a refuge, then that encourages the Guatemalan army to pursue them.”

Thus Belize could be drawn into the Central American maelstrom.

Still, the main Belizian reason for wanting British troops to stay is the Guatemalan territorial claim, Esquivel said.

“Unless there is an alternative security arrangement, their presence will be needed until we have settled the problem to our satisfaction,” Esquivel said.

Declaration Will Do

Asked what alternative arrangement he had in mind, he said it would be for the United States “simply to make a formal declaration that they would not tolerate a Guatemalan invasion of Belize.”

“We are convinced,” he added, “that such a statement from the United States government would be a sufficient deterrent to Guatemalans. We would not need a military presence in Belize.”

Esquivel said Belize has “raised the matter from time to time” with the United States, and added: “The Americans do not want to have to replace the British security. They are happy with the British security as it is. Therefore they are not about to begin sending signals to Britain that they may be willing to take up the slack.”

MP, Los Angeles Times