• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Join The Belize Coast Guard
  • Media
Belize Coast Guard

Belize Coast Guard

Belize Coast Guard

Independence, The Coast Guard’s Contribution

Independence is not as simple as we may consider it to be. Is it absolute? Is it definitive? Or is it a process, and is it conditional, and if so what are those conditions? To the average Belizean mind Belize gained independence on the 21st September 1981 resultantly from a political struggle for self-determination and we have since then been responsible for our nationhood.

Message From The Commandant Captain Elton Bennet

What we take for granted is the fact that states can fail, states can be dissolved or even absorbed by other states. States can completely disappear from the international system and be relegated to the annals of history. A few complicated examples across the globe includes Taiwan which was in the United Nations until 1971; Palestine which is recognized by over 135 nations but yet remains under the jurisdiction of Israel; Czechoslovakia which separated in two separate states in 1993; Catalonia which boasted independent status twice but is now under the jurisdiction of Spain just to name a few. And then there are those countries with multiple independence day such as Latvia, Lithuania, Turkey, Philippines, Slovakia, Cameroon amongst others that had to fend for self-determination on multiple occasions.

Belize’s independence in 1981 was contested then, and is contested today in 2021. In September 1981 our independence was not only contested externally by Guatemala, but also the internal political divide that resulted in riots and accusations of treason.

In defence and security context this mandates that the government of Belize be cognizant and responsible for combating threats that are both foreign and domestic, and such is the Coast Guard mission. As a military organization with law enforcement authority, the Belize Coast Guard is charged with both maritime security and naval defence. We deliver a broad range of strategic missions that provides a stable environment for nation building. Governing the vast sea spaces under the jurisdiction of Belize falls squarely within the purview of the Belize Coast Guard and we enthusiastically embrace that responsibility. From deterring transnational and organized crime and interdicting illicit activities to protecting and preserving the marine environment to providing the naval defence of Belize, the Coast Guard contribution to the process of independence is an essential one.

Whilst it took Belize twenty four years after independence to establish its Coast Guard, its maritime defence and security lineage is deeply routed in our history from the Battle of St Georges Caye in 1798 to a defence obligation of the Royal Navy to independent Belize in 1981 and the BDF Maritime Wing in 1983 and the evolution of maritime services resulting in the perfection of a National Coast Guard in 2005.

As Belize continues to strengthen its democracy and develop its institutions, likewise the Coast Guard strives to mirror its advancements and deliver the platform for maritime governance by remaining utrinque paratus.

Primary Sidebar

BELIZE COVID-19 INFORMATION

Belize COVID-19 Hotline 0-800-MOH-CARE (0-800-664-2273)

Covid-19 | News and Advisories
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Ministry of Defence Minister Florencio Marin and Admiral Elton Bennet

The Belize Coast Guard (BCG) celebrated the commemoration of their 16-year anniversary 28 November, and the event marked the promotion of 105 of its members to various ranks, including their Commander Elton Bennett who was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. The rank of Rear Admiral i s currently the highest rank that exists […]

commandant elton bennet

Independence is not as simple as we may consider it to be. Is it absolute? Is it definitive? Or is it a process, and is it conditional, and if so what are those conditions? To the average Belizean mind Belize gained independence on the 21st September 1981 resultantly from a political struggle for self-determination and […]

On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, officials from the Ministry of the Blue Economy and Civil Aviation met with the Belize Coast Guard (BCG) at their headquarters in Belize City. During the meeting, the BCG discussed its role in securing the space necessary for economic development and the safety of actors and stakeholders in Belize’s maritime […]

By Captain Elton Bennett Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard: On the 27th November 2019 I took Command of a Belize Coast Guard that is in line with its vision – an Apex institution highly trained motivated and resource capable of enforcing maritime laws to the limits of our sea spaces. The men and women […]

The Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk Alexandria, Louisiana recently hosted a military contingent of one hundred and forty four service personnel from the Belize Coast Guard and the Belize Defence Force for a three weeks training exercise aimed at enhancing the sailors and soldiers skill sets in tactical maneuvers, operation planning, IPB, […]

Regional Maritime Security

Footer

Our Partners

The Belize Coast Guard (BCG) strives to be the model of National Security Excellence in the Central American and Caribbean Region.

The MNS has a wide portfolio covering the Belize Defence Force, the Belize Police Department, the Belize Coast Guard, the Belize Forensic Department and others.

Recommended Resources: Travel Belize – Restore Belize

Recent

  • Belize Coast Guard Watchstander March 2025
  • New Minister Of Defence Meets With US chargé d’affaires
  • Belize Coast Guard Watchstander December 2024
  • Belize Coast Guard Watchstander June 2024
  • Belize Coast Guard Watchstander December 2023

© 2016-2028 Belize Coast Guard · Reproduction without explicit permission prohibited · All Rights Reserved · Contact · About · Privacy Policy ·