But according to an article by the DAILY MAVERICK out of South Africa, even after the Independence, our land doesn't seem so independent.

The South African daily online newspaper this week took a closer look at the Status of Forces Agreement between Belize and the UK and the effects of it.

This Agreement enables thousands of British soldiers, as part of the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB), coming to Belize for their military training. It includes in total 13 sites across the country where 3,750 troops a year train in a series of six annual operations.

They come here because Belize provides challenging terrain and an austere environment, giving the British army a world-class training environment.

That's a great value for the British military, the value for Belize however is far less.

According to an environmental audit carried out by the UK Ministry of Defence, the Agreement allows British military exercises on one-sixth of Belize's total landmass. The largest of the training sites is in the Rio Bravo Conservation Area, which is a protected forest. It is home to the "highest density" of rare jaguars in Belize and the endangered harpy eagle. The Agreement seems not to take into the account, that hosting the live-fire military exercises in one of the world's highest biodiversity could cause any damage.

Also, the article quotes confidential there is the risk damage of mayan monuments. Joel Wainwright, a professor of geography at Ohio State University and an expert on Belize is quoted as saying: "Britain has a poor historical track record of respecting Mayan culture".