As Belize prepares for its 30th anniversary of Independence on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, the death of the Right Honorable George Cadle Price, 92, two days short of this milestone achievement – Belize’s Independence – has inevitably cast a blanket of sorrow over the festivities.
Mr. Price was the first Prime Minister of Belize and one of the founders of the People’s United Party and who pioneered our move from a British colony, British Honduras, into an independent country – Belize.
George Price, or as many would refer to him, “The Father of Belize’s Independence,” died at approximately 6:30 a.m. today at the Belize Health Care Partners. Different affiliates of the Price family told us that he died “with his family by his side.”
As the news of his death took center stage in the media, citizens, friends and colleagues countrywide began to mourn, and there was an enormous outpouring of sorrow and support for his family. The focus was on this “giant of a man” and all that he had done for us as a people, and as a nation.
We spoke with a number of high-ranking politicians, including the Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. Dean Oliver Barrow, and the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. John Briceño. We asked them to elaborate on the life of Price and their interactions with him in their capacity as politicians.
Barrow told us that he was always amazed at the complexity of Price and his ability to maintain a humble persona: “He is an architect of Independence; he was a visionary; over the years I have known him through his public life. My conversations with him have been very limited, but I have always been impressed by the complexity of the man.”
Barrow told us that during his high school years he first met Price during one of the school’s road trips. Barrow explained that he first learnt of Price’s death around 7:00 a.m. this morning via a text message from a colleague.
According to the Prime Minister, the Belize flag will continue to fly at half-mast in Mr. Price’s honour until September 26, 2011, with the exception of Independence Day, September 21.
PUP Leader Johnny Briceño told the media, during a press briefing held at the PUP headquarters on Queen Street, that he would surely miss the man he said was his mentor.
Briceño told us that one of his fondest memories of Price was during a dinner at Price’s family home during the months leading up to Independence, September 21, 1981: “We were having dinner. I remember him looking at me and he started to speak in Spanish, and he asked me, if I knew how to speak in Spanish, and I said yes.
“He said it is important to learn two languages. He said we have a unique opportunity in Belize because English is our first language, but we need to recognize that we are surrounded by Spanish- speaking countries. It is important for us as a nation, to speak also in Spanish because the future of Belize lies with the Caribbean, butalso with Central America.”
Briceño also expressed his condolences to the Price family, and told the media that he had been visiting Price throughout his time at the Belize Health Care Partners Hospital, where, he said, he and his family prayed for Price’s recovery.
“Today, we are here saddened by the news of the passing of Mr. Price, who passed away this morning around 6:30 a.m., surrounded by his family. On behalf of the People’s United Party and of all Belizeans, we want to express our sincere condolences to the Price family and to the entire nation as we mourn the passing of the ‘Father of the Nation’, the Right Honorable George Price.
“We are very grateful for what Mr. Price has done for us as a nation, for all the Belizean people, the fight from the colonial masters to self-government to Independence, where he forged a new country in the Caribbean and Central America, a country that is known as Belize, and where we Belizeans have an identity as Belizeans.
“One of the many important achievements of Mr. Price was the whole idea of this identity as Belizeans, whereby he successfully fought the colonial masters who were dividing us a people. He was one of the first leaders that started to talk about Belizeans being one — we are one, we are all Belizeans.”
According to a family friend, on Wednesday, September 14, Price slipped in the bathroom at his home on Pickstock Street sometime between 5:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. He suffered a head injury which reportedly caused the formation of a blood clot in his head.
At the time of this unfortunate fall, Price’s caretaker, Herman Requeña, who had been taking care of Price for a little over a decade, was not there since he was not scheduled to be at the home with him until 8:00 a.m.
Requeña told us on Friday, September 16, that he was in total shock that this had happened. He said that this was the second time that Price had fallen outside of his caretaking hours, which were from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Mondays to Sundays.
He explained that Price lived alone upstairs of a two-storey house, and his sister resided in the bottom flat.
According to Requeña, Price was a father-figure to him. He also told us that the last time he saw him was the day before his fall, on Tuesday, a little after 5:00 p.m. Requeña said that he was leaving for home and “He [Price] was doing okay. He walked me to the door and told me to take care, and said, ‘I will see you tomorrow.’””
Since the death of Price, the Father of Independence, Belize has been receiving an outpouring of condolences from many countries, including Mexico; other condolences to Price’s family were sent from many NGOs and organizations.
Also, since Price’s death an overwhelming number of citizens have been posting their comments and condolences via Facebook. One such resident of the Cayo District said, “A legend, a simple man, a hero that led a piece of land and a people to a nation in the making.
“A humble spirit that always put the people first, even when it cost him his own money and time. You, kind sir, have left a legacy that cannot be matched; you have left for us a nation with a great future.”
According to an official government release, the former Prime Minister’s funeral services will be held at the Independence Plaza in Belmopan on Monday, September 26, commencing at 9:00 a.m. Mr. Price’s body will be transported from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital at 7:30 a.m., on Saturday, September 24, to the Bliss Center For the Performing Arts, and the body will lie in state from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, September 25, 2011, Price’s body will be taken to lie in state at the George Price Centre for Peace and Development in Belmopan from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.