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An act of war

FeaturesAn act of war

The word Ka’añaar, explained by Brother Yasser Musa at the Corozal House of Culture graphic art exhibition which took place on Thursday, June 27, 2019, is two words — “Ka’a” in Maya, which means two, and “ñaar” in Senegal, West Africa, meaning two. Before I continue to write on this event, permit me to express my gratitude to Brother Yasser Musa for uplifting this your humble servant with words of praise and for giving me the honor of cutting the ribbon alongside the Cuban Ambassador to Belize, Sister Lissette Pérez Pérz and the two graphic artists, Brother Falco from Cuba and Brother Lito from Belize. I want to be frank and truthful with you, our dear readers of this column; it was the first time in my life that this, your humble servant, had ever cut a ribbon of an inauguration of such a special event which tightened the bonds of friendship between Cuba and Belize.

 In addition, let me remind you, as I have done on many occasions, that we are thankful to our Commandant Fidel Castro, who fought at the United Nations General Assembly for Belize to become an independent nation and we as a people have much gratitude to the Cuban brigades of doctors who for so many years have been in our country attending to our people from the most remote areas to the towns, cities and capital, and are also grateful on behalf of so many of our Belizean sisters and brothers who got access to a free education in Cuba. It is unfair that after Cuba had been recognized for its humanist intervention to cure so many people at the impoverished nations and thousands upon thousands of people across this globe, including the United States of America, that they have suffered from such brutal sanctions at the hands of the US. That is why we hold hands together with all the nations that year after year have been demanding that the rights of the Cuban people should be respected, as is outlined in the United Nations Charter, and that the senseless inhumane economic, commercial and financial blockade against that country be unblocked.

Such a blockade is an act of war, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Cuba is not at war against the United States of America; however, Washington considers the Cuban democratic system as a threat to its national security. I wonder, how can democracy be a threat to the most powerful military and economic nation of the world? Could it be because the individualistic democratic system of the United States of America has failed, and it has been clearly shown and proven that it has given life to inequality and debauchery? Nevertheless, the Cuban democratic system of liberty and freedom has given life to equality, discipline and responsibility to each and every one.

On another note, without the intention of hurting the sensibility of anyone, permit me to refresh the minds of our dear readers of this column, when I stated in one of my writings that it is impossible for two men to bring progress and development to the people of a nation. I do not agree with the emblem that was set in the national flag of this country because what it depicts in there is the time of slavery and the means by which this land was invaded and the wealth was taken out.  Instead, the designer of the Belizean flag should have depicted something similar to what is contained in the above image — an African woman and a Maya man looking at each other, eye to eye, which reflects the history of two great civilizations and the suffering through enslavement and domination which took place during the invasion of this land we call Belize and also the entire continent.

The tears are because of the suffering that the Maya people went through and the expression of the black woman who understands his feelings, since she too had been through the same circumstances. The history of the descendants of African people here in Belize and the Maya are in one way or the other intertwined. Slavery was abolished in 1834; nevertheless, it was only physical slavery, since mental slavery is still in place up to this day. We have not been able to unlock the handcuff that by force of all means was set in the brain of the people. We can see such expression in Lito’s design.

In Falco’s design, the scientific symbol of a female was used, which, in my personal point of view, shows how through time and space women have always been submissive and obedient to the mandate of man, which can also be found in the teachings of different religious denominations. However, the cross has been used as a symbol of war during the time of the Inquisition. In another of Falco’s graphic art pieces, a bird’s head is on top of a grenade. In my point of view, it represents the U.S. and South African Falcon on a weapon of war that took place when South Africa’s white supremacists had the native Africans under segregation, which we know as the time of apartheid. There is a long history of the sufferings of the African and indigenous people of this land.

[email protected]
June 29, 2019
Finca Solana
Corozal Town
NOTE: Debauchery: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures.

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