Photo: Prime Minister John Briceño delivers his address during the official September 21st Independence Day ceremony in Belmopan
BELMOPAN, Thurs. Sept. 21, 2023
Belize’s official 42nd Independence Day ceremony in Belmopan was slightly delayed by rain and was shorter than usual. The weather ultimately held up, except for some drizzle here and there, and the overcast skies allowed for some reprieve for those who had ventured out to Independence Hill to witness the proceedings for themselves. Present were members of the diplomatic corp and visiting diplomats from 21 nations.
The riveting entertainment this year was provided by the 156th Army Band from Bolster City, Louisiana, alongside the Belize Defence Force Band. The visiting band is comprised of 40 members, 12 of whom came to Belize. The band was created in 1937. Our BDF Band, for its part, is only just evolving into a full-time military band. It started as a volunteer band in Mount Pleasant Creek, Cayo, where a corp of drums was created in the Volunteer Guard. The BDF Band is now a military musical ensemble comprising 12 full-time staff.
During this year’s ceremony there was also a very special medley by way of a tribute to iconic Belizean band, The Professionals. The scintillating musical item arranged and directed by Belizean talent Alexander Evans featured some of the band’s most memorable pieces. It was performed by the Benque Viejo Marching Band with vocalists Nicole Craig, Denise Castillo, Rohjani Perriott and Tremett Periott. On the saxophone was Chris Bradsaw with accompanying musicians.
This year’s invocation was delivered by Major Jonathan Kellman, who is departing shortly, after four years as District Commander of the Salvation Army in Belize. He now heads to Jamaica. It was his second tour of duty in Belize.
The two main speeches, those of the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow, and Prime Minister John Briceño, who followed him in the agenda, were, for the most part, typical of the types of speeches delivered by persons holding their posts, with nothing particularly striking being stated. They featured the now usual attack by the Leader of the Opposition on the ruling party’s administration of the country’s affairs, a declaration of how things would be different if it were a United Democratic Party in government, and a call for Belizeans to harness our inner strength, as did our ancestors, to pursue the Belize we deserve. PM Briceño for his part, like last year, outlined the difficult moments that the world and Belize traverse, and then dived into his party’s accomplishments.
But it was the Belmopan mayor, Sheran “Sharon” Palacio, who raised many eyebrows during her welcome speech, which lasted 14 minutes. She first expressed gratitude to the men and women who made it their life’s work to secure independence for Belize and called on Belizeans to “break the shackles that keep us from progress.” She noted that “still entrapped in our colonial thinking … many continue to hold on to the old system.” Thereafter, she narrated the challenges of being a Garifuna woman in politics. She stated, “It is now in the current psyche of most Belizeans, both male and female, that a black Garifuna woman is nothing else except the object of charity that deserves our mercy and pity, incapable of contributing to nation building. To change narrative, we need to change behaviour and first realize our self-worth and our self-belief.” Mayor Palacio remarked that, as the first female mayor of Belmopan, “I have had to stand firm for principle and be the David amongst giants to accomplish the impossible. Ladies, don’t you ever think for a second that being a woman in leadership in Belize comes with special privileges.” Using the simile of a bird that needs both wings to fly, she urged Belizean men to help change the trajectory of women in politics, as they too are needed in that realm.
The second half of Mayor Palacio’s speech sounded a lot like an attempt to campaign for the next municipal elections, as she outlined the accomplishments under her leadership. Among them was the acquisition – through the Ministry of Education — of scholarships for over 120 youths valued at $300,000. She commented that through outreach, they received great support from organizations, private donors and regular citizens to realize many initiatives, including street paving, a back-to-school drive, and a food bank for single mothers. According to the Mayor, the confidence that the business community has had in her has even led to her acquiring the name “the People’s Mayor.” At the start, Palacio had taken a swipe at the former United Democratic Party Council, and in concluding, she commented that even though they met a sunken ship on taking over the helm, they managed to turn things around. And from there she segued into a criticism of her fellow councillors. Palacio proclaimed, “One would think that with intelligent people in office – and I’m referring to my own Council – they would be ready to support development. For those of you who don’t know, we had, and still have the opportunity to invest in a $10,000,000 bond to help develop our nation’s capital. Even after I agreed to the added conditions imposed by my Council, they have refused to sign. In trying to undermine my leadership, let it be known that our people are looking, and they deserve better.” In concluding, Palacio told the PUP, “With only 6 months remaining for me to deliver this Garden City, I want to reassure the People’s United Party that I stand ready to deliver the City of Belmopan once I am given the opportunity.”
When the Leader of the Opposition took to the podium, his first remark was to Mayor Palacio—that come March 2024, all of her problems would disappear, since the UDP will win the elections in Belmopan. He also pointedly told the Prime Minister that he would forgive him, as his “brother in Independence” for raising the fuel price at midnight on the eve of Independence. The reference was to the increase of the price of regular gasoline that is now at $13.38 per gallon.
Moving on to the highlights of his remarks, Hon. Barrow declared, “This is who we are, never surrendering to the odds, never retreating from the giant task life presents us. From birth, we were built to be bold, built to be our best. We are Belizeans.” He insisted that now more than ever, that a resistant spirit is needed “as we face a new foe in a battle for mental liberation and economic independence.” Hon. Barrow subsequently called on Belizeans to harness the spirit of our heroes within us to “triumph over the despots who stand between poverty and wealth creation.” With that, Barrow launched into his attack of the Briceño Administration. He stated, “The embattled Briceño Administration, mired in the Portico corruption Senate investigation, accusations of ministerial sexual assault, murderous land corruption, among other dubious acts of bad governance, has borrowed almost a billion dollars in three years, yet we are further away from that economic independence and complete freedom than ever. Instead of constitutional reform that will expand our rights, give greater protection to our rights, give greater freedoms and strengthen our democracy, our Constitution is being weaponized to target the Opposition and disenfranchise segments of our society. Instead of protecting our borders and preserving our territorial integrity, the Sarstoon has been neglected by the government.”
Hon. Barrow highlighted that having travelled around the world, he has reached the conclusion that “Belizeans are as good as anyone in the world. Belizeans are worthy of a good quality of life. Belizeans deserve it all.”
When PM Briceño took to the podium, he started by apologizing on behalf of all Belizeans for “that display that we saw a while ago,” telling those present and television/online viewers of the ceremony that Belizeans are a loving, respectful, warm people. Hon. Briceño quickly moved to the state of affairs of the country. He reported, “Taking stock of our nation’s standing at 42 compels a recognition of the existent regional and global conditions. Lamentably, the times are turbulent.” He pointed to the vicious Russia/Ukraine war, climate change, inflation that is wreaking “havoc on the pocketbooks of those who can least afford to pay more for the staples of living,” and a “deluge of debt” which “risks reversing the post pandemic recovery, threatening to erode decades of advances for humanity.” And though PM Briceño recognized that the downside risks appear formidable and intimidating for Belize, he commented that “the results of our constant labours since the election of November 2020 show that Plan Belize, our national plan, our North Star is not just working, but working far better than the optimist imagined.” Hon. Briceño then listed his party’s achievements. Among them, he cited that visiting IMF officials, who earlier this month concluded their mid-year review, agreed with Belize authorities “that 2023 will see economic growth and an expansion over 2022.” PM Briceño said that “just as Belize vastly outperformed the IMF projections in both 2021 and 2022, we are confident that 2023 will extend this trend of actual performance, surpassing forecasted performance.” PM Briceño provided several other financial and economic indicators which he said speak to the financial system regaining its pre-pandemic strength. He also spent some time discussing the sargassum energy project being explored with a German company, NHI expansion to the north, scholarships for over 20,000 students at all levels with a value of close to $10 million, and the Saudi Arabia loan for a new tertiary level hospital and medical school at the University of Belize campus in Belmopan. Concluding with a reference to the battle for our independence, PM Briceño proclaimed, “Today, as the torchbearers of that enduring cause, I renew our unshakable commitment to a more equitable, a more prosperous and a more inclusive nation, at peace with itself and with the community of nations.”
This year’s September celebrations theme was “Hope Ignited, Hands United, Vision Renewed: Belize @ 42!”