Photo: Hon. John Briceño – Prime Minister of Belize delivers Independence Day keynote address (Photo courtesy Government of Belize Press Office)
BELMOPAN, Sat. Sept. 21, 2024
Both the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow, and Prime Minister John Briceño remained true to their word on Saturday, September 21st for Belize’s 43rd anniversary of Independence. They had committed to stay away from the mudslinging that had started to characterize the official Independence Day ceremonies in recent years. Not only that, the two main speeches of the leaders were often used as platforms for electioneering whenever elections were drawing near. This embarrassingly played out in front of resident diplomats and others who were visiting for the occasion. This year, the ceremony was imbued entirely and solely with a spirit of celebration, patriotism and recognition of the Belizean identity.
Indeed, there were other changes this year, including the seating arrangement; and while the verdict on that is out from others, for the independent media, it is difficult to give it a nod as it appears we were entirely forgotten. There was no walkthrough with the press beforehand, and with the guests facing the National Assembly and less space to work with than before, the radio announcers with their broadcast equipment were placed in the back where they could hardly observe the proceedings as they unfolded out front. Two very large screens faced the guests. We do note that the event was streamed live on the Government’s Press Office page, and the visuals that came on screen from that production were very much pleasing.
Apart from the always enjoyable musical renditions of the Belize Defence Force’s full-time Military Band for the different ceremonial aspects of the event, there were two musical entertainment segments and, as always, those were top notch. They were led by Maestro Carlos Perrote with an Ode to Independence and a tribute to Leela Vernon, and the second by Alex Evans. There were also musical treats from the returning 156 Army Band from Louisiana, USA.
The People’s United Party’s Pablo Cawich gave his inaugural welcome address as Mayor to the Garden City this year. He spoke of continuing a vision of development for Belmopan and highlighted two forward-thinking projects. One is the introduction of GIS that will allow them to educate Belmopan residents “on various amenities, zoning compliance regarding taxes and licenses, and the infrastructural status throughout the city.” The Mayor also announced that in a few weeks, they will introduce the Belmopan municipal voter outreach system “to foster greater democratic participation and engagement.”
When Hon. Barrow took to the podium, his only departure from his commitment with PM Briceño was to make a reference to the differences between the former Belmopan Mayor and her party when he stated, “What a difference a year makes!” The statement was then turned around by the Prime Minister when it was his turn to deliver the keynote address. He said of Hon. Barrow’s speech, “Many people think that the Leader of the Opposition and I, we don’t agree from time to time. And I agree with him this morning that, what a difference one year makes. Thank you so much for that wonderful message, Leader of the Opposition.”
Hon. Barrow’s speech was fundamentally a call for today’s Belizeans to hearken back to the defining characteristics and principles of our forbears and embody them to forge the nation we desire and deserve. Recalling the Battle of St. George’s Caye, Hon. Barrow remarked, “… our forbearers, including the Flowers Bank 14, made the pivotal decision to stay and defend Belize from the mighty Spain. That fateful decision underlines the iron will embedded in our Belizean DNA which was personified in the likes of our Father of Independence, National Hero, Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price, the likes of the Father of our Democracy, National Hero, Honorable Philip Goldson, Leigh Richardson, Pollard, Jex and so many other unsung heroes …” Hon. Barrow described Price’s spirit as resilient, ambitious, courageous, and determined, and affirmed that these have been passed on to us. He declared, “We just have to dig deep, deep within and attach ourselves to the ideals of patriotism that transcend materialism, self-centeredness and momentary satisfaction.” He added, “The Belizean dream will only come to reality if you, we, the people unite for the greater good of society … Let us go from celebration to action in the spirit of our ancestors because this is who we are. We are relentless, we never give up, never surrender, never retreating from the giant task that life presents us…”
For his part, PM Briceño emphasized the commonalities that unite us as a diverse people on this cherished land. He remarked, “From those who are indigenous to this land, to those who came by force or by choice, or by those who arrived, fell in love, but never left, it is our love for this beautiful, yet young nation that we celebrate. Our success will always be amplified by our openness because our strength comes from our diversity. And the symbol of it all, that which especially unites us, whether we live here at home or whether we live abroad is the Belizean flag.” Also waxing lyrical, the Prime Minister hailed the achievements of our ancestors at great sacrifice. He averred, “Despite the odds which subjected them to a cruel colonialism, they left for us a moral compass, the suasion that is today inspiring in us the desire to construct societies that celebrate diversity, appreciate openness and value social justice, liberty and national happiness. They instilled in us the importance of protecting and sharing our natural patrimony; to see it as something we must bequeath to the next generation. And they instilled in us a philosophy which motivates us to work towards our just objectives which is a more fair, equitable and meaningful economic independence.”
This year’s September celebrations theme was: “A Nation Proud and Free: Belize@43.”