The British Ambassador to Guatemala, Sarah Dickson, was not wrong when she stated in her speech, given on August 27, 2013, that: “As you can see Guatemala is not alone in this struggle.” In the past the UK’s government policy was always pushing for George Price to cede an amount of land and sea to Guatemala, so as to permit Belizeans to acquire their independence. George Price did not agree with such an idea and said: “not one centimeter”. However, George Price’s opposition wanted this place to continue being a British protectorate. It was a hard struggle until George Price could have achieved his dream of making British Honduras an independent nation with the name Belize on September 21st 1981.
It is a long history between 1950 and 1981, during which a lot of things took place, all kinds of discussions and agreements, but there are certain points which come to my attention and probably there is someone out there who could enlighten us concerning the reason why George Price made certain decisions. It is assumed that when a people gets its independence from a colonized power, it would be logical for these persons to distance themselves from their former colonizers, even though, a bilateral trade agreement would take place because of the exchange of the produce of each country which would be beneficial for the people of each nation.
On the other hand, democracy is such a wide concept, with its principles lying on the foundation of citizen participation, equality, political tolerance, accountability, transparency, regular and free fair elections, economic freedom, control of the abuse of power, bill of rights, accepting the results of elections, human rights, multi-party system, and rule of law. Unfortunately, there is a distorted view among Belizeans that once they elect a representative it gives him or her all the power to do as they wish, since according to them they were elected to do so and they have no obligation to consult with the people. In other words, the people’s participation in the affairs of the nation is not necessary (a very high official stated that they were elected by the people because the people know that they as leaders have more knowledge and wisdom than the people. What about the minority?).
For such reason, it is difficult to understand why George Price made the decision without consulting the people that Belize should become a member of the Commonwealth of Nations with the Queen of England as the Head of State and a native as her representative with the post as Governor General. We can see with the passing of time that it has served for nothing, since Great Britain has washed her hands of her responsibility of solving the Guatemalan claim, a situation which was created by the British, and, thereafter, such debt was passed on to the native and autochthonous people of this country which had enjoyed nothing of what was stolen by the English.
Going back to the loyal British apologists who were against political independence because according to them British Honduras was not prepared and they felt comfortable within the realm of British protection – this group of people, with the passing of time, would develop into a political party, gaining the dominion of the structure and complying with what Great Britain wanted from the beginning, which George Price did not accept. Unfortunately, George Price’s PUP does not exist anymore. They have turned out to be part of the same British apologist’s ideology shared now by both the blue and red, and even by the leftist thinkers of the past during Price’s time – all of whom are compliant with the mandate of secret deals which we will never know about, but, at the end of the day, they are all lined up saying yes to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). I wonder, was it all a game? Was it all a well-orchestrated game using passions to destabilize a people in different groups with a language of clashing views, where we find it impossible to unite for one cause, only one cause, not one centimeter!
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April 14, 2017
Finca Solana
Corozal Town