Kriol Cultural Icon, Myrna Manzanares Laid to Rest
The funeral service for the late Myrna Manzanares was held today in Belize City. The late Kriol Culture icon died on December twenty-first after suffering a stroke from which she never recovered. The funeral service was streamed live from All Saints Church in Belize City and News Five’s Marion Ali has the highlights.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Dubbed “Ambassador of the Kriol Culture” seventy-five-year-old Myrna Manzanares received a fitting send-off today, with a funeral service interspersed with Kriol cultural performances.
Among the dignitaries in attendance were the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition, Patrick Faber and Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner. Of note, former Governor-General, Sir Colville Young – himself a cultural legend – shared his talent on the organ.
Myrna Manzanares
Myrna’s daughter, Shalini Manzanares, paid a tribute to her late mom with two songs of her own.
The eulogy was delivered by Attorney Sharon Pitts, who succinctly summed up the person who helped to preserve and advance the Kriol culture in Belize. It is a contribution that Mayor Wagner is grateful for.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor
“She has been the champion of the Creole culture for years and all ah we dah Creole. So it is so appreciative of me to be here to be able to share and send condolences to the family on behalf of the entire city.”
But while the nation pays tribute to a woman who did so much to preserve the Kriol culture, she also did other things outside of that realm. And today, Leader of the Opposition, Patrick Faber, reminded Belizean she was also a politician and a stalwart supporter of the U.D.P.
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber, Leader of the Opposition
“One of the great omissions, I believe, was her active role in politics. In fact, I reminded the membership of my party via a zoom meeting that we had, a mass meeting, that Myrna was one of the strongest forces in terms of women in our party. And in fact, Myrna ran for our party at the municipal level in times when nobody wanted to run. So it was on her shoulders that people who served under the Zenaida Moya Council and Darrell Bradley Council, for instance, came into winning those elections. So she is a great individual in many ways – we’ve heard all the praises – but she was as well a political icon.”
The late Myrna Manzanares was laid to rest in Gales Point Village, where she was born. Marion Ali for News Five.
