At Look at September 10th in Belize
The historic Battle of St. George’s Caye was commemorated on Thursday with Tenth of September activities being held across the country. In Belize City, an official ceremony was held at the Fort George Memorial Park where a host of dignitaries, including Mayor Darrell Bradley and Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia were in attendance. Before a diverse audience, the keynote addresses would be delivered by Heredia and Bradley. The official ceremonies gave way to a parade through the streets of the City. News Five’s Isani Cayetano looks back at the tenth celebration.
Darrell Bradley
Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor
“So today, we gather and stand and sing and praise and shout, honoring these Baymen. But I cannot help but feel that there should be more to our remembrance of them. That as we stand here and look back at their sacrifice we should in this place and on this occasion re-commit ourselves as they did to the service of this our Belizean nation. After all, this is an anniversary and on each anniversary there is a renewing of vows, if you will, a rededication to the principles of fidelity and love of country. So today, in true remembrance, we should as a nation, strong and free, united at home and abroad renew our vows to this our beloved Belize, that we each should through our various endeavors work to build a more perfect union to serve this nation and each other with selfless devotion, civility and fervent pride. That we should not allow ourselves to be divided by our politics but we should, as they were, stand united by our desire to see this our nation long endure so that those who lived and struggled before us should not have struggled in vain and that we who live now should be resolved to honor their legacy by living lives worthy of their great sacrifice.”
Manuel Heredia
Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism
“Two hundred and seventeen years ago, on September 10th, 1798, the governor of Yucatan and his Spanish armada retreated from our waters, their mission a complete failure. Our future with high promise, a free nation was in waiting. Yet the victory was no fluke or coincident. In fate, it was the mark of an unprecedented movement of unity and of common good between our forefathers to not only protect but safeguard the integrity of their vision of freedom and independence. Because of this event a unique way of life, the Belizean way of life was possible and today we stand as witness and an offspring of the victory that shaped what we know today as our beloved Belize. If we turn back to those troubling times in our history we find very compelling evidence that the seeds of nationhood were set by valiant men and women who, regardless of their social status, came together on common ground. Indeed, we may perhaps find evidence that can guide us in addressing some of the challenges we face today as many of the key catalysts of that time are as relevant today as they were more than two hundred years ago.”
