Marvin Mora Discusses History of Garinagu in Belize City
The other persons to whom Neal was speaking in the recording were Marvin Mora, the current general secretary of the Belize Energy Workers’ Union and Lorelei Westby of the Belize Water Services’ Workers’ Union. Tonight, we reveal another damaging portion of the recording in which Mora details why the Garifuna’s reach extends across all sectors including the public service. He claims that it dates back to the original discrimination suffered by Black Caribs, the Garifuna’s ancestors, when they came to Belize City – discrimination which he says native Creoles applauded.
Voice of: Marvin Mora, General Secretary, Belize Energy Workers Union
“Mek a tell you, mek a tell you how the whole thing go…”
Voice of: Lorelei Westby, President, Belize Water Services Workers’ Union
“Wow, I neva know that is soh.”
Voice of: Marvin Mora
“The thing is cultural; no, the thing is cultural. Back in the day – and thank God for my reparations package preparedness, because true reparations are probably a lot of thing. Back in the day, Belize City did not allow the Garifuna to be in Belize City.”
(Cross-talking)
Voice of: Eldred Neal, President, Public Service Union
“I noh wah you tell me, because that dah mi weh I had to do, before my AGM, to understand why the Garifuna could go on that side of town, and they hold that against we for the rest of wi life.”
(Cross-talking)
Voice of: Marvin Mora
“There was a law, there was a law that was enacted in Belize City that did not allow the Garifuna to be here after six. So after six the (expletive) had to hit the bus and haul they (expletive) outta town!”
Voice of: Eldred Neal
“You nevah hear that nowhere?”
Voice of: Marvin Mora
“And the creole applauded that law. That’s why they have it against we because we supported that the white people instituted for segregation. But then their revenge came about because when the education system was set up, the people from the different churches set up the thing so that the people who were educated were the Garifunas and they would educate the rest of us. That’s why most of we – grandparents, parents, teachers were ‘Garif.’ But it’s not done there. They didn’t stop there. The Garifuna are greedy for power, what the “Garif” did, was, the “Garif” decided that, you know what? Every single (expletive) head of department in the public service, we gwen (expletive) after that. So (inaudible) they go into the…”
Voice of: Eldred Neal
“Marion Palacio, all of them…”
Voice of: Marvin Mora
“P.S.U., they make sure they go into the (expletive) B.D.F., they make sure they go into the police, they make sure they go into everything. So now you see the culture.”
Voice of: Eldred Neal
“Dat da weh we di fight back.”
Why is this a surprise? This has been the attitude against Garifuna in Belize for a very long time. Belizean Garifuna will disrespect their brothers and sisters from Honduras and Guatemala and deny their heritage, but the same time this is what the true Belizeans think!