Barack Obama officially the 1st black president of the U.S.A.
It is a historic event and it will have bearing on Belize. Estimates are that almost two million people braved temperatures in the twenties in Washington, D.C. this morning to attend the historic inaugural ceremony of the first black U.S. President… But many more millions around the world were glued to their T.V. screens as at eleven o’clock this morning Belize time Barack Obama became the forty-fourth president of the United States. Approximately five minutes later, President Obama took the oath of office and then gave his inaugural address… Coming just one day after the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, it was as though President Obama was channeling the human rights icon in his twenty minute speech as he urged for peace, equality, freedom and hard work in the face of the many challenges being faced by his country. Here are some highlights from the National Mall for those of you who were stuck in an office without a television nearby.
Barack Obama, U.S. President
“I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will execute the office of President to the United States faithfully and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States, so help me God.”
“My fellow citizens, I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.”
“We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus—and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.”
“Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. Thank you. God bless you and God bless the United States of America”
Tonight the President and First Lady will attend ten inaugural balls and will take up residency in the White House. On Wednesday, his first full day as President, it is said that Obama will convene a meeting of his top economic advisers and the military brass. As for the now former President George Bush, he was flown by helicopter to the Andrews Airforce Base and then taken by a presidential jet to Texas where he has his ranch and house.
We are not sure how many Belizeans were amongst the massive crowd at the National Mall, but the official representing the country was Belize’s Ambassador to Washington & the O.A.S., Nestor Mendez. But although President Obama’s inauguration represents a big change for the United States, Mendez says Belize and the rest of the CARICOM countries will continue to enjoy its usual productive relationship with the U.S.
Nestor Mendez, Ambassador to Washington & the U.S.
“We have had very clear indications from the United States Department of State that the United States, like many of the great powers on earth, there will be a continuity in the foreign policy platform that exists at the moment. There will be no sudden changes; at least in the short term. For Belize, this is significant because we have always enjoyed an excellent relationship with the United States and this will continue. For us it means two things; as a part of Central America, it means that the funding we already have in the pipeline coming to us under the Merida Initiative, the security initiative in which Mexico and Central America are receiving from the United States to deal with issues of crime and security, those are safe and will continue coming and that will mean a great deal for Belize. As a part of CARICOM, it is even more significant. On January the first, Prime Minister Barrow assumed the chairmanship of CARICOM, so that means that in Washington and the many capitals around the world, the different embassies of Belize have assumed the coordination or the chairmanship of the different caucuses. Here in Washington, it means that the embassy of Belize in Washington is responsible for the initial coordination and management of the first six months of relations between the Caribbean community and the Obama administration. It is a great responsibility and a great honour that we have that in the first six months of the Obama Administration, we will be setting the platform for CARICOM. We expect that a lot of the issues that we have online will continue but there is also a sort of anticipation. For the Caribbean Community, many of the issues that are important to us with the United States will be looked at again and will be improved. We’re talking about issues like trade, we’re talking about issues like cooperation and security matters, we’re talking about issues of environmental sustainability, which is extremely important for Belize and for the Caribbean and even the World.”
