Independence Day

Belizean Flag
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The road to Independence generally followed the course taken by other British colonies in the Caribbean up to the early 1960's, but since then it has been distorted by a peculiar circumstance, the unfounded claim of Guatemala to the territory of Belize - a claim that has bred national disunity and seriously warped the political, social and economic development of Belize.

With independence, a serious task faced the Belizean people - not only to transform a society marked by centuries of colonial exploitation and dependency, but also to build unity shattered by decades of political strain under the weight of the Guatemalan claim.

Independence Day in Belize is a day that honors our struggles, our struggles to a better life and a new and improved way of life

Carnival time
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For many years, the Belizean government largely left matters up to the British, who were constitutionally responsible for the foreign affairs and defense of Belize. But in 1975, after 14 years of fruitless negotiations, the Guatemalan government demanded the cession of a large area of Belizean territory as the price for dropping its unfounded claim. The Belize government decided that it must wage a second war for independence, this time on the international front, to gain support for its claim to full independence with its territory intact and secure. There followed six years of intensive diplomatic activity on the part of the Belize government in an exercise that became known as "the internationalization". Immediate and firm support was received from the countries of the Caribbean Community and the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1975 the first United Nations resolution on Belize was passed by the General Assembly by a vote of 110 in favor, 9 against and 16 abstentions. This large initial support was made possible because of the undertaking by the Non-Aligned Movement, at its Foreign Minister's Conference in Peru that year, to commit its total support to Belize. Although the United Nations support was substantial, it showed up a serious weakness - none of the mainland Spanish speaking Latin American countries had voted for Belize. It became the number one priority to win the support of these countries, and special efforts were made to gain the solidarity of the people and government of Latin America and especially of Central America, whose countries were particularly bound by economic and other historical ties with Guatemala.

The chink in Guatemala's armor of Latin American support first appeared in another continent - at the Summit Meeting of the Non-Aligned Countries held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in August 1976. Belize had been invited as a special guest, and was given special status in the Movement. Also present there to lobby support for the struggle to regain sovereignty over the Panama Canal for his people was General Omar Torrijos. Although Panama had been previously committed, in a signed declaration of Central American countries, to support Guatemala's claim, General Torrijos became convinced of the justice of the Belizean struggle for Independence, and at the next United Nation's(UN) General Assembly session, Panama voted in favor of the Belizean resolution. He became an ardent campaigner for Belize in Latin America, and was instrumental in securing the support of many other countries. He became a constant source of sound advice and inspiration; he will live forever in the hearts of Belizeans who can never forget his significant contribution to our struggle for Independence.

After Panama, many other Latin American countries voted for Belize in subsequent UN resolutions, but another break in the Central American wall did not occur until the victory of the Popular Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua, which not only brought an important new vote for Belize at the UN, but also a committed ally. Another event that considerably improved the international position of Belize was the assumption by Jose Lopez Portillo of the Presidency of Mexico. Although Mexico had supported Belize before, President Portillo's principled and very firm stand greatly strengthened Belize's hand.

By November 1980, international support for Belize was virtually unanimous. A UN resolution called for independence for Belize without strings attached, and with security, by the end of 1981. This time the United States of America, which had previously abstained on all the Belize resolutions since 1975, voted in favour, and no country voted against.

The last bastion of Guatemalan support to fall was the Organization of American States, which had traditionally taken Guatemala's side in the controversy. With the emerging importance of the Caribbean states in the Organization, and with the gradually increasing Latin American support at the UN, Belize's cause won acceptance. In November 1980, the OAS by an overwhelming majority endorsed the UN resolution calling for a secure independence in 1981.

The solid mounting support for Belize did not, however, deter the government from continuing its efforts to find a peaceful negotiated settlement to the controversy, but meetings held in 1981 proved that the Guatemalan government, by insisting on terms that would amount to land cession, was still demanding too high a price for dropping its unfounded claim to Belize.

The decision was therefore taken, with the consent of the British government and the blessing of the international community, to proceed with independence and to continue its efforts thereafter to develop peaceful and friendly relations with the government and people of Guatemala.

And so, Belize became an independent nation on September 21st, 1981. Belize's place in the world remains assured. The victory of independence belongs to each and every Belizean throughout this history who, no matter how small a way, demonstrated by his action, his conviction that nothing is more abhorrent than slavery in any form, and that nothing is more precious than freedom and independence.

Independence Day in Belize is a day that honors our struggles, our struggles to a better life, a day that celebrates our triumph that has led our country and its people to freedom and a new and improved way of life. We are a nation that has much to celebrate, and this year is no exception as it celebrates its 25th birthday. Come and celebrate with us, "Belizean style".

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