The Government of Belize and the Belize Tourism Board has officially unveiled a new statue honoring Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price, the country’s first Premier and Prime Minister.
The unveiling coincides with the 13th anniversary of Price’s passing.
The statue, now standing prominently in the Battlefield Park in downtown Belize City, serves as a lasting tribute to Price’s pivotal role in Belize’s journey to independence.
Known as the “Father of the Nation” of Belize, Price led the country to independence on September 21st, 1981, after years of dedicated struggle and negotiation.
His leadership during the crucial years leading up to and following independence shaped the nation’s path and identity.
Price is remembered as a visionary political leader and a tireless advocate for Belizean sovereignty.
Price effectively dominated Belizean politics from the early 1960s until his 1996 retirement from party leadership, having been the nation’s head of government under various titles for most of that period.
He entered politics in 1947 with his election to the Belize City Council. In 1949, with the devaluation of the British Honduran dollar he, together with a group of citizens, formed the People’s Committee. It was the start of the “peaceful, constructive Belizean revolution”. On 29 September 1950, he co-founded the People’s United Party, which he led for four decades and which was devoted to the political and economic independence of the British colony, then known as British Honduras.
In September 2000, Price became the first person to receive Belize’s highest honor, the Order of National Hero, for the prominent role he played in leading his country to independence. He has received similar honors in other Caribbean and Central American countries. In 1982, he was made a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
The Government of Belize hopes that this statue will serve as more than just a memorial. It is intended to “inspire Belizeans to serve their country with pride and patriotism.”
