Just about every Belizean we've spoken to is elated about the
election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. After all, we already
have a road named after him! Or sorta, if you drop an "r" from Barrack
road....
But beyond the irrepressible emotionalism and elation, what does Obama's
election really mean for Belize? We thought the Foreign Minister would know
best - but in his opinion it's more symbolic than it is consequential,
because "the man" still runs things.
Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Foreign Minister
"I don't personally see more than a psychological benefit for
third world countries like Belize and the rest of the Caribbean from his victory
because remember he is only one person in a superstructure that is really a
white superstructure. He is really only one person and you see he can be frustrated
at every turn unless and until there is the will there to reform."
"Well, we'll be having a CARICOM summit in Trinidad, CARICOM
summit in Trinidad, in March of next year, and everybody was already planning
to meet with him. It was the view of the Caribbean leaders that in fact he would
have been the president and so everybody was looking at him with excitement
and anticipation. Of course, black people in black countries tend to believe
that if you have a black president, they are going to give more attention to
you. We have known that you have had black leaders all over the place and they
have been very oppressive to their own people, so the fact of blackness is noit
very significant, except psychologically, you know?"
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