Independence Day 2004

Throwing sweets into the crowd in Belmopan

Enter the United Democratic Party and before that, its forerunners, the Honduras Independence Party, the National Independence Party, the Liberal Party and a couple others too minor to remember. For reasons
obscured in history, but more likely having to do with politics and the oppositions job being that of opposing anything the current government favors, the Tenth was adopted by the UDP. And became a political football. Thus whenever the PUP was in government the Independence Day Parade was uplifted and the Tenth was downtrodden. And vice verse for when the UDP was in office.

Private dancer.

The Independence Day Parade is NOT fun. Its downright unhealthy. A couple thousand hapless school children were required to march approximately four miles in 95-degree weather. It is as boring a parade as Ive ever seen. Music was supplied by marching bands one from the military and a couple of other small groups banging drums. There was one forlorn truck playing music and one young lady making her best to not make it so dreary a march. A truck was carrying some Chinese with their dancing dragon safely ON the truck. They desultorily tossed an occasional firecracker unto the street as they passed by. We did not see any politicians marching in the parade. But perhaps they marched a little and then went home.

Indian dance in Belmopan.

Fast forward to Belmopans Independence Day parade, which we had never covered. Belmopan was created as the new capital of Belize some 30 years ago. It has never achieved the growth that was anticipated. Blame that partly on the Rojos who during their ten years in government did their best to NOT develop the capital. Even doing some mean things like moving the university to the port town only to have the Blues move it back when they got back into office but that is another story.

Like the old port town, Belmopans Independence Day parade consisted mainly of school children called out to march. The BDF band that marched in the port town parade was expected to pack up their drums and trumpets and travel 50 miles to the capital to do it all over again but apparently they rebelled or they had transport problems, as they did not show. The biggest float was a truck belonging to the local lumber company. It featured stacks of wood labeled Dressed Lumber, Dressed Treated Lumber, and Undressed Treated Lumber, (makes me grateful that I am not a pseudo journalist working for the government).
The capital's parade ended at the Governor Generals field. A disco box was in attendance and a few stalls were selling food and drink. Several Indians put
on a show for the crowd and hundreds of kids had fun on a big inflatable slide.

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