One torch, forty-five miles and a powerful tribute to forty-five years of Belizean independence. Ahead of Independence Day, about sixty members of the country’s security forces took to the George Price Highway today, carrying a flame symbolizing the sovereignty and freedom Belizeans will soon celebrate. The Belize Coast Guard led the inaugural run, with support from the Belize Defense Force and the Belize Police Department. The journey ended at the Flag Monument in Belize City, where participants raised the Belizean flag, sang the national anthem and honored those whose service helped safeguard the nation’s independence. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
With a torch held high and forty-five miles ahead of them, members of our security forces turned Belize’s independence celebrations into a moving tribute to the nation’s sovereignty and freedom. With Independence Day approaching, Belize’s security forces marked the occasion on the move. Sixty officers took part in a symbolic run this morning, paying tribute to the men and women who helped secure the nation’s sovereignty, freedom and democracy. Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis, Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, shared what inspired the new initiative.
Gregory Soberanis
Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
“This is an initiative birthed from our respect to Belize’s sovereignty, freedom, democracy, and liberty. I want you to look to the left and to my right. What you see behind me here are warriors, security forces warrior, birthed from a legacy of men and women who were champions of democracy, champions of our freedoms, and champions of our independence. And so today, as members of the Belize Coast Guard, members of the police force, and members of the BDF, we are proud to be a part of that legacy, warriors who continue to defend the sovereignty of this nations.”
The run began in Cotton Tree Village with members of the Belize Coast Guard. When they reached the Hand Monument in Belize City, personnel from the other security forces joined them for the final stretch, dubbed the People’s Mile. Lieutenant Commander Jasmine Bellini, Commander Training tells us how the forces were able to mobilize for the event.
Jasmine Bellini
Lieutenant Commander Jasmine Bellini, Commander Training, Belize Coast Guard
“The good thing is it’s a team effort, so they have different officers within the police guard responsible for different things, reaching out to our brothers and sisters in arms. So we have, of course, from Belize Defense Force and the Belize Police Department that joined us in the People’s Mile. But the majority of the running was internal to us. So with all the different units, the unit commanders had their persons come out, and we did the entire 45 miles in intervals, and it was a very good experience.”
From start to finish, runners carried a torch representing Belize’s freedom and the security forces’ duty to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and democracy.
Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis
“ The torch symbolizes our liberty, and we want Belize to know that as a member of the security forces, we stand ready to defend the liberties, and that torch must always be kept lit in our hearts, in our lives, on a day-to-day basis, that Belize is free, Belize is sovereign, and Belize remains democratic.”
The run concluded at the Flag Monument here in Belize City, where participants joined in a flag-raising ceremony and the singing of the national anthem to culminate the forty-five-mile tribute to Belize’s independence. Britney Gordon for News Five.
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