PUNTA GORDA, Belize — As King Charles III gears up for his coronation Saturday, some in this Central American nation are reassessing his role as their head of state.
Belizeans question the role of the British monarchy ahead of coronation
The death of Queen Elizabeth II resurfaced debates here and across the Caribbean over whether to split from the monarchy, as Barbados did in 2021. Especially in this region, the monarchy is a reminder to many of colonial occupation, slavery and exploitation.
As the Belizean government assesses whether to hold a referendum on parting with the crown, people are reexamining their relationship with its legacy and their new king.
Ludwig Palacio
Ludwig Palacio, 59, wants an apology from King Charles. He believes the British crown is living off the wealth accumulated through slavery.
The enslaved population of Belize reached some 2,300 in the 18th century, when the area was a British settlement. They lugged heavy timber for the colony’s major exports, mahogany and lumber. Calls for reparations and a formal apology from the monarchy have grown in Belize and its neighbors.
In the coastal fishing town of Punta Gorda, Palacio works as a veterinarian, artist and writer. Museums all over Europe, he says, are littered with stolen treasures from former colonies.
“If you steal something, the least you can do is give it back,” he said.
Cynthia Pitts
TANIKO Madagascar 