Belize has taken a “significant step” toward removing the remnants of colonialism by replacing the image of the late Queen Elizabeth on its dollar bills with those of national heroes.
Unveiling the new design of the bank notes late on Thursday, the governor of Belize’s central bank, Kareem Michael, said that along with improved security and anti-counterfeit features, the “new family of notes also allows us to recognize and celebrate our heritage and the rich history of Belize”.
The new notes will go into circulation in June. Instead of the queen’s image, the new 100-, 20- and five-dollar bills will feature George Cadle Price, who was the first prime minister of the Central American country and is considered the father of independence from British rule. Fifty-, 10- and two-dollar bills will bear the likeness of Philip Goldson, a founding member of the country’s major political parties, the People’s United party and the United Democratic party, who is celebrated as a champion of national pride.
Belize’s prime minister, Johnny Briceño, said the new images “exemplify our national heroes who symbolize our resistance”.
Speaking to local media he said: “I know some people will say, ‘We don’t have the queen [on the note].’ Well, the queen has died, and that has nothing to do with the Belize dollar.”
“While the primary reason for this change was to incorporate technological advancements into new notes for increased security features and durability, it is one more way for us to remember the sacrifices of those who came before us. Each time we look at the faces of our national heroes on our new currency, we are seeing history, we are seeing leadership, we are seeing the great work that led us to where we are today,” Briceño said..
There was a mixed public reaction to the new notes, with some questioning the need to redesign and others expressing concern about the impact on the value of the Belize dollar.
But for those campaigning for Belize to remove King Charles as head of state, the removal of the British monarch from the country’s money is an important milestone in the journey towards becoming a republic.
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The Belizean political scientist Dr Dylan Vernon, a former ambassador to the European Union and former chair of the country’s political reform commission, said the removal of the queen’s image was long delayed, describing it as “a small but significant symbolic step in the unfinished business of decolonisation”.
He said: “I have long argued that symbolic changes – such as renaming streets, putting national heroes on currency and replacing the king with a Belizean head of state – are needed but in no way enough. Constitutional and political reforms are essential for more meaningful decolonisation – for example, separation of legislative and executive powers, and reforming the electoral system to include proportional representation.
“The hopeful angle is that when the new currency notes have no impact on their lives, other than increasing national pride, fewer Belizeans will fear the more substantive move of replacing the British monarch with a Belizean head of state as part of wider constitutional decolonisation and reform.”
