Two Parties, Four Queens: Political Divide in Succotz Leads to Confusion

Belize is getting ready to celebrate forty-four years of independence, a time when we usually put politics aside and come together as one. But in the western village of Succotz, unity is taking a back seat to division. Every year, the village hosts its traditional torch run, where a symbolic flame, representing honesty, purity, and the Belizean spirit, is passed to the Miss Torch Queen. There’s also a Miss Independence Queen, both chosen by the village council. But this year, instead of two queens, there are four, and two separate torch runs. Why? A political rift in the council, split between a U.D.P. chairman and five P.U.P. councilors, has sparked a showdown that’s turning a patriotic tradition into a tug-of-war. Village Chairman Armando Ventura Cocom says the situation is as confusing as it is disheartening.

 

On the Phone: Armando Ventura Cocom, Chairman, Succotz

“Under their own administration which means they create our own committee of San Jose Succotz committee, which I wasn’t aware also. And then the regulation under the act of the institution, say every committee or everything that has been arranged, supposed to be addressed to the chairman. They’re not following that. So they just walk off and separate and then they just do their own thing. That’s what why we are having four queens now.”

 

Britney Gordon

“So what exactly is the plan now to unite the celebration so that the village does not have this political divide?”

 

On the Phone: Armando Ventura Cocom

“It’s a very challenging one. I have I have sent them invitation also for make we sit down as a chairman and to arrange those things. So we don’t have both celebration. Right? Because we have to be united. It’s supposed to be united, so it isn’t supposed to be a divided party or celebration. As chairman of San Jose Succotz Village and Corozalito, I want to ask the public and everyone from our beautiful village for this festive time that we’re having this big challenge of having two parties, two celebration, two independent celebration. It shouldn’t have started from the beginning. We shouldn’t have a split celebration. I want to ask our communities to please have a safe independence celebration without getting into fight, let’s celebrate together as we supposed to be celebrating in our beautiful village and our beautiful country of Belize. I will ask from my kind heart for all persons and villagers to please let’s be safe and don’t get into no quarrelling or misunderstanding or in trouble with other villagers.”