PUP Celebrates 75 Years of ‘Serving the Nation’

The People’s United Party celebrated its 75th anniversary on Saturday in Orange Walk, the home district of Prime Minister John Briceño. The event at the Banquitas House of Culture brought party members together to celebrate over seven decades of “serving the nation.”

Minister Henry Charles Usher opened the celebration with a flag ceremony and a message of recommitment. He said, “We are here today to celebrate and honour those who came before, the legacy, and the foundation that they built. We are here to support our leaders. We are here to support our government. We are here to support our party today.”

In his address, Briceño described independence as hard-fought. “Our independence wasn’t handed to us. It wasn’t a gift from the British. It was a victory earned by courage, sacrifice and vision. It was led by none other than George Price, the father of our nation.”

Briceño also warned of present-day challenges. “Our environment, our rivers, our reef, and our forest, they all face threats from climate change and exploitation. Our fragile economy, while moving along, is always at the mercy of forces outside of Belize, outside of our control. If we are not strong together, that complacency can erode all that we have achieved.”

Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde echoed the call for unity and urged members to “not get too cynical about criticism and negative coverage” and to “return to our [party’s] roots, return to the foundation and to the values that made us great.”

The anniversary comes at a time when the Briceño administration faces mounting scrutiny. Joseph Budna maintains that the Attorney General, the Minister of Home Affairs, and several senior police officials were responsible for his unlawful arrest, torture, and abduction before being expelled to Guatemala. Earlier this month, Budna filed a lawsuit against the administration.