The government of Belize, located in Central America, took an important step towards removing what they called "the remnants of British colonialism," replacing the image of the queen of England on banknotes with images of national heroes from this small Caribbean nation. At the presentation of the new banknote design, the head of the Central Bank of Belize, Karim Michael, stated that "the new banknotes not only ensure increased safety and protection against counterfeiting, but also allow us to reflect our cultural heritage and rich history of Belize, to commemorate this."
In a statement, the new banknotes will be introduced in June of the following year. Instead of the image of the queen on the new banknotes nominally valued at 100, 20, and 5 dollars, there will be an image of George Cadle Price, who was the first prime minister and is considered the main hero in the fight for independence from British rule in this country of Central America.
Banknotes nominally valued at 50, 10, and 2 dollars will display an image of Philip Goldson, one of the founders of the main political parties in the country - "United Democratic Party" and "People's United Party," and honors him as a national hero. Prime Minister of Belize Johnny Brisenio remarked that "the new images represent our national heroes, symbolizing our resistance."
In a conversation with local media, he added: "I know that some people will suggest that we do not have the queen (on the banknote)." Continuing, he said: "Okay, the queen has died, and this is not in any way related to the Belize dollar." Brisenio explained: "Although the main reason for this change is the introduction of newer technologies on the new banknotes for increasing safety and durability, it is also a way for us to commemorate the victims of those who have come before us."
The new banknotes have provoked mixed reactions from the public, where some raise the question of the need for a reassessment, while others express their concern about the impact on the value of the Belize dollar.
